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'Sense Or Nonsense'

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Phillip Pluta

Published: December 18, 2007

In the letter titled "Sense or Nonsense," Roy Dettwiler asks whatever happened to good common sense. He then goes on to define good common sense as existing only among those who share and do not challenge his own religious sense of right and wrong. The main flaw in the letter's reasoning is in comparing the laws of physics with religious opinion as to what is the law of God. Only an argument with a true premise can have a true conclusion. An error in the premise leads to errors in the conclusion.

While it is true that we cannot repeal the law of gravity, it is not true that view of what constitutes moral conduct and God's law does not vary from one belief system to the next. The first amendment of the constitution is to ensure that government will not mandate any one-belief system, nor will it interfere with your right to preach and practice your religious preference. Contrary to the letter's miss-statement about "hate speech," there is no law that says you cannot express your stand on such issues as homosexuality or any other lifestyle you consider immoral. What it will prosecute as a hate crime is an attack on a person because of your personal objection to his lifestyle, race, or ethnic origin.

The conclusion that separation of church and state means that Christians dare not intrude upon the sacred halls of government is backward reasoning. The amendment ensures that the power of government dare not intrude upon the right of an individual to practice his own religion. The government cannot sanction Christianity or any other religious system as a state religion. Asking "so called Christians" to wake up and demand the public sanctioned display of one's own religious symbols begs the question, why are you so insecure that you need government validation for what you profess to believe? Would you extend that mandate to all forms of religious belief?

The 10 commandments of the Judean/Christian tradition comprise of two parts: man's relation to God and man's relation to man. I, personally, as a practicing Christian value both because they boil down to love for God and love for one's neighbor. The main objection to display of the commandments in government buildings involves the first five commandments, while the second five are incorporated into Western law. Personally, I see no harm in the practice, but I can understand the sensitivity of non-Jewish or Christian believers. Is not that sensitivity part of being a Christian?

Phillip Pluta
Sebring

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