Keep Up The Good Work

Good Afternoon,

I just finished reading the article No Dominion: The lonely, dangerous fight against Christian supremacists inside the Armed Forces. I am impressed and thankful for the work that you are doing. I am not in the military, but most of my family is. I was raised in the Baptist Advent churches of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. I have seen fanaticism firsthand. I became so disgusted with it that I sought spiritual fulfillment elsewhere. One of the things I learned is that all religions carry the same universal messages.

These messages become distorted by radical leaders who seek power, influence and other megalomaniacal aims. Most religions seem to foster an exclusivity that we as a society must overcome. Perhaps we can take a lesson from the Hindu culture where several beliefs are absorbed and accepted. It is not, after all, how you pray, but that you pray, if you so choose. I have found myself at odds with Christian extremists throughout my life. I don’t believe that Jesus is the only way to redemption. In fact, one could say that so many religions and denominations exist because there are so many people on varying levels of spirituality and emotional needs. I have realized that religion is an emotion-based thought process. Because of this, people generally throw logic and ethics out the window based on a feeling. Throughout history how many jilted lovers committed murder and violence because of their emotional reaction? The same mental process happens with religious thought. Perhaps we can see more studies performed in this light. Referring to ongoing battles with extremist Christians, I spent years posting on political message boards. I had to stop around the time Obama won the election. It became unbearable. I was unable to think positively because of the vicious attacks and threats. What I did not realize was that the Tea Party groups were forming a revolution and I was escaping their immediate wrath by no longer partaking in the on-line discussion groups. I once had a 10 page posting discussion with a woman who was convinced that at the end of times (if one chooses to believe in such things), she and other “True” Christians will be judging the rest of us for God. Even though she could not quote the verse that states this (since it does not exist), she believed it is implied. This implication was not based on anything she could articulate and the argument kept going back to me not being a True Christian so I would never know the truth. I am currently attending Northeastern University for my BS in Political Science. A personal hero of mine is Noam Chomsky who encouraged me via email to stay diligent and critical minded. One of my classmates told me that he too spent time on political message boards and various Tea Party members made threats to him, web-cammed themselves holding guns and so on. I understand some of the torment you feel, but not fully. My daughters and wife have not been threatened. I reported a man to the FBI when he posted my name and address with a veiled threat to come see me. This, because he felt I was too socialist and therefore a traitor. I also turned a man into the Secret Service when he began ranting about taking up arms against Obama to defend America. The posts seemed a bit more than idle threats and wishful thinking. Yet, I have not been attacked to the degree that you have. My political essays have not hit a mainstream audience yet so I am flying under the radar for now.

I truly see a dangerous revolutionary element forming. I do not wish to sound like a conspiracy theorist and I do not own a tin foil hat. However, one can see distinct behaviors committed in the past 20 years that mimic the closing of other open societies. Since 9/11 we have seen blatant extremism being pushed. Creationism is being pushed upon schools. Daily prayer and Bible readings are being slowly pushed back into town meetings and some schools. The military is another area that I don’t even need to tell you about.

With all of this I am hoping you understand that I am a concerned American. I strongly believe in the Constitution as the law of the land. I believe that religion is a basic human emotional need. I only wish that I could convince others to more accepting of others beliefs. Some take my rants as Anti-Christian and my arguments can come off as generalized and angry. My own Christian friends consider me more Christian than Christians. Charity is not just a check you write and claim on your taxes. It is the giving of yourself to others. Many Christians forget that. To them, evangelicalizing people is an act of charity, even when it is at gunpoint. Christians hate believers of other religions. They hate other Christians. They hate seculars and pagans. From a religion that is supposed to be based on love and compassion, there seems to be a lot of hate. Keep up the good work. Not everyone is against you. Mr. Michael Weinstein is now my new hero.

Sincerely,
(name withheld)