We need a few more laws

Five years ago a car at a stop light here had a Kerry for President bumper sticker and a Heinz label with “First Lady Theresa.”

The interesting sticker, though, said: “The last time we mixed religion and politics, people were burned at the stake.”

Excuse me? “The last time we mixed religion and politics …”?

Just who constitutes this “we”?

Can anybody give an example of someone burned at the stake for religious beliefs in the United States or in the English colonies?

And, just to make sure we do not mix religion and politics, let’s make a few laws.

It shall be illegal:

• for any person elected or appointed to a public office to say anything regarding religion, including but not limited to, stating the names God, Jesus, Allah, Buddha; mentioning a specific religious denomination; quoting a passage from any religious book; mentioning any historical person whose major influence was in religion – for example, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, or any pope.

• for any official public meeting place to have affixed or otherwise present any emblem of any religion, including but not limited to, a cross, a star of David, a menorah, a crescent moon, a five-pointed star or any animal associated with religion.

• for mention or display of the above in any public school assembly, speech or classroom.

• for any person in the Congress of the United States to mention or display any of the above.

• for any person given an oath of office to use as part of the oath any reference to any religion or deity.

• for any publication issued by the government of the United States, any of the 50 states, of the territories, of local governing bodies to mention or display any of the above.

Those are start points. Other laws will be necessary to ensure no one ever feels bad because of something said or written or thought.