letter in Daily Local News, December 29, 2008:

There is some Christmas Day dissonance in the 12/25 Daily Local. The Opinion page contains the assertion of Dr. James Hanak: “While the propagation of Christianity leads to trust and compassion, the natural progression of a society without God is nationalism and racism accompanied by hatred and bigotry for those who are different.” Are “Christianity” and “without God” a proper contrast? Don’t Jews and Muslims worship the same Abrahamic God as Christians?

Dr. Hanak goes on to attack countries “that built their foundation on atheism or false gods,” such as, among others, “fascism.” Does he not know that fascist Germany and Italy stressed Christianity as a unifying factor and that Franco’s Spain treated Catholicism as a state religion?

On the facing page (”Tree of Knowledge”), we see Colin Hanna, “on behalf of the Pennsylvania Pastors Network,” criticizing the Freethought Society for exercising its legal and court-tested right to erect a “Tree of Knowledge.” Although the Freethought Society represents those without religion, Hanna goes on to comment that “pagan history is … really, frankly, about something closer to ignorance than knowledge.”

He does not acknowledge that our founders traced the ideals of their new democratic state, including the religious tolerance enshrined in our Constitution, to the “pagan” (polytheistic) ancient Greeks. Let’s pass over the combative positions of Mr. Hanna’s “Let Freedom Ring” organization, its “We Need a Fence” demand, and its other “campaigns” represented by anti-choice, anti-immigrant, and anti-Obama Web sites.

Let’s just note that, indeed, it would be beneficial if all of us, including Mr. Hanna and his allies, did speak and act clearly against the evils listed by Dr. Hanak: nationalism, racism, hatred, and bigotry.

Nathaniel Smith
West Chester