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America had no state Churches at the time of his writing of the Age of Reason. Christianity in America was a moral influence at the root of our laws, but certainly not the kind of influence that mandates a particular faith.

Massachusetts had state supported churches until the mid 1830s.

The Constitution of Delaware (1776) required every elected and appointed state official to declare " I do profess faith in God the Father, and in Jesus Christ His only Son, and in the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed for evermore; and I do acknowledge the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be given by divine inspiration."

The clause in the Maryland constitution which said ""No religious test ought ever to be required as a qualification for any office of profit or trust in this State, other than a declaration of belief in the existence of God" was only overturned by the Supreme Court in 1961.

Took until 1995 for South Carolina's ban on atheists holding state office--a prohibition dating from 1868--to be struck down.

Last evening at church we had a "Celebrate America" service. It was quite inspiring - readings from some of America's greatest documents, the choir leading the congregation in the great patriotic songs of our nation.

I was taught these songs in kindergarten and the early years of elementary school. I'm talking about songs like "Battle Hymn of the Republic", "Onward Christian Soldiers", "This land is your land", "My Country Tis of Thee", "America the Beautiful", and yes, "Dixie".

But I was shocked that they had to pass out the words. When they came to the second verse of the "Star Spangled Banner", "American the Beautiful", and "My Country Tis of Thee", there were a lot fewer people singing. The young adults and teenagers were talking about how they didn't know there were multiple verses to those songs!

I really can't imagine not know the poetry of ALL the verses of our great songs. No the last two words of the national anthem are NOT "Play Ball" - but without athletic events how often do we really sing that anymore? How often do we pledge allegiance to the flag? When I was in elemtnary school, we started every day with the Pledge, the national anthem, and a prayer. By the time I graduated we were doing none of them.

I realized that WE'RE not teaching the next generation. I remember sitting on the piano bench with my grandmother singing those songs. I haven't taught them to my kids - YET - but you can believe I started last night. (They can roll their eyes all they want to!)

When I was in school, we MEMORIZED the Gettysburg Address, the Declaration of Independence, and the Preamble to the Constitution. My teenagers are HONOR STUDENTS and don't recognize these documents.

It's frightening. I suggest we need to wake up and realize that we are NOT doing all that we can to raise a new generation of AMERICANS - who love this country and what it stands for.

I've heard many people say the problems in this country started when God was taken out of the schools. We haven't just taken God out of the schools - we have taken everything that defines us as a nation out of our schools. No patriotic songs. No pledge of allegiance to the flag. God help us, we may offend someone.

Sorry for the rambling rant - I'm probably preaching to the choir here.

The words of President Lincoln are just as important today as they ever were: "It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion--that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth."