Letters: Readers discuss imposing religion, the GOP’s future and kind strangers
Not for everyone
Representing the Kansas Catholic Conference in his Sunday guest commentary, “Kansas bishops concerned with all well-being,” (19A) Chuck Weber promoted a Kansas constitutional amendment limiting Kansans’ rights to the medical treatment known as abortion.
It is widely known that some religions view the termination of a fetus as murder, prohibited by Exodus 20:13, the Bible’s sixth commandment. While all religions recognize that murder constitutes a transgression against the sacrality of life, those same religions do not necessarily agree on the definition of murder.
In Jewish law and religious practice, for instance, the fetus has an inferior status to the mother until the head and shoulders emerge in birth. Should the existence of the fetus threaten the mother’s life, physically or in some interpretations psychologically, the fetus’ existence should be terminated because it is potential life while the mother is a fully existent life.
In American civil religion, the principle of autonomy asserts that a woman possesses the absolute right to complete control of her own body, and therefore she has the right to decide on medical treatments she believes benefit her health and welfare.
These two examples of respected religious interpretations widely held in the United States differ from the position of the Catholic Church in Kansas, as stated by Weber. Although the Catholic Church certainly has the right and responsibility to decree what constitutes faithful Catholicism, it has no right to force its religious practices on people of conscience who are faithful followers of other established religions.
- Mark H. Levin, founding rabbi, Congregation Beth Torah, Prairie Village
Broken system
What an excellent series of articles about the public defender system in Missouri. (Nov. 24, 1A, “‘Constant injustice’; Missouri must fund and fix its broken public defender system” )
Congratulations to the journalists who spent so much time to let us know the disturbing facts of those less fortunate than most of us who might need a lawyer. It was very distressing — especially some of the actions and thoughts of judges.
Missouri seems to be behind in many ways. Sometimes I wonder what our lawmakers actually do. I have tried in the past to take down the names of judges who have made bad decisions or comments so I can remember to vote them out at election time.
Keep up the great work.
- Linda Lockwood, Kansas City
Doleful future
Facts matter, and they always have. Despite a third of the nation claiming otherwise, facts will win out.
My sadness arises in watching a political party that used to stand for fiscal conservatism, anti-communism, a strong international presence, personal character and limited government prostitute itself to a lying, philandering, crotch-grabbing, dictator-loving, anti-Muslim/Latino/black president only interested in his own wealth and libido. The party of John McCain, of Ronald Reagan, of Abraham Lincoln, for God’s sake, now embraces a white nationalist, self-enriching, draft-dodging narcissist. “Alternative facts” are lies.
My concern is less for that party, which is already dead to me, than for what might arise to replace it: a thoughtful return to real conservatism or a neo-Nazi racist cult of personality? Howard Baker was a hero. Sen. Lindsey Graham is dust in the wind.
Who can step up? With the Democrats’ propensity to shoot themselves in the foot, I fear for the future.
I would vote for Fiona Hill. Or a Joe Biden-John Kasich ticket. But I am not going to get the opportunity. That is sad.
- Mark Johnson, Kansas City
My angels
There are angels in the world, people who help people. They come out of nowhere.
Recently, I opened the car door. I took one step, and down I went. I was lying on the sidewalk with people surrounding me. My foot hurt and my glasses were broken.
One woman called 911. Another was telling me, “It will be OK.” It turned out both women are medical professionals. Then there was a man who was telling everyone what had happened. I call him the watcher.
Later, we went to an eye doctor just down the road. My daughter asked if my glasses could be fixed. They fixed them — and for free. Now, I believe in the Lord almighty, so I think he sent them, the angels, and wants us to remember that Thanksgiving includes the word “giving.”
I want to thank all those angels at the Picture Hills Shopping Center and the eye clinic who gave to me that day. God works in mysterious ways, even when you take an unexpected fall.
Maybe it is true. When we are down, he does send his angels to help lift us up.
- Marilyn Ousley, Kansas City