Hello,

I’m new and very glad to have a forum where I can discuss the duldrums of living in a state that is red and ofcourse religious.

I responded to a column by Sam Fulwood in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Ohio Restoration Project. A fundy group trying to get Ken Blackwell elected as Govenor. Using God as justification. Sam indicated that they are extremists, which is very good.

My letter…

Mr. Fulwood,

I enjoyed your column "Rescuing God from the Right".

Years ago I viewed a documentary on the rise of the religious right in this country. They were taken lightly because of their extreme views. Now look at them, they have found their way into all positions of government, Senators, Congressmen even the White House.

I was raised a Catholic, through the years I’ve lost my religion. I no longer subscribe to Saviors of any sort but I still have faith in the goodness of man without the belief in a deity. I consider myself enlightened. But I’m a minority.

Sometimes I say to myself that the extremists are good in a way, people will open their eyes to the fact that their views are destructive and divisive and folks will eventually turn away. At the same time I worry that the masses will fall victim to their twisted views of Christ and become like them, using the Bible as a weapon.

This new group "We Believe Ohio" is very important. A little slow to the punch, I might add, but I’m glad they’re finally here. It may seem unusual coming from an atheist but I believe religion is good if it teaches tolerance and unity.

If the extremists continue unabated they will surely increase their numbers and rewrite the meaning of Christianity. Ignorance will prevail, gays will be persecuted, science will be subtracted to poppycock and of course the Wall of Separation will be torn down as the Church becomes the government and "This Crusade, this War on Terror" will spread in preparation for the Second Coming. I don’t have to tell you! At the same time more progressive folks like me will walk away from religion all together as Jesus evolves into a monster.

As a Freethinker I find it ironic that the Almighty needs to be saved, it proves my thoughts, but for the sake of our country I hope we can keep religion and government separated as our Founders intended and work together for the common good as a diverse nation and maybe, just maybe, some day rational thought will supersede superstition.

Sincerely,

Mark Picone

I got the Red State blues.

Hello,

I’m new and very glad to have a forum where I can discuss the duldrums of living in a state that is red and ofcourse religious.

I responded to a column by Sam Fulwood in the Cleveland Plain Dealer about the Ohio Restoration Project. A fundy group trying to get Ken Blackwell elected as Govenor. Using God as justification. Sam indicated that they are extremists, which is very good.

My letter…

Mr. Fulwood,

I enjoyed your column “Rescuing God from the Right”.

Years ago I viewed a documentary on the rise of the religious right in this country. They were taken lightly because of their extreme views. Now look at them, they have found their way into all positions of government, Senators, Congressmen even the White House.

I was raised a Catholic, through the years I’ve lost my religion. I no longer subscribe to Saviors of any sort but I still have faith in the goodness of man without the belief in a deity. I consider myself enlightened. But I’m a minority.

Sometimes I say to myself that the extremists are good in a way, people will open their eyes to the fact that their views are destructive and divisive and folks will eventually turn away. At the same time I worry that the masses will fall victim to their twisted views of Christ and become like them, using the Bible as a weapon.

This new group “We Believe Ohio” is very important. A little slow to the punch, I might add, but I’m glad they’re finally here. It may seem unusual coming from an atheist but I believe religion is good if it teaches tolerance and unity.

If the extremists continue unabated they will surely increase their numbers and rewrite the meaning of Christianity. Ignorance will prevail, gays will be persecuted, science will be subtracted to poppycock and of course the Wall of Separation will be torn down as the Church becomes the government and “This Crusade, this War on Terror” will spread in preparation for the Second Coming. I don’t have to tell you! At the same time more progressive folks like me will walk away from religion all together as Jesus evolves into a monster.

As a Freethinker I find it ironic that the Almighty needs to be saved, it proves my thoughts, but for the sake of our country I hope we can keep religion and government separated as our Founders intended and work together for the common good as a diverse nation and maybe, just maybe, some day rational thought will supersede superstition.

Sincerely,

Mark Picone

Hi Mark, and thanks for posting that. Good of you to write your letter. Did they decide to publish it?

The most dangerous thing nowadays is this ever-stronger link between the government and radical religion. It is rather like Yeats’s poem “The Second Coming”:

“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”

The worst are full of “passionate intensity” given them by their radical religious beliefs. The rest of us often seem to lack anything like conviction in our anti-radical, or even anti-religious beliefs and opinions.

Sad but True

Sad but True.

They got into power through voter apathy and a stealth type strategy.

I’m waiting to hear If my column is going to be published although I’ll continue to submit Letters to the Editor to my my part.

lil

Welcome to CFI. Fact 1: You have the same first name as me.  Fact 2: I agree with some of your points.

Hello
Welcome to the group - hope you will join in the discussions where you find the topics interesting or we hope you post interesting topics if the ones that are up aren’t.
Jim