Hopelessly Divided
Many believe that we are a nation hopelessly divided between righteous fundamentalist and secularists. Some think America has strayed too far from God, while others fear that religious zealots in the White House, Congress and on school boards are waging holy war on our liberty.
Rabbi Michael Lerner’s grandparents came to America because they thought they were going to be protected from having a religion imposed on them. In “The Left Hand Of God”, Rabbi Lerner writes: “unfortunately, the political and religious right has blamed selfishness and materialism on liberals of our society." In Europe, the political right used to blame selfishness and materialism on the Jews. In America, they now blame gays and lesbians, feminists and secular liberals. Rabbi Lerner believes selfishness and materialism are deeply rooted in the ethic of capitalism, and all religious and spiritual traditions have a common wisdom that love, caring, kindness and generosity can counter selfishness and materialism.
In “Our Endangered Values”, President Carter draws upon his life experience as president and as a Nobel Peace Prize winner to reflect on what's gone wrong over the past six years. Carter believes that the Bush administration has made a radical break from the basic values of equality, opportunity and justice, which past presidents embraced as core governing principles. These core governing principles have been replaced with rigid fundamentalism, which disregards the truth, demonstrates contempt for people that disagree, and repudiates basic human rights.
The political right has succeeded in convincing people that religion only means right-wing politics. They focus on divisive wedge issue, like abortion, stem cell research, and homosexuality, and forget that the Bible calls for a redistribution of wealth to the people in the society.
Sister Joan Chittister author of “Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir”; asks: “Do we want the religion of the Crusades and the Inquisition and the witch burnings and segregation and slavery, the oppression of women and Puritanism? Sister Chittister points out that the religious right deletes some of the commandments, while accepting corporate and political greed. They sit by and say nothing about a doctrine of preemptive war. Either the religious right considers life is of value or it’s not of value.
This is my response to a character’s comment.
An Oneonta N.Y. resident calling himself Roger O. Thornhill made the following comments regarding the above entry: “Your unbridled hate speech and verbal assault on Christianity does not go unchallenged, Mr. O'Leary (if in fact that is what your name is). I rip your site to shreds on my site. An apology to all Christians from you is required. Are you man enough to make it?”
Roger O. Thornhill is the name of Cary Grant’s character in “North By Northwest”. I use my real name and don’t understand why I owe all Christians an apology.
An apology, which is required or demanded will most likely be insincere and therefore meaningless. I’m prepared to make a spontaneous, sincere apology for factual errors on this website. I would consider an apology, if Thornhill would provide a specific explanation as to why my comments deserve the characterization of hate speech or an assault on Christianity.
After visiting his website, I’ve concluded that this website doesn’t come close to being unbridled hate speech. Thornhill demonstrates contempt for people that disagree with him, while I prefer to focus on concepts and not the person with whom I disagree. I have described my articles as Harry Truman editorials, because; “I don't give 'em Hell, I just tell the truth and they think it's Hell.”
In fact, I appreciate Thornhill’s disparaging remarks because they have inspired me to prepare many more letters dealing with religion. In the months after the election, Thornhill and the readers of the Oneonta Daily Star will be able to read numerous letters to the editor, which Thornhill will consider an “assault on Christianity.”
Rabbi Michael Lerner’s grandparents came to America because they thought they were going to be protected from having a religion imposed on them. In “The Left Hand Of God”, Rabbi Lerner writes: “unfortunately, the political and religious right has blamed selfishness and materialism on liberals of our society." In Europe, the political right used to blame selfishness and materialism on the Jews. In America, they now blame gays and lesbians, feminists and secular liberals. Rabbi Lerner believes selfishness and materialism are deeply rooted in the ethic of capitalism, and all religious and spiritual traditions have a common wisdom that love, caring, kindness and generosity can counter selfishness and materialism.
In “Our Endangered Values”, President Carter draws upon his life experience as president and as a Nobel Peace Prize winner to reflect on what's gone wrong over the past six years. Carter believes that the Bush administration has made a radical break from the basic values of equality, opportunity and justice, which past presidents embraced as core governing principles. These core governing principles have been replaced with rigid fundamentalism, which disregards the truth, demonstrates contempt for people that disagree, and repudiates basic human rights.
The political right has succeeded in convincing people that religion only means right-wing politics. They focus on divisive wedge issue, like abortion, stem cell research, and homosexuality, and forget that the Bible calls for a redistribution of wealth to the people in the society.
Sister Joan Chittister author of “Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir”; asks: “Do we want the religion of the Crusades and the Inquisition and the witch burnings and segregation and slavery, the oppression of women and Puritanism? Sister Chittister points out that the religious right deletes some of the commandments, while accepting corporate and political greed. They sit by and say nothing about a doctrine of preemptive war. Either the religious right considers life is of value or it’s not of value.
This is my response to a character’s comment.
An Oneonta N.Y. resident calling himself Roger O. Thornhill made the following comments regarding the above entry: “Your unbridled hate speech and verbal assault on Christianity does not go unchallenged, Mr. O'Leary (if in fact that is what your name is). I rip your site to shreds on my site. An apology to all Christians from you is required. Are you man enough to make it?”
Roger O. Thornhill is the name of Cary Grant’s character in “North By Northwest”. I use my real name and don’t understand why I owe all Christians an apology.
An apology, which is required or demanded will most likely be insincere and therefore meaningless. I’m prepared to make a spontaneous, sincere apology for factual errors on this website. I would consider an apology, if Thornhill would provide a specific explanation as to why my comments deserve the characterization of hate speech or an assault on Christianity.
After visiting his website, I’ve concluded that this website doesn’t come close to being unbridled hate speech. Thornhill demonstrates contempt for people that disagree with him, while I prefer to focus on concepts and not the person with whom I disagree. I have described my articles as Harry Truman editorials, because; “I don't give 'em Hell, I just tell the truth and they think it's Hell.”
In fact, I appreciate Thornhill’s disparaging remarks because they have inspired me to prepare many more letters dealing with religion. In the months after the election, Thornhill and the readers of the Oneonta Daily Star will be able to read numerous letters to the editor, which Thornhill will consider an “assault on Christianity.”
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