Document text
June 19, 2004 - Subscribe - Contact Us - Rate Card - Place an Ad Valley&State Backpage O&E Sports Archives Classifieds Faith&Beliefs Obituaries Revels April 1, 2004 Prager's religion lacks the heart In a moment of weakness I read Dennis Prager's syndicated column, "It's the heart versus the Bible," on March 18. Prager proves beyond a doubt that conservative white men that rule the world need to get in their golf carts and keep on going into the sunset before they kill us all with their humorless virtue. His thesis, that his interpretation of the Bible is better than anyone's morality from the heart, especially concerning abortion, animal rights and homosexuality, could be the world's epitaph, or, why we destroyed all life and blew ourselves up. Thank you, Mr. Prager, the Bible speaks differently to me. How come you know better? Why is it that Muslim, Christian, Jew, united in their fundamentalist love of God do all the killing and are so anti-thinking, reasoning, feeling? How do they know God wants us to be like them? Prager carefully explains that "reliance on the heart will destroy us," but aren't we doing a great job of destroying "us" in an increasingly heartless world already? And why are those of us condemned to hell on judgment day, us "un-believers," so stupid to think that Jesus was about tolerance, and that the kingdom of heaven is within? Why do I think Mr. Prager's favorite film is probably the Homo-erotic, sado- masochistic, torture tutorial, "The Passion." Hitler, Stalin, and Hussein, were not big on heart either, and they believed they were deciding people's lives by a higher authority. When it comes to a world leader, I'd take Kermit the Frog over anyone who knows the absolute truth, any day. Prager says, "thousands of years of wisdom, know more than the heart." Could that be the wisdom that keeps 50,000 children starving to death every day? Maybe Prager means the wisdom that gives 1 percent of Americans well over half of the worlds wealth, tortures animals for profit, brings unloved babies into a world overflowing with people, and tries to control who people chose to love. Prager lists all the great cruelties of history as not having come from the Bible, making a grand public display of his ignorance. I guess cruelties Prager thinks are okay are those his bible says are okay, like blowing the world to smithereens as the fulfillment of prophecy. Prager closes with the statement that the Judeo-Christian culture produced its crowing accomplishment - America! He obviously owns his own home, has health insurance, a car that runs, a full refrigerator, and is able to educate his children. Pray for me, Mr. Prager, I thought Judeo-Christian culture brought us Shakespeare, Jackie Robinson, Abraham the father of Muslim, Christian, and Jew, the Renaissance, medicine, the Rule of Law, classical music, The Ten Commandments, social justice, Einstein, economics, Woody Allan, The Golden Rule, jazz, gothic cathedrals, The Enlightenment, Mozart, the space program, Venice, and The Impressionists, for a starter. Didn't our Judeo-Christian heritage come up with the idea that there are no experts on religion, and every person has free access to God as experienced through The Holy Spirit? Or does the Holy Spirit communicate through Prager too. Aren't there simple rules like, "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you?" Didn't this Judeo-Christian idea spark the big bang that: All men and women are created equal?" It's mystifying why so many devoutly religious people get upset to the point of murder if anyone thinks differently about God. Controlling the hearts and minds of those who are different has never worked in all of history. Couldn't we just keep our religion to ourselves, teach love by example, and let God decide the big questions of life? As for your idea, Mr. Prager, that the world of the mind (of course not an 'open' tolerant, curious, inquiring mind, but one dictated by Prager's interpretation of the Bible) is better than the wisdom of the heart. I'll take my chances with, and trust my fate to, a Greater Power that is all heart. Let's not send all the original thinkers, independent spirits, and all-heart people to hell, and make it the most interesting and fun place to be. Leah Ireland Ashland DailyTidings.com Home Page Valley&State | Backpage | O&E | Sports | Archives | Weather | Classifieds Columnists | Faith&Beliefs | Obituaries | Revels | Subscribe | Contact Us Copyright 2004 Ashland Daily Tidings and Ottaway Newspapers All Rights Reserved Click Here Site Search: .:Advertisements:. RESOURCES - Mail Tribune News - ODOT Road Cams