Dear Editor:
America may be in danger of becoming the enemy, a nation run by intolerant religious views. Go ahead and have “your” religion, let it guide your actions for yourself, but be ever mindful that you may be wrong. Humanity has had an awful lot of religions you know, all thinking that they were right. Others will walk their path with another religion, or without one entirely. None of us can know for sure, and so must bear hubris in our hearts.
When a political party wraps itself in flag or god, or any unassailable “value”, it bears more akin to the Taliban, or McCarthyism, than anything American. Traditional American values shouldn’t harken back to Salem, where unchallenged belief led to tragedy. Opposing religious activism in government is not a “policy of intolerance” against that religion, but one of tolerance toward all views.
Talk to your elected leaders, and tell them that you believe in a “kinder, gentler” America. Tell them to cut out the incendiary rhetoric and get along to get the job done, or get out! If you support extremism with your voice, or your silence, you may one day be bereft of that voice entire! It may come as suddenly as a religious edict, or creep up on you like a “patriotic” act.
Our government must remain secular, because we must argue with it, challenge it’s every notion, action, and expenditure. Those men and women that we send to our capitals, are not the mouthpieces of any gods, they just think that they are.
Fritz Haas