Letter to the editor: Government should not force religion on others

Considering the responses in the Trib and the numerous social media messages I received about my last letter to the editor (“Atheism & politics,” Nov. 16, TribLIVE), I wanted to give a general response to clarify some things.

I am an atheist. The only thing that means is that I do not believe in a god or gods. Nothing less, nothing more.

The point of my stance is that if a public area, such as a school, has one religious belief placed, then all beliefs should be represented. From Christianity to Judaism to Satanism to Islam and so on.

Our Founding Fathers came to this country to leave an oppressive government, especially when it came to religious beliefs. They wanted to create a place of freedom, and that includes the right to believe in a deity or not. Most of the Founding Fathers were deists and did not want to force a particular belief on others.

You can pray or worship whatever you like in private. That is the beauty of this great nation. However, when the government tries to make others do the same, it becomes fascism and not a democracy. That is not what America stands for.

Courtney Hodge

Hunker