When religious people challenge science, they are out of their knowledge area, and they look foolish. Worse, they drive reasonable people out of churches because reasonable people are repelled by calls to believe magical nonsense. How ironic it is that religious extremists drive people away from religion, when religion should be a saving spiritual grounding […]
Nathaniel Batchelder
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Creation conversation
The discovery that earth was not the center of the universe caused a similar stew 500 years ago. Being the third planet from the sun is not the scriptural description, but that’s the way it is. Young children accept that earth orbits the sun. Religion tells us how to live. Science describes the universe. Let’s […]
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A rhetorical analysis for ending violence
A year earlier, one of her aides called authorities when a visitor dropped a handgun at an announced public event at a local Safeway grocery store. What’s happening in American politics? Most are aware that, shortly after the health care reform vote, Sarah Palin’s website exhibited a national map with some 20 congressional districts in […]
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Family’ values
Dear “decision-makers” at the Gazette, Great cover (Malena Lott, “Modern Oklahoma family,” Nov. 17, Gazette)! Sometimes, a single decision can start ripples spreading through a whole society, bringing about change in consciousness that affects tens of thousands. Your decision to put Angel Porch’s photo of Eddie Walker and Timothy Fields and their adopted sons on […]
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Saving humanity
K.A. Straughn’s defense of Glenn Beck and company is certainly persistent (Letters, “Prove or apologize,” Nov. 4, Gazette): I simply maintain that regular listeners to Fox radio’s shock jocks are attracted to the apocalyptic ruminations of skilled personalities who present themselves as patriots exposing dangers to America. I find, however, that, whatever their message of […]
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Loving government
Kurt Hochenauer’s editorial (Oct. 6, Oklahoma Gazette) asked “What’s the point?” of State Questions 751, 755 and 756 that will appear on our ballots in the election Tuesday, Nov. 2. (Question 751 would make English the “official language” in Oklahoma, 755 would prohibit Oklahoma courts from following “Sharia Law” and 756 would prohibit “making a […]
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Peacemaking efforts defended
In his letter to Oklahoma Gazette (“Peace activist should apologize,” Sept. 22), K.A. Straughn challenged my assertion that anti-Muslim and anti-Obama emotions are fomented on Fox Radio by Glenn Beck and others. Well, they are. And if the origin of the ridiculous beliefs that President Obama is a foreign-born socialist Muslim cannot be pinned on […]
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Wesselh
The hysterically anti-Muslim letter from state Rep. Paul Wesselhöft (“A call for nonviolent civil disobedience,” Aug. 25, Gazette) reveals alignment with Glenn Beck’s anti-Muslim ranting on Fox News Radio. Beck and Wesselhöft should take a deep breath and consider some rational observations: Worldwide, al-Qaida’s political murders have killed more Muslims than Christians. The 9/11 terrorist […]
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The rise of the reasonable majority
For 30 years, Americans have watched ” or supported ” a march toward larger military budgets, deregulation of banking and finance, support for global trade and the exodus of tens of millions of American jobs to poor countries, relaxing of corporate responsibility to the environment and workers, tax cuts for the rich and budget cuts […]
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Reader wishes OKC bomber were still in prison
The tragic decisions of Timothy McVeigh, 15 years ago, illuminate the terrible consequences resulting when anyone takes it upon themselves to “retaliate” violently, no matter how “justifiable” they believe their anger is. Three people I knew were murdered that day, and the losses imposed on others by McVeigh’s personal mission still stab the hearts of […]