An August 28, 2006, press release, regarding a misguided statement from Florida Congresswoman Katherine Harris, is typical. Instead of researching and documenting the fallacy of her claim that "Church-state separation is a lie" and thereby exposing ignorance expressed by a member of Congress, about the constitutional relationship between religion and government in the United States of America, the Associated Press covered the political angle of Congresswoman Harris' eroding chances of becoming a U.S. Senator.
The Founding Fathers clearly commanded that "no religious test shall ever be required as qualification to any office or public trust under the United States" (Art. 6., Sec. 3.). The First Congress clearly commanded that "religion" (First Amendment) shall not be established by law or Congress. How much more clearly can the Constitution separate religion and government?
The fact is Katherine Harris is not the only member of Congress who rejects the constitutional principle of "separation between Religion and Government" (James Madison, ³Detached Memoranda," William and Mary Quarterly, 3:555--Google "Detached Memoranda" on the internet).
Yet, how many times in its history has the Associated Press quoted the "Father of the Constitution" in his most specific statement relating to the role of religion under the government of the United States of America? I suspect most AP reporters are not even aware the words "church and state" are not in the Constitution, which clearly makes the assertion by Congresswoman Harris bogus. The constitutional principle is clearly worded and relates to "religion," not just to church.
The real story missed by American journalists is that there are many other members of Congress who are just as ignorant of the religion commandments of the Constitution as Congresswoman Harris.