Letters on religious freedom, progressives, Wernher von Braun, YESS program

Don’t need new laws on religious freedom

Some say their right to religious freedom is being violated, and others want to have some sort of legislation to make sure their “sincerely held religious beliefs” are upheld. I agree with columnist Davis Merritt that this “is no court’s proper province and is the ultimate church-and-state nightmare, hazardous for all sides of the dispute, our democracy and every religious person” (July 21 Opinion).

Asking for legislation to be able to discriminate against anyone because of “sincerely held religious beliefs” would be disastrous to our country as a whole. If such legislation became law, it would not only affect the gay community; it could affect all persons regardless of race, sex, creed, and whatever religion or no religion they believe in, despite any laws on the books now.

Although the majority of the people in our country are Christian, our country was not founded as a Christian nation. The founders were very careful in writing our Constitution and Bill of Rights as purely secular and not religious. There were already many established religions here when they wrote those documents, and they knew that any government based on religious beliefs could not last or provide equal treatment of all persons. We do not need to pass any legislation regarding religious freedom, as the Constitution and Bill of Rights already guarantee everyone religious freedom.

Just ask

Politics is controlling our lives. You can’t do, say or even think without politics inserting itself. Political laws, regulations and taxes are brought to bear on us to bring us into line. Just ask any American.

Why? Because many politicians are progressives. They have an agenda, an end point, a goal. Generally this end point does not bode well for freedom.

The primary diktat of the progressive ideology is that deceit is OK as long as it justifies or serves the cause. Once elected, many view us as second-class citizens. Just ask President Obama.

Our Supreme Court justices have succumbed to politics. Just ask Chief Justice John Roberts. The justices have converted to determinism. This doctrine states that all existences and happenings, including human behavior, are the inevitable outcome of preceding conditions – i.e., humans do not have free will. Have to ask God about this one.

The politics of progressives and determinists is winning. Sometimes the bad guys do win. Just ask any Russian or Cuban.

Taints our success

Recently Oskar Groening, the 94-year-old “accountant of Auschwitz,” was found guilty of criminal culpability for the murder of 300,000 Jews. I applaud this ruling, but the world court of justice should not stop with him.

As a huge fan of NASA, I have always felt uneasy whenever America touts Wernher von Braun’s importance in the moon race. Von Braun was responsible for overseeing the building of the V-2 rocket for Nazi Germany, costing thousands of forced laborers their lives.

When brought to America, von Braun explained his membership in the Nazi Party and the SS – the same military unit that Groening belonged to – as a necessity because refusal to join “would have meant abandon(ing) the work of my life.” Is this the message we want our children to learn about one of our country’s greatest achievements?

Von Braun’s NASA leadership will always taint our success, and he should be tried posthumously on the same charges that Groening was found guilty of. Let the truth be known.

In a rapidly changing technological world, we must establish standards of what is acceptable in the name of science and what is criminal, even for the “work of their life.”

Thanks for support

Six years ago, our family was introduced to the Arc of Sedgwick County, which offers the Youth Education Summer Socialization program and provides children with developmental disabilities a summer filled with activities. Along with the afternoon session, USD 259 partnered with the Arc to offer an educational portion in the morning in order for students to retain the knowledge they learned from the previous school year throughout the summer.

We would like to extend a special “thank you” to the Arc, USD 259, United Way of the Plains, and the parks and recreation department of Sedgwick County. Along with these organizations, local companies also provided opportunities for our YESS program students. With their support, these students experience greatly reduced prices. I would like to especially thank each one of them: Tanganyika Wildlife Park, Wichita CityArts, Rock River Rapids and the Derby Recreation Commission, Greater Wichita YMCA, Club Rodeo, Burning Sage Ranch, Wichita Wingnuts, Orchard Park Recreation Center, Edgemoor Recreation Center, McAdams Pool, Minisa Pool, Rickes Funnel Cakes, Southwest Airlines, Cross Road Church, St. Francis of Assisi Church, Reformation Lutheran Church, R.J. Investments and CarMax.

Our family cannot thank you enough for your generosity supporting the YESS program.

This story was originally published July 24, 2015 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Letters on religious freedom, progressives, Wernher von Braun, YESS program."