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It is with great interest that I read the two opinions offered in The Times April 24 under the heading "Should religion have more influence in society?" by two church ministers, Holly McKissick and Robert Tobin of Kansas.
First, I fully agree with McKissick that we need less religion, that Christians along with all the rest of us are doing an extremely woeful job of providing for the needs of the less fortunate among us, and Christ never mentioned that the earth is round since to the Israelites and others of that period this would have been highly unbelievable. Yes, religion could move people "to acts of generosity and justice," but has failed miserably to do so.
Tobin, on the other hand, while purportedly not believing that religion should have more influence on society, states that one who takes such a stand "usually is accusing religion of being a farce or an evil" which proves contradictory.
Also his view that "God's creation of religions is clearly pluralist" is strange, since if there is but one God, why are there countless numbers of different religions and sects (all created by humans) purportedly pursuing the identical goal of eternal life?
Yes, most societies in history have been religious, but religions were originated by primitive humans thousands of years ago prior to any knowledge of the creation or structure of the universe or of the scientific origins of life on planet Earth.
Jim Scharnagel
Gainesville