Keep things secular

Dear Editor:I have been following the comments made by and about your letter to the editor writer Sue Gray with interest. It is indicative of the problems that exist in Israel and Palestine that this topic can gather such local divergence of opinion. The facts in the Middle East seem to depend on your point of view. Sue has certainly been factual and her opponents, when not attacking her personally, have a few facts at hand as well. A reading of President Carter’s book, “Peace Not Apartheid,” would be good reading for all those interested in a bit of history and the facts. A rabbi seems to have the wisdom to see into the heart of the writer and term her anti-Jewish for being against the actions of the state of Israel. How absurd we have become to not be able to criticize the actions of a government without being labeled anti some religion. The fact that religions have become such a part of government is a troubling trend. We know from history that religion brings to politics no good. The crusades of the middle ages, the inquisition, burning woman at the stake, and suicide bombers are just a few of the byproducts of the combination of church and state.It remains that the combination of religion and government is a bad thing and leads to intolerance for other points of view. It is particularly galling to see religion become part of the politics of the United States, after all, the separation of church and state is one of the basic tenets of our constitution. We must fight every effort to stifle debate on the grounds that it might be anti-religion.Robert PewWoody Creek