Editor:

Criticism of the Christian Coalition for trying to get its people with its philosophies into office is a fairly unique phenomenon. The usual argument proceeds like this:

(1) Christian Coalition members promote "Christian values" (2) Christianity is a religion (or a collection of them) (3) In America, we have a constitutional guarantee that there should be no mandated state religion (often called, simplistically, "freedom of religion").

(Now's where the nonreligious start snickering).

(4) It is therefore improper for Christian Coalition members to seek power with their moral agenda(s) in mind, because to do so would violate (3). At this point, the nonreligious begin patting each other on the back and bonding over their constitutional guarantee against rulership by anyone who gives a damn about Christ. "We won't let those pesky Christians shove their religious beliefs down our throats," they might say.

To go even further, what is it about the above argument that prevents one from substituting Christianity with any other religion? (By now the nonreligious are salivating).

But wait just a minute. Why can't one also substitute Christianity with atheism and "Christian values" with "atheistic values?" "What then are 'atheistic values?"' the atheists might wonder, and therein lies the substance of the debate. As long as the Christian Coalition is not trying (and nothing I've seen in Daniel W. Martin's article of Jan. 23 or anywhere else suggests this is so) to establish Christianity as a state religion, nobody has a legitimate beef over them trying to get their own people in power. The same game is being played by people of all beliefs, religious and nonreligious. The real substance is "what do you mean by" or "give me your definition of (atheistic, Christian, Muslim, family, insert any other adjective here) values?" Why are these values any better than those implicitly or explicitly present in the current system? Don't try to stop the discussion prematurely. Put on your political boxing gloves, put down the phony gag, and get in the ring like everybody else.

Nick J. Rivette
chemical engineering graduate student