I often get asked, “Why do you have faith?” By that, they mean faith in God.

I reply: “Do you have any faith in love?” “Yes.” “What do you consider the supreme good from which others are derived?” Often they say, “I’ve never thought about that. An excellent question.”

“How about love?” “Yes; I’d agree.” “Love of self?” “No, love of others. Love of self is selfish.”

“Who, more than anyone, exemplifies love?” “I know loving people, but I can’t think of one person.” “How about God, who wills the good from and for all of us, with love?” “OK.” “Would you agree that the highest good, therefore, is God alone?” “Yeah.” “It sure wouldn’t be us, would it?” “No way!.” “We’re talking absolute truth?” “Yes.” “Doesn’t it make sense that if we wanted to be in communion with the highest good, the love of God, we ought to have faith in God?” “Good point.”

“Do you now understand why faith is important?” “I do.” “You’re aware that our nation was founded on the faith that we are all ‘endowed by our Creator (God) with inalienable rights’ such as ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness’?” “Yes.” “Do you realize that the notion of ‘separation of church and state’ isn’t in our founding documents — the Declaration of Independence, Constitution or Bill of Rights?” “Really?” “Yep. Jefferson alluded to it in a letter to a church; that’s it. Do you see anything wrong with our nation being guided by the highest good?”

Keith Gallagher

Gooseberry

The Puritan minister Roger Williams in 1644 was the first public official to call for “a wall or hedge of separation” between “the wilderness of the world” and “the garden of the church.” The Supreme Court has interpreted the First Amendment’s religious establishment clause as creating the separation of church and state.