U.S honor must trump expediency
Re “About tolerance, 2007,” editorial, Dec. 25
The Christmas Day editorial is right on the money. In U.S. politics, candidates use anything to get votes, and religion will continue to be an issue unless voters decide that the shrinking separation between church and state is not in their best interests.
I believe we are approaching the point at which honesty, doing the right thing and admitting errors (before getting caught) replace personal faith as priorities in the voting booth. When that happens, we can ditch the embarrassing double standard that drives so much of our policy and stop doing business with so many misguided regimes just to save a dollar.
I can’t think of a single person I know who, if given the chance, wouldn’t happily pay more for gas rather than give their business to twisted people who punish the victim of a gang rape.
G. Douglas Andersen
Brea
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Your Christmas editorial begins with the subhead, “Religion hasn’t been responsible for a lot of peace this year.” Has it ever? Throughout history, religion has generated conflict, not peace.
Richard E. Goodman
Camarillo
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Even though Christianity was the predominant religion among delegates attending the Continental Congress and Constitutional Convention of the early American republic, these same delegates were the most ardent supporters of the separation of church and state. Their ancestors fled the old world for the new to enjoy the freedom to worship as they saw fit.
Your concern over Christianity subverting our nation’s sacred freedoms is misplaced. For one, the large number of Christian denominations in America is evidence of the fact that Christendom does not speak with one voice. Second, the Christian way is about freedom and liberty, not control and tyranny.
The U.S. president is the most powerful person on Earth. It is important that the possessor of such power believe that he or she is held accountable to an even higher power.
It is the ultimate check and balance.
Lee Mikell
Charleston, S.C.