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Well, then, what do we do about that philosophical foundation of our Constitution--the oft-quoted "Declaration of Independence," with its references to a Supreme Being in four distinct manifestations--as "Creator," as "Divine Providence," as "the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God," and as the "Supreme Judge"?

According to Jefferson, "it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."

Of constitutional interpretation (the role of the judiciary), Jefferson advised:

"On every question of construction, carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."

"The God who gave us life, gave us liberty at the same time: the hand of force may destroy, but cannot disjoin them." - Jefferson

"Ideas have consequences," according to Weaver. Ideas such as those expressed by Jefferson and the other Founders produced the U. S. Constitution and the "miracle of America," an America that symbolizes liberty for oppressed peoples from all over the world.

Does Danforth, or any other 21st Century lawmaker believe that excluding ideas rooted in religious thought from the lawmaking process is somehow threatening to liberty?

If so, he should begin reading the prolific writings of the generation that conceived and brought forth this republic, including those who ratified it Constitution.