Coincidentally, I was just reading on
www.au.org (Americans for Separation of Church and State) for research into some writing I want to do about the religious right. They had a <a href="http://www.au.org/site/DocServer/They_Said_It.pdf?docID=221">handy list of really outrageous quotes</a> that underline yours. Here's a choice one:
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"When I said during my presidential bid that I would only bring Christians and Jews into the government, I hit a firestorm. 'What do you mean?' the media challenged me. 'You're not going to bring atheists into the government? How dare you maintain that those who believe the Judeo-Christian values are better qualified to govern America than Hindus and Muslims?' My simple answer is, 'Yes, they are.'" -Pat Robertson 1991
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And then, most frighteningly of all for me, because--as you said--I believe the absolute opposite:
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"The First Amendment guarantees freedom of religion, not freedom from religion." -Pat Robertson USA Today Op-Ed 6/2/1994
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Of course I don't mean I should never have to encounter a Christian--they don't get any more born-again than my own parents, so I couldn't escape them if I wanted to. I believe freedom of religion by definition must provide for freedom from religion. As you said, religion should be a personal issue, shared by mutual consent. Much like sex, if you will... no means no.
And ditto to braisler:
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most of the "founding fathers" were Deist not Christian
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I didn't fully understand this until I read Walter Isaacson's excellent biography of Benjamin Franklin, where this was discussed in detail.