Sheldon Preaching the Wrong Sermon

* The Rev. Louis P. Sheldon laments the “ugly cancer of religious apartheid” in our government (Letters, Oct. 8) and wishes to restore “religious equity.”

The facts are that government is already deeply enmeshed--unconstitutionally--in support of religion. To begin with, the churches and their hundreds of billions of dollars of real estate and other investments go untaxed--at a loss to the U.S. Treasury of somewhere between $50 and $150 billion. That means that the millions of Americans who receive none of the imaginary “services” of the churches have to make up for the shortfall. That is thievery, pure and simple.

Over and above that, the U.S. churches receive tens of millions of dollars in government handouts for the “administration” of various domestic and foreign programs--for which they hypocritically take credit.

Fact: Christians are totally free and unfettered to practice their religion. To say otherwise is a lie.

GENE BOGENBERGER

Laguna Beach

* Does the Rev. Louis P. Sheldon, in his heart of hearts, truly believe that the Supreme Court’s 1962 decision on prayer in public schools has resulted in “religious hostility and discrimination?” Having witnessed the proliferation of diverse and mega-member religious organizations over the past three decades, I simply couldn’t agree less. What the reverend perceives as “religious apartheid,” sensible people, Christian and otherwise, accept as a valid protective measure composed with the intent of guarding the gullible and naive against true religious oppression.

It seems as if Rev. Sheldon wants to blame our country’s founding fathers for the fact that religion has become more of an industry than a spiritual lifestyle. If anyone is to accept the blame for this phenomenon, it is the overzealous religious leaders who somehow manage to equate real estate holdings with grace. The multimillion-dollar houses of worship that jut their obscenely magnificent spires toward the heavens while multitudes of people in our own and other countries go without the basic necessities of life, might as well be dedicated to Baal. Is there some evidence that a single soul has been saved by a flying buttress?

G. FRED LOGAN

Laguna Niguel

* The Rev. Louis P. Sheldon wants to “restore” the religious liberties “our forebears crossed the ocean and fought a revolution to establish.” The first to cross the ocean for religious liberty were, of course, the Pilgrims, and the Puritans who came in their wake. But it was their liberty they came for, no one else’s. They were intolerant of every religious liberty the reverend would restore. For example, he wants “a brief prayer at the start of the school day.” The prayer would have to suit the reverend and his followers, never mind the children in the captive congregation or their parents who might have another view.

Suppose that in keeping with my understanding of the Sermon on the Mount, I accept no prayer but the “Our Father.” Suppose that in keeping with the same sermon, I believe prayer should be said in solitude. Why must my child be made to feel “different” for refusing a government-sponsored religious observance that is at odds with our family’s belief?

A century and a half after the Pilgrims, the [Revolutionary War] was fought. Rev. Sheldon might review the Declaration of Independence. Among the over two dozen “facts” cited for the revolution, religion is not mentioned. The authors and signers of the Declaration and the Constitution believed in separation of Church and State, a principle which has served us well for 200 years. Let it be.

DAVID ZOELLNER

Laguna Hills