Sanford Bishop: “It is clear that we have more religions in this country, we have a very diverse country, and that there are a number of…”

“It is clear that we have more religions in this country, we have a very diverse country, and that there are a number of religions where the deity is referred to by a name other than God. However, there are other religions which we are duty bound as upholders of the Constitution, in providing equal protection of all of our laws, to support. For example, the term Allah in the religion of Islam, which they believe means the one and only God; or Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma in the case of the religion of Hinduism; Kami in the religion of Shintoism. Then there is the religion of Taoism which is not centered around a deity at all. And with the complete diversity that our country now shares, it would seem totally inappropriate for us to introduce for the first time into the supreme law of the land, our Constitution, the word 'God' to the point that it would discriminate against all of these other religious heritages and traditions. For that reason, we want to make it sectarian, neutral and ecumenical, so that rather than saying to secure the people's right to acknowledge God, that we say to secure the people's right to freedom of religion.”