Thomas on Terrorism and Turning to God

Cal Thomas (“We’ve Tried All Else; Why Not God?” Commentary, July 31) confuses repentance with government policy. He seems to think that the best policy approach to combating terrorism is for the nation to turn to God. But this makes religion into a cheap way of fixing societal travails. Of course, Thomas does not suggest that we abandon conventional efforts against terrorism such as good police work and better use of technology. The source of Thomas’ confusion is a misunderstanding of repentance.

He points to Lincoln and a preacher from Montana as voices calling us to repentance. Then, he says that the sophisticated will dismiss these voices as “rantings of the ignorant.” But it is Thomas who plays the sophisticate by trying to turn this call to repentance into a matter of government policy. He fails to see that the life of repentance is not lived for the sake of making our lives safe from harm.

If Thomas wants to join Lincoln and the preacher from Montana in a call to the nation to repent, then I may want to join with him. But if he wants the nation to turn to God as a way to fight terrorism, then I lose interest. Preach and be a policy wonk, fine; but please don’t equate the two.

PATRICK ROGERS-HORN

Claremont

* I pray that Thomas is speaking of the God of loving kindness and compassion. So I await the column about how we will feed each hungry child in our country and then in all God’s world. How do we give them the education that provides hope for their future? What is your plan, Cal, for after all, God helps those who themselves do help.

JUDITH V. ARONSON

Woodland Hills

* Thomas urges our submission to a God who, having “dealt harshly” with “the ancient Israelites . . . when they were disobedient,” has since rained calamities on the human race, from the Civil War to the destruction and suffering of TWA Flight 800 and the pipe bombing at the Olympics, all because the evil “sophisticates” among us obstinately reject that old-time religion. This Thomas version of God, who would compel obedience and love with threatened and actual terror, is indistinguishable from Satan.

MICHAEL DEMPSEY

West Hollywood

* Bad things happen to good people all the time, many of whom pray. During the Irish potato famine and the Holocaust countless prayers were made to God to end the appalling suffering. They didn’t help much, did they?

Prayer may offer great comfort to many who find the stark realities of life with its random cruelties hard to accept, but the evidence that prayer is answered is scant.

SHANNON CREAM

Chino Hills

* There is at least one thing more stupefying than what Thomas writes: He gets paid for it.

EDWARD MULVANEY

Pasadena