During his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast on Feb. 2, the President issued a stark forecast that should have every freedom-loving American deeply concerned. There has always been a thinly-veiled assault on the separation of church and state by the religious right, but the Constitution has performed as intended by successfully keeping imaginary deities out of our national governance. The Johnson Amendment is a vital tool against efforts to make our country a theocracy. It rightfully strips away the tax-exempt protections for any religious figure or church that openly endorses or opposes a political candidate or referendum.

President Trump has pledged to eliminate the Johnson Amendment from the U.S. tax code, promoting the unfettered accumulation of tax-free wealth by religious fundamentalists and thereby paving the way to mono-theocratic rule. The Constitution protects each citizens right to individually choose freedom of, or freedom from religion and nobody has the right to impose their particular brand of superstition on anybody else. Despite the fact that reason, rationalism and access to science-based information arecompelling intelligent people to turn away from faith in record numbers, the accelerated accumulation of obscene wealth by organized religion will make the fight for freedom of thought more difficult.

President Trumps misguided pandering to religions power structure should give everybody pause -- at least everybody capable of thinking for themselves. Call your congressional delegates and demand that the Johnson Amendment stand as a vital protection to our democracy.

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The separation of church and state - Helena Independent Record