Donald Trump is far from ‘Christian’
Define ‘Christian’
Donald Trump put forward the most racist presidential campaign since George Wallace. Trump could not have been elected without the complicit silence of mainstream Christian denominations. Hate speech and the tragic events evolving from it were left unchallenged.
How many prelates stood up when an imam and his assistant were murdered in Queens, or when a mosque was burned in Florida?
When a plot to bomb Somali immigrants and their mosque in western Kansas was uncovered, there was little outrage.
In our own area, an Indian American was murdered in a hate crime. The response from local Christian leaders, including an area archbishop, was less than overwhelming.
Of the few Christian leaders who took a stand, most were from blue states. Is there a blue-state Jesus and a red-state Jesus?
Do our pastors stick their fingers in the air to test the political winds before they approach the pulpit? Are the scriptures whispered so not to interfere with the clang of the collection plate?
In a so-called Christian country, we will remain polarized until Christians can clearly agree on what being a Christian means and openly voice those principles from the pulpit.
Richard J. Gier
Overland Park
This lie is OK
An April 26 letter writer is bothered that President Donald Trump lied about the whereabouts of the USS Carl Vinson. (Page 23) This is one situation where I hope he was lying.
One possibility — which is very likely — is that the White House had no clue where the fleet was. Given the circumstances, dealt this hand, lying trumps incompetence.
Carl Weaver
Merriam
Guns in hospitals
Gov. Sam Brownback can’t seem to find money in his budget to adequately fund our public schools or extend medical care to poor people who need it, but he wants state legislators to find $24 million to pay for armed guards and metal detectors to keep guns out of state hospitals — weapons that right now are banned.
Here’s a simpler, cheaper and much more sane idea: Change or repeal the dangerous and ill-conceived law due to take effect July 1 allowing concealed weapons at public hospitals and on college campuses.
Judie Becker
Member, Grandparents
Against Gun Violence
Leawood
Free speech
I don’t know whether Charles Hammer is Catholic, but given that he has written at least two columns denouncing the guidance provided by local Catholic leaders before the November elections, he must have more than a passing interest in the faith. (April 26, Page 22, “Homosexuality, medical marijuana and other biblical ‘sins’ are none of our business”; Feb. 22, Page 22, “Inherently evil acts”)
Hammer seems especially upset that the bishops on both sides of the state line counseled local Catholics on the church’s stance on homosexual marriage, abortion, euthanasia and other issues. I hope Hammer is not suggesting that religious leaders should not be allowed to instruct the faithful, as the articles by the bishops appeared in the diocesan newspapers. These newspapers are generally sent only to people who have registered in local parishes.
If Hammer wishes to debate church teaching on abortion and other issues with the bishops, he should write a letter to the editor of either The Leaven or The Catholic Key. If he thinks faith leaders should be muzzled when they profess teachings that he disagrees with, I would remind him that Catholic clerics and lay people have the same right of free speech that he does.
Chris Kennedy
Shawnee
Airport plans
I may be an ignorant Wal-Mart employee, but instead of demolishing Kansas City International Airport to make a single terminal, why doesn’t Kansas City demolish the center terminal and refurbish the outer two? That way the airlines would have more room for the planes, and travelers would have the convenience of the two leftover terminals.
And who knows — Kansas City might save a little money.
Roger Carmack
Olathe