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Beck has exaggerated the faith of some of the founders on his show. It is debatable bordering on dishonest to portray Jefferson as a Christian; he certainly was not one in the conventional sense. Beck made a big deal of the fact that Jefferson had his own version of the New Testament; he failed to mention that Jefferson thought his version -- with many omissions of canonical scripture -- was the only authentic one.

Franklin believed very much in God but was no Christian, he was frequently derisive of Christianity, and though he had some mellower things to say about Jesus late in his life, he never accepted Jesus' divinity, and found Christianity "unintelligible."

"The experience of the United States is a happy disproof of the error so long rooted in the unenlightened minds of well-meaning Christians, as well as in the corrupt hearts of persecuting usurpers, that without a legal incorporation of religious and civil polity, neither could be supported. A mutual independence is found most friendly to practical Religion, to social harmony, and to political prosperity. [James Madison, Letter to F.L. Schaeffer, Dec 3, 1821]"

"The civil Government, though bereft of everything like an associated hierarchy, possesses the requisite stability, and performs its functions with complete success, whilst the number, the industry, and the morality of the priesthood, and the devotion of the people, have been manifestly increased by the total separation of the church from the State." James Madison, 1819.

Even those founders who were men of faith believed in the separation of church and state. It is a lie that the phrase "separation of church and state" was not part of their common discourse." It was. It is true that for many conservatives, conservatism has a religious basis, but, it is neither necessary nor sufficient to produce sound conservative principles, reasoning, or outcomes.

There are lots of us like your wife.

Excellent post with great citations. Interesting to note that many claim America to be a Christian-founded country, but “Christ” is found no where in our Declaration or Constitution. The word “Creator” is used, but sounds rather generic. It could be read as an effective way to convey the abstract concept of “inalienable rights” to those more familiar with Judeo-Christian concepts than to advanced political concepts. Great topic with many great replies.