Washington June 27 – On this Sunday’s “State of Belief,” The Interfaith Alliance Foundation’s show on Air America Radio, Rev. Welton Gaddy discusses the Founding Fathers and their intention in writing the Constitution with four authors who are experts on the topic. They will tell you why the separation of church and state was important to
Host Rev. Welton Gaddy is joined by Jon Meacham, Susan Jacoby, Isaac Kramnick and R. Laurence Moore, who discuss the politically and religiously charged climate in which the Founding Fathers wrote the Constitution — and the continuing importance of separating religion from politics. Welton observes, “so far, the American Constitution has done that better than any framework in history and it’s in all our interests to keep it that way.”
Meacham, managing editor of Newsweek magazine and author of American Gospel: God, the Founding Fathers and the Making of a Nation, explains that our country has struggled with religion from its founding, through the Civil War, and up till today. Meacham argues
Jacoby, author of the bestselling book Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, who says the values of a decent person are the same whether they are a devoutly religious person or a secularist because they both wish to do good. She says no one should live for their religion, “What you need to live for is love, your work, your children. To say you live for your religion is nuts. People need to live for other people.”
Welton wraps up his discussion of the Founding Fathers with Kramnick and Moore, two scholars from
Interfaith Alliance is a network of people of diverse faiths and beliefs from across the country working together to build a resilient democracy and fulfill America’s promise of religious freedom and civil rights not just for some, but for all. We mobilize powerful coalitions to challenge Christian nationalism and religious extremism, while fostering a better understanding of the healthy boundaries between religion and government. We advocate at all levels of government for an equitable and just America where the freedoms of belief and religious practice are protected, and where all persons are treated with dignity and have the opportunity to thrive. For more information visit interfaithalliance.org.