LETTER: Religion a sensitive issue

To the editor:

I feel like I could argue either side of most issues, but recent liberal sophistry has encouraged me to take the conservative side. Both sides live in glass houses, both should think before throwing stones. During the debates over the Civil Rights Act of 1964, more than 80 percent of republicans favored the act, as compared to 61 percent of democrats in the House and 69 percent in the Senate. Although one might try to argue that the southern Demos were not liberal, those opposing on the behest of organized labor definitely were. Current conservative opposition to affirmative action is largely based on the belief that unequal treatment (i.e. affirmative action quotas) could give rise to a new generation of racists of one type or another.

I have also heard several liberals lately complain of the evils of religion. Even the most grievous religious conflicts have economic and political roots. For example, the Shiite versus Sunni and Kurdish conflicts could be easily explained as the age-old fight of haves versus have-nots. The Crusades were largely motivated by a desire to control over-land trade routes. The Mormon expulsion from Illinois was fueled by commercial competition. It is true that many times, as in the examples listed above, political leaders played the “religion card” in order to stir up grass-roots support of their questionable goals. Surely the founders of our country knew of this and that is the basis for the “Separation of Church and State”. Still, many of the founders were faithful to one religion or another, and taking their quotes out of context, as both sides have done recently, is irresponsible.

A warning to conservatives: you should worry when your political leader appeals to your religious values for political support. A warning to liberals: don’t be too eager to attack or belittle religion. Not all aggressors of religious conflicts are an organized religion (think Fascism, or anti-Mormon mob violence, if you prefer), but all of the victims are.

Jared Hardman