Adams was one of the more devout among our Founding Fathers. As it turned out we needed the religious zealots and the skeptics alike to form our government. They created a sound balance to one another. In any case, there was a lot of discussion that went on outside of the Constitution. What went into the Constitution is what became our law. The states themselves adopted similar injunctions against religious establishment, including the state of Alabama.
A land which needs to declare the religious beliefs of its citizens through government is a land either gripped by tyranny or fear. We would be both if we suddenly had to announce our religion from Washington DC. It would automatically exclude a lot of people from the right to government with representation. It would also strike fear into many more, many who know the true history of the Reformation and the secular causes for religious civil war.
The Enlightenment freed us to follow our own beliefs in private while using reason and persuasion to establish our laws. The Founding Fathers as well as being mainly Christian were also the best political students of the Enlightenment we know. And they knew better than to establish a state religion or even found this nation on a particular religion. They knew that it was the people whose own beliefs would matter. John Adams does not contradict that argument in any way.
The right defense against Islamism is to remove it from America. Its stated purpose of a religious state is in direct opposition to our Constitution; in fact, it is tantamount to open sedition. The right defense of religious liberty is to keep religion and government separate. We are a nation of laws, not men. Men have their beliefs. The law stands on reason. Any law that doesn't belongs to those who follow them without explanation. And yes, most of the 10 commandments have logical, well-reasoned meanings that we can use to convince each other are just.
In fact, the second amendment, based on our sacred, inalienable right to self-defense, is a far superior protection of religious freedom than any addition we could make to our Constitution today. Never forget that. The minute you do will be the minute someone, somewhere begings to scheme a way to announce your religious beliefs for you. Quite in opposition to what the contemporary liberals believe, arms are the Enlightenment's best friend. They are also the Christian's best friend, as the Swiss proved in their early role in the Reformation.
While I don't agree with or question, or wonder about, some of the points in you post, it is so well crafted and written, that I am just going to let it stand as is. Good job.
excellent post risk
You are soooo right. The second amendment is the ultimate "check and balance".