http://newsok.com/letters-to-the-editor-wednesday-august-27-2008/article/3289117And only 2 days after I sent it in!
Complete opposites
On Aug. 22, several contributors to Your Views responded to Diana Hsieh (Your Views, Aug. 14) of the Coalition for Secular Government. They disagreed with her assertion that the United States wasn't founded on Christian principles. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness aren't Christian principles and have nothing to do with Christian morality. To me, life, liberty and especially the pursuit of happiness are complete opposites of the worship of the suffering of another. How, then, could the U.S. be said to be founded on Christianity?
I see nothing in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution about worshipping the suffering of another.
Rob Abiera, Oklahoma City
Here's the letter as I originally emailed it on Monday:
In the August 22nd Your Views column, several letter-writers responded to the August 14th letter by Diana Hsieh, of the Coalition for Secular Government, to disagree with her assertion that the United States was not founded on Christian principles.While I had thought my letter was short enough as it was, The Oklahoman trimmed it even further. Perhaps this was due to the length of the other letters they printed today. Interesting that they chose to excise the line, "I am not surprised that so many Christians are unwilling to face the truth about their own morality, which makes this life on this earth impossible."
I am not surprised that so many Christians are unwilling to face the truth about their own morality, which makes this life on this earth impossible. Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness are not Christian principles and have nothing to do with Christian morality. To me, Life, Liberty and especially the Pursuit of Happiness are complete opposites of the worship of the suffering of others. How, then, could the United States of America be said to be founded on Christianity? I see nothing in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution about worshipping the suffering of others.
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> "Interesting that they chose to excise the line, 'I am not surprised that so many Christians are unwilling to face the truth about their own morality, which makes this life on this earth impossible'"
ReplyDeleteProbably the editor cut it out because it is, in part ("unwilling to face the truth"), an attack on people rather than a discussion of issues. According to a journalist friend, editors usually delete such statements or ignore the letter altogether.
Perhaps, too, the editor saw the sentence as not essential to your theme.