A response to Nelda J. Westerlind’s April 21 letter:
One does not need a government nor church directive to offer support to our fellow man. Give as you choose.
Make no mistake, the Catholic community hospital where I bought services is no charity but is in the business of selling medical care for a profit. The hospital has deflected competition and successfully prevented any other hospital from coming into the community. The medical services I ultimately received were good but would have been better without the imposition of religious control.
Arrogance? I see arrogance when a religion forces its taboos on others.
When you read the “whole Smithsonian article,” where a government established religion was deemed dangerous, did you notice that the solution was separation of church and state? If religion was separate from government, then government would also be separate from religion. It goes both ways.
Think of it as oil and water. We value oil. We value water. Both are devalued when oil gets in the water or when water gets in the oil. They don’t mix well. Separation is preferred and worth the effort.
You asked about belief systems and a code of ethics?
With or without religions, most of us value honesty, empathy, compassion, love, and support of each other. Survival depends on it. We establish values from a wealth of human experience through history, both from mistakes made and from the lives of brave and thoughtful persons.
Gods and higher powers sprouted from the floundering minds of men struggling to make sense of the world. The human tendency to dislike uncertainty is soothed by accepting beliefs rather than leaving a question unanswered. Unfortunately, ignorance, indoctrination, and control of those who may doubt assure that improbable beliefs continue.
To avoid facing the reality of dying, some become convinced there is life after death. An honest look at nature tells us that each life does end, so appreciate the value of each day. I hope we can look beyond ourselves to live in ways which sustain life for future generations of all earth’s creatures.
Geri Jensen
Grand Marais
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