To the Editor:

Re: "Ministers to Defy I.R.S. By Endorsing Candidates," Sept. 26.

The framers of the Constitution were right to include a requirement that there be no religious test for public office.  Calling on ministers to defy the law of the land by endorsing candidates from the pulpit is an affront to American values and a threat to religious liberty.

Houses of worship should remain above partisan politics.  It is offensive, indeed arrogant, for a minister to suggest that he or she is best qualified to choose a candidate based on how closely that candidate's religious beliefs and campaign platform align with Scripture.

If government were to start allowing endorsements from the pulpit it would open a Pandora's Box of potential church-state entanglements.  Imagine politicians lobbying, courting support, and even directing government funds to religious leaders and their churches.

The so-called "Pulpit Freedom Sunday" campaign is yet another distraction at a time when voters should be focused on the candidates' qualifications for office.