— History shows that the founding fathers of the United States built this nation on the foundation and principles of Christianity, said keynote speaker Billy Elkins at the Thursday, May 6, "Meet the Candidates" program.

The program was sponsored by the Grady County Tea Party and held at First Assembly of God Church.

Elkins is pastor of Trinity Baptist Church and is a chaplain for the Oklahoma National Guard. He safely completed a tour in Iraq.

Elkins spoke on the topic "A House Divided – Separation of Church and State."

"Separation of church and state is not in the constitution," Elkins told an audience of about 200 people. In fact, he said, the founding fathers did not write and interpret the U.S. Constitution the way it is today.

"The first act of the Continental Congress was to call for prayer," Elkins said.

He went on to outline the spiritual roots of the prominent people involved in crafting government documents for America. Elkins said the founding fathers expected their descendants to uphold their government pro-Christian stance.

He noted that in 1854, the United States House of Representatives declared, "It (religion) must be considered as the foundation on which the whole structure rests ..."

Elkins also quoted Article 3 of the Northwest Ordinance, which says in part, "Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged."

What happened through the years?

Elkins said the first time the Constitution was interpreted in a radically different way was in the 1947 court case, Everson vs. Board of Education. This was the first declaration of a separation of church and state, and Elkins said the United States Supreme Court applied the religion clauses in the nation's Bill of Rights to state and federal law incorrectly.

"A battle is being waged against the Christian religion in the United States," Elkins said. "It is radically transforming America."

Pastor Paul Knight, First Assembly of God Church, noted in his opening comments that, "We live in the greatest country in the world."

Knight said he spent a year in Vietnam and was thankful to come home.

"I've gone to Mexico 25 times and I always come home and say, 'God, thank you for the United States of America.' As citizens, be involved. Cast a ballot."