May I suggest why the following five bills before the state Legislature should be defeated: HB 2200 by Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, and HB 2211 by Mike Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, (Religious Viewpoints), Kern’s 2440 (Religious Activities), HB 3375 by Rep. Todd Thomsen, R-Ada, (Textbook Changes), and HB 2600 by Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, (Higher Education Sunshine).

Every one of these bills constitutes an unwarranted, ill-advised intrusion of government into religion and vice versa. The constitutions, both federal and state, already permit/protect free speech. There is no need to introduce discussion of religion into public education.

First, that violates the Bill of Rights that there be no law establishing religion. The founding fathers wisely perceived that that course would lead to one religion (Allah’s? God’s? Jehovah’s?), perhaps not “mine,” and chose to keep government out of the operation, leaving everyone free to choose as he pleased.

That there are between 50,000 and 100,00 different churches in the United States today attests to the success of this policy. Allowing free choice — any religion or none — and keeping government and religion separate has led religion to flourish.

Second, using taxpayer funds to foster religious papers, assignments or speeches is similarly using everyone’s resources for purposes that are the province of the individual church and family. The one-size-fits-all public school curriculum every pupil should be taught in order to become a citizen functioning to the benefit of society should focus on the information every citizen needs to participate in a democratic society, not that which tends to divide us into thousands of differences.

It should be clear that neither religion nor government should have any business with the other if democracy is to result.

Bob Hooper

Fort Gibson