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Article: Pastor's book explores America's spiritual roots.(Knight Ridder Newspapers)
- Article from:
- Knight Ridder/Tribune News Service
- Article date:
- October 16, 2002
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 Knight-Ridder/Tribune News Service. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The left-leaning pastor of the nation's largest Unitarian Universalist Church, the Rev. Forrest Church, finds himself representing middle ground in the debate over America's spiritual heritage.
In his new book, ``The American Creed: A Spiritual and Patriotic Primer'' (St. Martin's, $22.95), Church disputes both sides: those who say America's founding was strictly secular and those _ most notably religious conservatives _ who say the country was founded as a Christian nation.
"We are not a Christian nation, but we are clearly a spiritual nation by our very founding," Church says. "We were founded on a union of faith and freedom. Faith elevates freedom, ...