What else do the atheists have to offer?

I’m sorry to see our atheist friends wanting to quash prayer before the City Council meetings. It’s unfortunate that their course is very much like some of the modern, politically driven Christians of today.

Throughout history, religion (and non-religion) have sought to change their world by coercion. It’s the demand that everyone else sacrifice so that the religion (or non-religion) may live.

Genuine Christianity has been the opposite: Christ and his followers sacrificed their lives for the betterment of others. True Christianity does not coerce, it persuades through extraordinary, sacrificial living.

Do the atheists have more to offer the community but a whiny appeal about how marginalized they are?

They need to consider, if I want to embrace a religion (or non-religion) that uses guilt or government to get what I want, there are plenty of theistic groups with more to offer than they do.

TIMOTHY KING
Grand Junction

Memorial Day memories of strong convictions

Age and widowhood broaden my perspectives of Memorial Day observances. The headlines in The Daily Sentinel May 21 told about Ted Kennedy’s brain tumor. It reopened similar memories of the diagnosis of my husband’s brain tumor and his death four months later.

Another headline, just above the announcement of Ted Kennedy’s tumor, could be another potential obituary: The 13 members of the Western Colorado Atheists are “offended” that the Grand Junction City Council opens it meetings with prayer.

My husband, a strong, vocal Christian, was president of a local CPA firm for 11 years. During part of that time, he hurried back to Glenwood Springs to preside at meetings of the RE-1 school board. Those meetings were important to him and he had real fondness and respect for the superintendent. (They attended the same church.)

My Memorial Day observances will include memories of both of them and of all the civic leaders who have proudly proclaimed their Christian beliefs. They upheld a legacy of community and political service whose mentors were courageous Christians whose faith set the course for this nation, its Constitution, its judicial branch, its executive branch and its legislative branch.

It gives heightened meaning to my remembrances to acknowledge national heroes like George Washington, Samuel Adams, Noah Webster and Abraham Lincoln. They also felt privileged to serve and speak of their creator and to give him credit for wisdom beyond their human limitations.

If I were ever to serve Grand Junction in any office, I would proclaim unequivocally and enthusiastically that prayer will remain an honored tradition in this nation.

D. GAIL SCHULTZ
Grand Junction

Banning prayer would marginalize many

I would feel marginalized and excluded if I couldn’t pray when and where I chose or, if I chose, to be led by clergy of my choice. That’s my constitutional right.

JAMES GARRETT
Grand Junction

Minorities should not make policy for all

I’ve got to agree with Grand Junction City Councilman Doug Thomason, I’m tired of a few minorities telling me what I can do. If they don’t like the prayer at the beginning of a council meeting, don’t listen. This should fit their motif.

W A PITTS
Grand Junction

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 27th, 2008 at 5:31 pm and is filed under Printed letters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.