The liberal and anti-religious sentiments of the editorial board of The Daily Free Press, in ‘One Step Backward’ (Nov. 6, p. 8), remind the world yet again how often people misunderstand the idea of separation of church and state. While the staff’s argument that children should be educated about issues such as homosexuality and safe sex has value, bias prevents the board from recognizing that there are always at least two sides to an issue. This country was originally founded by white Christian males. The idea that no one religion should be favored over another was not in reference to Christianity versus Islam, Judaism, Atheism etc., but rather that no Christian sect should be favored over another. This original belief in non-preference, however, has through various Supreme Court decisions led people to assume that religion should be left entirely out of the political arena. Yet the theory that one should create ‘government policy’ devoid of any connection to ‘religious value,’ or that ‘human rights decisions should never be made with religious considerations’ is entirely ridiculous (sic). A person’s religion is not merely a head-scarf or crucifix that can be taken off and ignored when discussing politics. The faith a person has affects every aspect of his or her life, from how to dress and what to eat to who to vote for. Moreover, the non-faith of a person has similar repercussions. Atheists are just as influenced by their atheism as Jewish people are by their Judaism. To insist that all people be secular in their political decision making is just as discriminating and controlling as the same-sex marriage ban that the staff rails against. Furthermore, the staff’s claim that ‘right or wrong’ cannot be determined is contradictory, for the implications of arguing for the allowance of gay marriage indicate the board’s opinion that gay marriage is not wrong. The fact of the matter is, everyone has the free will to determine what they deem to be morally correct, and everyone has the free will to either attempt to act in accordance with these morals or to reject them. Part of the doctrine of many religions is that homosexual marriage is wrong in the same way that pre-marital sex is wrong, and the fact that the board accuses Californian voters of unjustly pushing their beliefs on others ignores the fact that allowing same-sex marriage pushes secular beliefs onto traditional religious ideas of what marriage should be. This is a two-sided street. If it was wrong for Californian voters to overturn the Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage, it is just as wrong that The Daily Free Press, in ‘One Step Backward,’ seeks to push a secular and liberal agenda on its readers by claiming that whoever lets religion influence their decisions is anti-American.’ Emily Schneider SED ’09