Stephen Lunt (Feb. 9) surely knows that there were ethics scandals during previous administrations, and that President Clinton, before leaving office, signed off on regime change in Iraq.

These issues have roots that are too deep and extensive in time to blame on any one individual, group or administration, and my letter, Jan. 31, sought to explore just such roots.

My fear is that we have gone too far in erecting a wall of separation between church and state; that this is at odds with our founding ideals as a nation and may, actually, violate the First Amendment; and that it may now be too difficult for most people to be good – the essential requirement of a republic – in public and private life.

In fact, because public policy and laws in recent years have so undermined the power of religion to guide our conduct righteously, they may be fostering the opposite, in practice.

Arguably, materialist concerns now outweigh spiritual ones in our national life. Could this be a reason for the Islamic challenge we are facing?

It has been asserted that the Roman Empire fell, essentially, to the onslaught of the more virtuous Christianity. Will Islam do the same to us?

Paul Corrao, Auburn