‘Progressivism is not evil’

0

To the editor:

I am writing in response to Stefan Schemine’s letter from May 29 (“Progressivism recognizes no God”).

First, I think it is very important to make all aware that the United States of America was not founded upon Christian ideals. The Founding Fathers made it plainly clear that they wanted to avoid a single dominant religion. The Declaration of Independence and Constitution both make no reference to Christian ideals.

This common misconception is a result of a large Christian population in the U.S. as well as the propagation of disinformation and general population bias.

In regard to Mr. Schemine’s attack on progressivism, progressive standards in this regard are similar to the standards that the United States were founded upon. The goal was to remove any instance of religious favoritism and keep the development of this nation free from radical religious influence.

Government actions should be based upon sound reason, ethical considerations and scientific inquiry, not on “divine revelation” or a book that is equivalent to “The Odyssey.” Progressivism is not evil. It comes down to this question: Would you want your government to base their decisions on fanatical beliefs or on proven, empirical evidence? I think the answer is clear.

Christians are the last group that would ever be “prevented from openly practicing their faith” in this country. Let’s take a look at Islamic groups. They are put in extremely uncomfortable situations. Because of ridiculous media presentations and the general lack of cultural competence/awareness, this group of humans is viewed as terrorists because of their faith. They may even choose not to openly practice their faith out of fear of discrimination.

Further supporting this point, the Delaware Gazette, in its listing of churches and worship directory, only makes mention of Christian, Catholic or Jewish organizations. Where is the representation for other cultural/religious groups? I’m sure families of these groups read this newspaper as well. This is quite appalling as well as saddening.

I agree that any attempt to interfere with one’s religious practices is unacceptable. Since the United States is becoming more and more diverse each day, one of our main priorities should be work toward diversification and acceptance of all cultural groups. After all, Christians, Catholics, Jews and Muslims all worship the same God, the God of Abraham. We cannot forget that we are all one; we live together on this planet and must cooperate to provide the best possible life for all parties involved, humans and nature.

Austin Hilt

Delaware

No posts to display