Yes, John Tuckfield (The Sydney Morning Herald Letters column of April 17, 2008), Islam and Christianity are still religions, and representative democracy is indeed a secular political system. It is also true that America's third president, Thomas Jefferson, established a central government that was to stay clear of the domain of theology. Keep in mind, though, that he had been able to do so with considerable Christian support. Also note that Jefferson and his supporters, wittingly or unwittingly, were reflecting Christ's advice to keep separate the domains of Caesar and God.
Yet, Jefferson still insisted that religious faith was the very foundation of liberty. There had been no intention to erect a "wall of separation" to insulate the central government from the province of morality and its sources.
These days, US courts frequently interpret the original concept of separation of church and state as meaning that religion has no place in the public arena, or that religion-inspired morality should not be permitted to shape laws. US secularists are intent upon emptying the public square of religion and religion-based morality. It looks as though quite a few Australians would like our nation to follow that very same path.
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