Opinion

WHEN FAITH IS AN ISSUE

THE ISSUE: Religion’s role in shaping this year’s presidential election season.

Christians debating abortion on demand, the legalization of drugs, gay marriage and other aspects of a radical individualism promoted by the far left are wrong and stand in the way of progress (“Godless Goons Grouse at GOP,” Post- Opinion, Dec. 28).

More than 170 years ago, the French aristocrat and thinker Alexis de Tocqueville came to America to see if this vibrant, new republic had solved the problem of democracy destroying liberty.

He concluded that America may have found the answer in a meaningful separation of powers between the central government and states and a determination to maintain a vigorous religious liberty.

Both those conditions for the survival of liberty are now being abused. Plato’s dictum, that “liberty begets chaos, and chaos begs an end to liberty,” can’t be too far down the road for America.

Ken Nelson
Mechanicsburg, Pa.

****

Bill O’Reilly comes on strong regarding faith in religion and for God to play a role in the next presidential election.

Has O’Reilly seen countries that are ruled by faith? He attacks Sweden as a liberal and faithless country but doesn’t mention conservative and faithful Saudi Arabia.

O’Reilly mentions the issues of unfettered abortion, legalized drugs and gay marriage. These are not the large issues, these are human-rights issues.

What about the war in Iraq? Or the economy? What about jobs, housing, education, safe borders and counter-terrorism? These issues are not mentioned by O’Reilly.

O’Reilly seems more interested in scaring anyone who believes in God, with mean-spirited rhetoric, to vote for Republicans of faith.

If the next election is a test of faith, as O’Reilly predicts, I hope faith loses and the real issues win.

Fred Lazarus
Long Beach