By Angie Vogt, political commentary

Have you ever been to one of those large family gatherings where everybody talks at once and nobody listens?

I think the American public is engaged in one of these “conversations” regarding religion in the public square. Lots of people are talking, but few are listening. Add my voice to the talkers, but first consider the following events from national headlines.

In the past week, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney gave a speech called “Faith in America,” hoping to quell concerns about his Mormon faith from evangelicals who have a deep distrust of Mormonism, and from secularists who have a deep distrust of anybody who is devoted to their faith.

Also this week, the U.S. Congress voted on Resolution 847, which “acknowledges the international religious and historical importance of Christmas and the Christian faith.”

Sponsored by Republican Steve King of Iowa, the resolution passed, though nine congress members voted against it — all Democrats. It’s worth noting that recent resolutions acknowledging Ramadan, the Muslim holy season, and Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains, all passed unanimously in Congress. All nine of the Democrats who voted against the Christmas season resolution, including Washington state Rep. Jim McDermott will, of course, be taking off work on Christmas day, though I doubt any of them actually know when Ramadan or Diwali is celebrated.

We know from years past that somewhere in the U.S., the American Civil Liberties Union is threatening to bankrupt some small town that cannot afford the cost of a court battle to defend their town nativity scene, Christmas tree or menorah.

Did I mention the ACLU is a huge contributor to the Democratic Party?

In each of these situations, someone will undoubtedly use the phrase “separation of church and state” as if they really understood the meaning and significance of that phrase. The phrase itself appears nowhere in the Constitution but was first used by Thomas Jefferson in a letter to a Christian group who felt that their religious freedoms were not being respected. Jefferson sought to assure the group that all religious faiths were permitted their “free exercise” in our new nation.

In fact, the First Amendment guarantees that the federal government shall not make any laws establishing (showing preference for) any one religious creed over another. This does not mean that the federal government must forbid public expressions of faith.

In the earliest days of our nation’s history, various state governments identified themselves with different religious faiths. The state of Maryland was declared a Catholic state, while Virginia was an Episcopalian state and Pennsylvania was a Quaker state. In fact, our own state capitol building contains several statues with religious significance, including a totem pole (a Native American religious symbol). Eventually, state governments adopted a religiously neutral status, in deference to the federal constitution.

Our nation’s founders believed that freedom could only be sustained by a religious people because, by definition, religious people are accountable to a power higher than their own appetites and passions. The human proclivity to serve the self first, at the expense of others, is only quelled by a properly formed conscience. There is simply no motivation, beyond the spiritual desire for virtue, that works to civilize the passions of humans.

And freedom, without virtue as its handmaid, will eventually devolve into license and an “every man for himself” ethic, which destroys freedom. Pope John Paul II once said freedom to do evil is not freedom, but slavery.

Mitt Romney’s speech is an excellent tribute to the significance that religious faith played in our nation’s founding.

So, during this Christmas and New Year’s seasons, jump in the conversation, say a prayer, light a menorah, do a rain dance.

But whatever you do, don’t claim that America is a secular nation.

Federal Way resident Angie Vogt can be reached at vogt.e@comcast.net.