A Pious President

Nearly everyone who attended BYU remembers the letters to the editor in the school newspaper, the Daily Universe. It was always guaranteed to deliver a hefty dose of self-righteousness, sarcastic rebuttals, and massive logical fallacies. Even as an alumni, I continue to read them online. I recently submitted my own, which was published. I have provided it for your reading pleasure:

Those who defend Bush's eight years of incompetence are often quick to point to his piety. Many dismiss his poor record by stating, "At least we have a man of faith and prayer leading the country." After eight years of having a pious leader, we can see where it has led us. Clearly Bush's prayers did not reveal Iraq's lack of WMDs. Prayer failed to dissuade him from narrowing the definition of torture. Prayer failed to aid him in responding to Katrina. Clearly prayer has failed us. It's time we give intelligence a try.

UPDATE: In the collection of letters that followed my posting, I found a response to my above letter:

What intelligence?

This is to the author of the Jan. 23 letter, "A pious president," and his absurd explanation of the perceived failings of our country's late administration. This author's assault on President Bush hits lower than all previous DU letters on the subject. In fact, his criticism extends past the presidency and past even the personal religious life of the man who filled it. It hits directly those who commend Bush for his faith and prayers.

But the range of the attacks goes beyond even this. The author ultimately suggests that we remove prayer as an effective engine with which to run our country, replacing it with "intelligence." I have several direct questions for the author and any who would make a similar suggestion. Whose intelligence? The new president's? The UN's? Yours? Replacing a higher power with these choices would be the most unintelligent decision we could make! God help this country the day it and its leaders cease to call upon Him and "lean unto [their] own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5).

You may find fault with some of the current or previous administration's policies, as have many others this last week. I don't agree with many of our new president's propositions, but I hope that this man is praying for guidance in his decisions. Who are you to denounce a national leader or anyone else for seeking the will of God in their endeavors? Please, let's keep our arguments and criticisms above the point of equating someone's mistakes to his practice of communing with the Lord!

MARCOR PLATT
St. Johns, Ariz.

The Freedom of No Religion

I just finished watching President Obama's 2009 Inaugural Address. There was a particular statement that was made that affected me. He stated, "For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus." There was a pause. I held my breath in hope, but expected to be disappointed. Then he added this, "and non-believers."

Thank you President Obama. Thank you so much.

We, as non-believers, are so often left out, cast by the wayside. So often the concept of "freedom of religion" is taken to mean the freedom to believe in any religion but fails to include those who do not believe in any religion. Contrast the above comment with a selection of excerpts from what former (and future) presidential candidate, Mitt Romney, said in his famous speech regarding religion.

Freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom... Any believer in religious freedom, any person who has knelt in prayer to the Almighty, has a friend and ally in me... We should acknowledge the Creator as did the Founders.

As a side-note, Romney quotes John Adams a couple times. This is the same man who said such memorable things as "This would be the best of all possible worlds if there were no religion in it." And who can forget, “The government of the United States is not in any sense founded upon the Christian religion.” So much for the founding fathers all being Christians or even believers in any sense at all. But I digress.

I do not bring up Romney in an effort to discredit or attack him. There is no need to do so, as he has left the political arena for the time-being. I simply mention him as a way to contrast the common, prevailing winds regarding those of us who do not believe in God. I cannot possibly thank Obama enough for having the courage and compassion to include us in the dialogue. Freedom of religion should apply to all, of any faith or the lack thereof.