Toward the end of “Caddy Shack,” Danny putts and the ball ... just ... hangs ... on ... the ... edge ... of... the... cup. As everyone around is confused by the explosions from Carl’s war on gophers, the referee keeps his eye on the ball that finally ... drops.

We become distracted if we concentrate on one front of the assault on our Constitution and pay no attention to others. One candidate for the GOP nomination in INCD5, Rev Micah Beckwith, will be back. And that’s scary.

A theocracy is “Government of a state by those who are believed to be or represent that they are acting under the immediate direction of God or some other divinity.” Black’s Law Dictionary, 10th ed., 2014, p. 1706.
People like Beckwith, who wants his peculiar form of Christianity to rule us, scoff if accused of a desire for theocracy, probably because (1) the majority of Americans favors religious freedom; and (2) The Constitution does not create a theocracy.

Among factors in our daily decisions, morality is important factor. If you believe in a supreme deity, you probably consider that in your decisions. That is religious freedom. If you say everyone else should bow heads or bend knees to your deity, freedom left the building.

Since humans evolved in East Africa, there probably have been millions of religions. We cannot be sure. A lot of human history occurred before the written records we have. Many wars have been fought in the names of various gods.

The Framers of The Constitution were familiar with the European wars over Christianity and the crusades in which Christians marched to Palestine and killed Muslims - who traveled to Europe and returned the bloody favor.

Benjamin Franklin suggestion that each session of The Constitutional Convention begin with prayer was voted down. Collier, “Decision in Philadelphia,” 1986, p. 162. No “religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office...” U.S. Const., Art.VI, cl 3.

Madison described qualifications for Congress: “Under these reasonable limitations, the door of this part of the federal government is open to merit of every description, whether native or adoptive, whether young or old, and without regard to poverty or wealth, or to any particular profession of religious faith.” Federalist, No. 52.

Beckwith does not confine his ignorance to The Constitution. He said of COVID: “Two million people is what the World Health Organization estimated. ... Now, we’re realizing those numbers were misleading, if not malicious, in a lot of ways.” IndyStar, 4/19/2020.

We near half-a-million deaths from COVID. WHO was not misleading. Beckwith misleads. The estimates were not “malicious”: “Substantially certain to cause injury.” Black’s, p. 1101. To tell people a pandemic is a hoax is substantially certain to cause injury.

Like the referee in “Caddy Shack,” I’m trying to watch the ball. Since the primary, Beckwith has seemed to keep a low profile on the political scene. He’ll be back. After all, the platform from which he preaches is tax-free. But I have this hope...

Beckwith has bragged he’s never lost a debate. A year ago today he tagged me on Twitter: “The Democrats called. They want their taking (sic) points back. You’re in the wrong primary! But I’m glad you decided to fake it in the GOP primary. I’m gonna have a lot fun dismantling the stupidity of your progressive ideology. Can’t wait to see you on the campaign trail!”

Beckwith accepted, then reneged on, my challenge for debate, because he’s a coward who shoots his mouth off , tells others how to live, and brags of knowledge he lacks. Maybe he is so much better than me in debate that he wants to spare me. He could be right, but I’d like to see.