Celebrating Separation

I just had opportunity to read a copy of last Sunday's sermon by Dr. David Spain, pastor of First Christian Church in Norman and son of Dr. Rufus Spain, Emeritus Professor of History at Baylor Unversity. Spain gave a strong voice to religious freedom in a sermon entitled "Celebrating Separation." Here's a quote:

It is testimony to the foresight of our nation's founders that the American landscape these 235 years later is one of many religious expressions, becoming even more diverse in type and form as the years pass; it is further testimony to the wisdom of our founders that no religion receives preferential treatment to the wisdom of our founders that no religion receives preferential treatment in the Constitution that serves as the framework for our nation; it is even further testimony to their brilliance that one need express no religion at all and still have the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship. By refusing to compel religion, our founders placed great faith in and great responsibility on religion's persuasive power to move hearts and minds in belief and action. Succinctly put, if God and those who speak and work on God's behalf cannot convince and convict people, then no government will be able to force authentic, genuine, transforming religious belief -- and it should not be allowed to [try].