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<font face="Times New Roman, Times">Greetings:<br>
At least four writers have responded to the column in the Daily News
(8/13-14) on religious liberty and tolerance. I sent Iverson a
draft of the letter below, but he has declined to respond to take up my
request for dialogue. You see, Phil Nesbit, I'm keep trying to
engage these people.<br><br>
Suggested Title: “Crossing the Line between Liberty and
Intolerance”<br>
To the editor:<br>
At its annual convention in 1999 the Southern Baptist Convention passed a
resolution proposing that all their churches pray that Hindus “realize
the darkness of their souls.” <br>
Prominent Indian Christian leaders were outraged at this insult to their
compatriots with whom they have been living in peace for 2,000
years. As one of them said: “One cannot preach by annoying
others.” For more on this topic go to
<a href="http://www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/darksouls.htm" eudora="autourl">www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/darksouls.htm</a>.<br>
Would Ed Iverson (Their View, 8/13&14) see this as a proper
expression of religious liberty? His pastor Douglas Wilson
regularly condemns Christians as well as non-Christians from his pulpit
and blog, so I would assume that Iverson’s answer is “Yes.”<br>
Contrary to Iverson’s implication, most Christians do not believe that
all religions are the same. They would also reject Iverson’s
insinuation that they do not take their obligation to proclaim the Gospel
of Christ seriously. They would contend that gentle persuasion,
rather than insulting rhetoric, is the Christian way to accomplish this.
<br>
Most of us learned in high school civics that liberty without
responsibility is license. The core of responsible citizenship is mutual
respect and tolerance for those with differing views. Peter Kuzmic
(Letters, 8/18) is correct: Iverson’s religious liberty (=license) leads
to intolerance and conflict.<br>
Iverson claims that we quote his colleagues out of context, but what is
the context of Wilson’s proposal that homosexuals should be executed or
banished other than a “mean spirited” attitude? What are the
descendants of slaves to think about Wilson’s claim that the antebellum
South was a harmonious multiracial society?<br>
I’m currently writing a book entitled “The Origins of Religious
Violence.” My thesis is that religions that are inclusive and
tolerant have generated far less religiously motivated violence than
those that are exclusive and intolerant. I’ve discovered that
people who have claimed one religion as their national identity have been
the most violent and destructive.<br>
By the way, Mr. Iverson, last time I checked it was still legal to
evangelize in the U.S., and that is because of the religious liberty and
you and I support.<br>
Nick Gier, Moscow<br><br>
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<font size=2>"The god you worship is the god you
deserve."<br>
~~ Joseph Campbell<br>
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