LETTERS: KEEP GOVERNMENT, RELIGION SEPARATE

To the editor:

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch should be applauded for printing in full the letter from state Sen. Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, denouncing the Post for a couple of remarks the newspaper made which were unflattering to the ambitious Mr. Kinder. His lengthy overreaction provides us with a chilling insight into not only the egomania of the state senator, but also the mindset of many Republican officeholders and why moderates like myself want no part of today's Republican Party.

Mr. Kinder, like state Sens. David Larich, Frank Flotron and Steve Ehlmann and state Rep. Todd Akin owe their election to the hard-core and well-funded group of the religious right who cater aggressively to a coalition of Christian fundamentalists, Catholics and members of the National Rifle Association. They use partial-birth abortion, homophobia, gun control, vouchers for parochial schools and other emotional issues as vote getters. Then, once in office, they provide a return on the investment to those whose money and clout bankrolled their campaigns.

What could be more ironic than Mr. Kinder's claim that he defends the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution? There can be no religious liberty, for example, without separation of church and state, a First Amendment doctrine which Pat Robertson and his followers describe as a myth. Mr. Kinder has insisted that Catholics and Christian fundamentalists are "victims" for having to pay taxes toward public schools, and he has not hesitated to play this persecution card whenever it was to his advantage. When he does, however, he conveniently omits mention of the fact that, because of separation of church and state, we do not tax churches or church schools. If we did, most of them would cease to exist.

My forbears emigrated to Missouri from Germany in 1837 precisely because of the successful efforts by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison and other founders of our republic to include in the Constitution the then-novel idea of government remaining neutral in matters of religion. It is frightening to witness the wholesale assault on this precious concept by today's Republicans, which is one reason why the late Barry Goldwater declared "the Religious Right scare the hell out of me."

Most Americans do not want some religious sect using the powers of government to impose its views on the rest of us. Also, most Americans abhor the influence which special interests increasingly exert on our state and national legislatures. Therefore, let us encourage more of these self-appointed religious policemen like Mr. Kinder to write newspaper columns. They open our eyes to their thirst for power, to their divisive agenda and to their manipulation of well-meaning voters.

DONALD D. MEYER

Labadie