I must disagree with Joshua Purvis’ recent column in Lookout Eugene-Springfield about Christianity’s role in America, and agree with Sen. Josh Hawley, of all people.

Christian Nationalists founded our democracy.

Christian Nationalism began with the Holy Roman Empire spreading the faith throughout the European continent. Remnants of that empire brought the faith to the American continents. They were the ones who first colonized the Americas and then founded their own government. Fortunately the founders had the foresight to make a ban on theocracy part of the Constitution. That ban has always been on shaky ground, but now it is in real jeopardy because of radical white Christian Nationalists.

The God in whom we trust and who rules over our “One Nation” is the Christian God. Even though Jews and Muslims share that God, we don’t ask Allah to bless America during the seventh-inning stretch.

Worshippers of that God are so pervasive that our country is, in fact, under their rule. Most, if not all, of those with governmental power, including elected officials, worship that God. Laws against victimless “crimes” like homosexuality and sex work were and are manifestations of Christian “morality.”

What I find most abhorrent about Purvis’ opinion is his suggestion that morality comes from faith, as if nonbelievers, by definition, are amoral. He quotes John Adams as saying, “the Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,” as if nonbelievers are incapable of those things. Note, Adams didn’t say “moral or religious people.”

I was baptized a Catholic. But I realized that the church was based on shaky ground, and I am now recovering. Considering all the corruption done by “people of faith,” I’m glad not to be one of them.

Steve Hiatt
Eugene