Editorial Reply: An American or Christian ‘taking back’ of our nation?

We find ourselves torn by Mr. Accornero’s submission: on the one hand, we do not disagree that the American political system has become extremely dysfunctional on both sides of the aisle, though our editorial board may be divided on which side has gone further off the deep end.

That said, we are collectively confused by Mr. Accornero’s assertion that we pick “the Bible” up in one hand and “the Constitution” in the other to “take back our country” from dysfunctional and self-serving politicians.

Don’t get us wrong, faith is an integral and important part of the lives of many Americans, as well as others around the world. However, our Founding Fathers were clear in outlining a political and cultural nation in which there would be no one, dominating faith telling all how to worship, believe, or whether to believe at all. The then-recent experience of the Puritan abuses in the New England colonies, where those found wanting to the Puritan ideas of faith and worship were publicly humiliated, physically tortured and sometimes murdered as “witches” for a differing, nature-oriented belief system, was fresh on the minds of our early national leaders.

Consequently, while faith was not discouraged, it was made clear that no one religion, not even the dominant Christian theology with its branches, would hand down a prescription for how American lives would be led and prayers said if said at all.

Rather, it would be a system of secular law applied equally to all – well, except for those imported African slaves and Native Americans white Europeans so inconveniently found already settled in the “New World” when they arrived looking for a shortcut to the Far East trading nations, hence the misnomer “Indians” for those natives.

But at least it would be secular laws applying equally to all qualifying citizens, and their guests.

And importantly, our Constitution would be written so it could be amended and improved upon as we and our society grew and improved. It would not be a stagnant society with set-in-stone tablets of “Divine Law” creating an oppressive theocracy such as some colonies had experienced with the Puritans, a particularly offensive branch of Christianity essentially driven from Europe for their fanatical interpretation of faith and “Divine Law”. Nor did our Founding Fathers want a duplication of the Catholic Inquisitions that had plagued portions of Europe as faith collided with scientific discoveries and diverse opinions on the nature and implementation of “God’s Law”.

Yes, God may have become acknowledged on our money and in our Pledge of National Allegiance, but it was no one faith’s GOD. It was whatever one chose to believe of a Creative Force of the universe and our nation.

So, when Mr. Accornero says “pick up a Bible in one hand” is he limiting participation in the take-back of the nation from a failing and corrupt political system to Bible-carrying Christians alone? And if so, would he further limit participation to the Christian brand and Bible version he subscribes to? Were he Catholic, would he fear another Calvinist uprising were Protestants allowed to participate? And if Protestant, would he fear the rule of the “Bishop of Rome” were the Catholics involved?

You see where this leads.

Ultimately it leads to the same kind of division we are currently sliding into as that corrupt and failing American political system Accornero has targeted for change pits us against each other, rather than against a common enemy – corruption.

And we would suggest that Mr. Accornero not simply look overseas for those who would buy and control corrupt politicians. Sure they are there, directly impacting our political system to this day. But beware of threats to the Republic “both foreign and domestic” as we have been warned.

So, let us unite across faiths, and even with those of no set faith, to put our country back on a path of transparency and honesty in the conduct of a government by the people and for the people, rather than for a corrupt financial elite and their bought and paid for political operatives on either side of the political aisle.

Can I hear an “AMEN” brother – Though a strictly non-denominational, non-faith binding one?!!?

Roger Bianchini, Member, Royal Examiner Editorial Board