In his polemic against secular humanism, Jason Otto (Feb. 10, Daily Bee) overlooks a salient fact. Federal law requires public schools operate as secular entities. (Secular meaning not connected with religious or spiritual matters.) Public schools students are not indoctrinated with secular humanism. Rather, the schools function as secular, religion-neutral institutions tasked with serving a public with widely differing religious beliefs. This impartial approach mitigates against serious conflicts that would arise if one religion were given preference over another at taxpayer expense.

The Founding Fathers of our Constitution were mindful of the problems associated with church-state alliances in Europe and with the oppression and turmoil resulting from government/religion partnerships in the American colonies. Therefore, they crafted a wholly secular document as the supreme law of the land. The Constitution mentions religion only twice - in the First Amendment, which, in part, bars laws “respecting the establishment of religion” and in Article VI, which prohibits “religious tests” for public office.

Article VI belies the notion that the Founders thought religious belief was necessary to ensure the moral integrity of public servants. Pious pronouncements of some of the Founders notwithstanding, they wisely resisted pressure from religious ideologues to create a government with church/state entanglements. (See “5 Reasons America Is Not—And Has Never Been—A Christian Nation”)

Mr. Otto asserts, “The ideology of humanism is anti-American.” The Affirmations of Secular Humanism promote an open, pluralistic, and democratic society; moral excellence; altruism; honesty; truthfulness; and individual responsibility. Since when are these values anti-American?

JACK DEBAUN

Sandpoint