Commentaries

May 20, 2009

 Commentaries is where Minnesota Public Radio welcomes your thoughtful opinion about current events and issues. Commentaries are like letters to the editor. To be considered for publication, your commentary should be issue-related, clearly written, and follow our Terms of Use. New insights into ongoing topics are especially welcome. Not all commentaries received are published. For topical interaction with others, visit the discussion groups.

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Richard Dawkins, don't patronize me

Argue your beliefs all you want, just don't patronize me. [MPR Midmorning: Dawkins seeks more converts to atheism]

I have issue with the patronizing tone. I think about my beliefs, challenge them myself and allow them to be challenged by others in an effort to better understand and mature in my spirituality and how to apply that to my life. God does not play an 'imaginary friend' role in my life - he is more of a parental figure, and this has become clearer to me since becoming a parent myself.

I don't explain everything to my children and I don't explain everything in specific detail - I expect them to listen because I give them rules and lessons because I want them to be happy, safe, healthy and contribute those things to society. I expect them to do their best, I don't mind if they question me and I hope they do. I hope they take my lessons and build on them with experience and education. I don't hate them if they don't. In many ways I have to treat each child differently and I have different expectations and strategies for dealing with each accordin g to their own individual selves. I see God as able to deal with each of us as individuals, but I also see the evolution of Humankind as relating to the life-time of one person.

I have no problem with science and can't see God having a problem with it either. To say evolution can't exist because it's not the way it was explained in the bible would be akin to my children growing up and insisting that a child does not grow or is the product of sex because I told them there was a 'baby in Mommy's tummy' when they were three. God may not have explained things in detail before we had the words or knowledge to support understanding that. I don't think he didn't mean for us to understand these things as we were able. I believe that the more we understand about science, the better we understand about how God works. I also think it is of utmost importance to our ability to learn more to admit that there is much we don't understand. I believe in a God that accepts more than one viewpo i nt and may make himself understood to different people in different ways. I don't understand all of his purposes and I wouldn't presume to. I have enough work to do within myself and too much I don't understand yet to insist that everyone believe the same as I do. I do know, sometimes in an instant, that some things are wrong for me to believe and some things are right.

Again, maybe there's a purpose to other people's feelings - but I know when I absolutely do not believe something. To my mind, this is the Holy Spirit at work. (Examples of this: justifications for hate; meanness in any form; someone claiming to know, absolutely, what's right for everyone; narrow-mindedness). Why call myself a Christian - why not just say I believe in 'some higher power'? Because I believe that the example I was given was Christ. I believe Christian means to be 'Christ-like' and that God sent him as an example to us of how to live because we were not understanding. I don't know that he's the o nly or last example that was sent - I can believe that he's sent many. But he's the one I first heard and that I feel I understand best. He's the one that rings most true to me, so that's what I go with. I believe that we can learn from anyone and should be open to that. There's much we can learn from other traditions. This doesn't contradict my Christian beliefs at all. The other reason for calling myself a Christian is to take the word back. For a long time I went with the word 'Spiritual' because I didn't want to be associated with evils like the Crusades, people picketing gay people's funerals, narrow-minded 'crazies, etc. But as I thought on it further I decided that I don't believe many of those people to be 'Christians' (behaving the way I believe Christ showed us to live) - why should they be the only examples? I know many Christians who believe much the same way I do, who approach life with love, compassion and are open to new ideas. Who try to understand the messages of the bible - not word for word, but in meaning.

Why should we let only the crazies represent our inner-beliefs? Why should I let them take over the word? That's why. My beliefs have nothing to do with miracles aside from the belief in them. I don't argue for the virgin birth, raising people from the dead, walking on water, etc - not because I don't believe, but because they simply don't pertain to my beliefs. I don't care if they happened or not and don't care to waste too much time arguing for or debating against them. I don't know that my beliefs are right for everyone, but I do know they're right for me. That's the best I can do.

By the way - I know many absolute atheists. Many are incredibly devout in their moral and ethical beliefs and even if I were inclined to, I wouldn't worry for their souls at all.

Angela Shogren
Guthrie, Minn.


UND Sioux logo will live on

C'mon, the guy that raised hell in the first place about the Fighting Sioux logo isn't even from around here! [MPR News: UND's Fighting Sioux nickname going away]

What are all of us going to do with our all-out clothing and other items with that logo? It's ridiculous, they should feel honored. I say we keep the logo and the name cause it says how North Dakota was made a state and who made it one of the 50 states. No matter what people do or say, it's going to live on.

Sara Ptacek
Cogswell, N.D.


Judge overstepped his constitutional boundaries

The parents, and their child, have the right, based on their belief system to refuse treatment. [MPR News: Judge orders 13-year-old to undergo cancer treatments]

I would never want the government (through a judge or otherwise) to tell me how I should handle medical treatment in my family. This is simply one more step the government has taken in taking complete control of our lives. Now the precedent has been set and other judges and even legislatures will be emboldened to trespass on parental rights and individual rights even more.

This action should not be allowed to stand.

Robert Larkin
N. Grosvenordale, Conn.


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