A leading Jewish group on Tuesday asked the Republican Party in President Bush's home state of Texas to stop calling the United States a "Christian nation" in its platform.
The Anti-Defamation League, which fights anti-Semitism and religious discrimination, said it was dismayed about the platform plank and other language in the document that describes as "a myth" the separation of church and state, which is enshrined by the U.S. Constitution and court rulings.
"America was founded on the belief that freedom of religion requires that the government take no official stance on, or participate in, religious activity or religion," the group said in a letter to Tina Benkiser, the chairwoman of the Texas Republican Party.
In addition to long-established Jewish communities, Texas is home to a sizable population of Muslims, members of what experts say is one of the fastest growing religions in America.
Benkiser said in a statement Texans believe the party represents their beliefs and values.
"Our platform is an acknowledgment that most of our nation's founding fathers had a deep faith in God," she said.
"The Republican Party of Texas affirms that the United States of America is a Christian nation, and the public acknowledgment of God is undeniable in our history," reads the plank in the party's 2004 platform, which was recently adopted.
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution says Congress "shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting free exercise thereof."
The Anti-Defamation League said the Texas Republicans should modify the language in their platform "to reinforce principles that unite our diverse nation." The group said that the party kept similar language in its platform in 2002.