The American Spiritual Liberties Union

It is obvious that the ASLU (American Spiritual Liberties Union, South Bay Edition, Nov. 25) is endeavoring to put a liberal spin on what is really a stealth attempt by the ostensible religious right to seduce the South Bay cities into acting as its agent to promote its religious agenda.

Contrary to Mr. (J. Bud) Mirassou’s statement, “God” is a substantially divisive factor, not a universally unifying concept. Just look at Northern Ireland, Bosnia and the Middle East. What really unites us in our country is a mutual respect for the diversity among the beliefs of others, a position adopted by our government in the doctrine of separation of church and state, under which it remains neutral in recognition of that diversity.

God-believers operate under the illusion that everyone shares their belief in their God or some God. The reality is that there are evolutionary advanced thinkers who have concluded that the God worshiped by the believers does not exist. It would be just as wrong for the nonbelievers to entangle government in promulgating their beliefs as it is for the believers.

Although public parks are traditionally “open forums,” such use is customarily limited to speakers advocating for brief periods a particular viewpoint--religious or not--not as a site for semi-permanent edifices of the symbols of any particular religion.

The bottom line is that any sectarian group is free to display its religious symbols and signs on church property or on other private property. This would avoid entangling government in promulgating the Christian religious message now sought by the ASLU. While well-intentioned, the ASLU is risking a potentially violent reaction to its arrogant aggressiveness, which, in the end, may well risk Peace on Earth in our little corner of the world.

GEORGE V. HALL

Manhattan Beach