In the recent episode of The Thinking Atheist Seth Andrews includes a video of Dr. Phil Zuckerman giving a talk at Calgary’s We Can Reason conference. Dr. Zuckerman is a sociologist and secular studies professor and author of several books including What It Means to Be Moral.

He begins his lecture by pointing out that the United States constitution is entirely secular, there isn’t a single mention of a deity in the entire document, and that was by design, as the United States was founded as a secular republic.

On the other hand, when a bunch of southern states seceded to form a less perfect union in 1861 in order to preserve their “peculiar institution”, i.e., slavery, what did they put right up front in the preamble to their constitution?

We, the people of the Confederate States, each state acting in its sovereign and independent character, in order to form a permanent federal government, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity – invoking the favor and guidance of Almighty God – do ordain and establish this Constitution for the Confederate States of America. [Emphasis added]

Given that the god of the Bible never condemns slavery and actually encourages the practice, it seems perfectly fitting that they should do so.

Dr. Zuckerman has a lot more examples of so-called Christian morality.