Mr. Bush, Pick a Genius - New York Times

David Brooks is 'sponsoring' Mr. McConnell as a candidate for the Supreme Court vacancy. The quote below from Brooks' opinion piece suggests a viewpoint that I support pertaining to how the state treats religion. Separatist theory pushes religion from the public square, which is not what the founders intended, IMHO.

"McConnell (whom I have never met) is an honest, judicious scholar. When writing about church and state matters, he begins with the frank admission that religion is a problem in a democracy. Religious people feel a loyalty to God and to the state, and sometimes those loyalties conflict.

So he understands why people from Rousseau and Jefferson on down have believed there should be a wall of separation between church and state. The problem with the Separationist view, he has argued in essays and briefs, is that it's not practical. As government grows and becomes more involved in health, charity, education and culture issues, it begins pushing religion out of those spheres.

The Separationist doctrine leads inevitably to discrimination against religion. The state ends up punishing people who are exercising a constitutional right."