Religious Christians should mind their own business
My, what a delicious array of subjects in the Dec. 27 Gazette. On the editorial page, we have the wreath comment [letter to the editor] and its relationship to Christianity, notwithstanding the fact that wreaths have been around since the civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome. Yet another tradition that was borrowed by Christianity; think celebrating the birth of Christ and the much-older celebration of the winter solstice. Then there was the letter essentially shaming gays and homosexual activity, “fixing” it by behavior modification, and how same-sex marriage is “not appropriate.” Obviously, the writer just hasn’t kept up with the fact that homosexuality isn’t something one chooses — any more than we straight people choose to love the opposite sex. Also, where same-sex marriage has been passed into law, no church is forced to perform a same-sex marriage ceremony. The sanctity of religious marriage is still safe — whew! The writer who wants tax dollars to support broader school choice is a stranger to both the state and U.S. constitutions regarding giving tax dollars to private religious schools for the purpose of propagating their particular religions. “When a religion is good, I conceive it will support itself, and when it does not support itself, and God does not take care to support it so that its professors are obliged to call for help of the civil power, ’tis a sign, I apprehend, of its being a bad one.” Thus saith Ben Franklin, and in spite of his wise words, we (New York) provide bus transportation, books and a whole host of other aids. And yet it is never enough. Many religious factions want total support, which would amount to establishment of religion, and that is specifically forbidden by the First Amendment. That brings me to Sara Foss’s excellent front-page article regarding both sides of the abortion issue in the health care bill. Kathleen Gallagher is quoted as saying that the bill would allow federal funding for abortion coverage (not true — the Hyde Amendment would continue to be in force). “It continues to be unacceptable to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.” I am very tired of this tax-exempt hierarchy, comprised exclusively of men, repeatedly trying to tell American women what they may or may not do regarding this most private and personal matter, and also intruding into the matters of government. These men are supposedly celibate, have never been married, have never raised or had to support a family, have never been pregnant and not only do they not approve of abortion — which is legal in this country — they don’t even condone contraception in order to avoid unplanned pregnancies and/or sexually transmitted diseases. I do appreciate the fact that the majority of American Catholics don’t buy into this nonsense, and use contraceptives just as much as any other group. If you think this letter is bashing Christians/Catholics or any other group, reread it carefully. Nothing I have written is untrue, and merely exposes the hypocrisy and/or lack of knowledge of some of these individuals and groups. As for the contention that Carl Strock is bashing Christians, that’s not true, either. You should read his columns more carefully, too. Keep it up, Carl! You do an excellent job.
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