I am a citizen of the United States of America. I’m a husband of nearly 11 years and a father of two young boys (with one on the way). I have no criminal history and most people would consider me a pretty decent person. However, because I’m also an atheist, I now understand that you would like me to leave the country. I’m not sure when you addressed your congregation with this hate-filled message towards the community to which I belong, but I wanted to write this to address some of the statements you made.

I must first clarify that I am happy to allow you to have your beliefs. Although I despise them, I’m also happy to allow you to preach your beliefs in your congregation. What I thought we could both agree on (until today) was that you shouldn’t lie to your congregation. Putting the hatefulness aside, your message to your congregation contained some historical inaccuracies that need attention. I feel the need to address this because you are such a popular Christian fundamentalist.

You started with a complaint that the ten commandments have been taken out of courtrooms and “school houses” and followed it up by saying, “This country was not built for atheists or by atheists. It was built by Christian people who believed in the word of god.” You went on to say “If our belief in God offends you, move!” We were informed that planes were always leaving the country and were encouraged to get on one. “We don’t want you and we won’t miss you,” is what we were told. You went on to criticize President Obama for saying that we were not a Christian nation. You corrected him by saying, “We were, we are, and we always shall be bible reading, praying, Christian people.” Speak for yourself Mr. Hagee.

Your first statement about the country being built by Christian people is partially false and very misleading. Of the seven commonly accepted Founding Fathers, four of them were either not Christians or not Christians as we would understand that today. Here are a few quotes that may shed light on our Founding Fathers and their beliefs about Christianity. These are the people who formed our nation and our Constitution.

“Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.” – Thomas Jefferson

“Religions are all alike – founded upon fables and mythologies.” – Thomas Jefferson

“History, I believe, furnishes no example of a priest-ridden people maintaining a free civil government.” – Thomas Jefferson

“In no instance have . . . the churches been guardians of the liberties of the people.” – James Madison

“The divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.” – John Adams

“Lighthouses are more helpful than churches.” – Benjamin Franklin

“I have found Christian dogma unintelligible. Early in life I absented myself from Christian assemblies.” Benjamin Franklin

More specifically, Thomas Jefferson did not believe in the divinity of Jesus and made his own version of the New Testament by cutting out verses from his bible. He believed only in the moral teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. I wouldn’t delude myself into thinking there were no Christians that helped to start this country, but these Founding Fathers, whatever they were (possibly deists), were not Christians in any real sense of the word.

To address your comment about being a Christian nation, I think the above quotes shed a little light on this, but there are other things. The US constitution specifically addresses the idea of a separation of church and state. We were formed as a secular nation. This was also specifically clarified in Article 11 of the Treaty of Tripoli 1797. This article was unanimously ratified by the US Senate and signed by John Adams (one of the “Founding Fathers”). “As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion,-as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen,-and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.”