Letters to the Editor
Fran R
Published Letters: 15 Editor's Choice: 4
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What is the answer? Whatever it is, this is not it...
[Read the article: Up against the wall]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I am continually troubled by this issue. While raised Catholic, a faith I left and ultimately returned to, I have many Jewish relatives, including in Israel. My ties to Israel are significant. I have been there 2 times, most recently this past June.
For all the shouting no one can hear! In the US we can never ever say a word against Israel... I am sorry, but it is not anti-Semetic to criticize Israel nor is it un-Patriotic to criticize the US. The dogged dogma/ideology of the sacred Israeli cow is causing more harm than good.
And as is usual with any sacred cow (reference the current US administration)there is no pause for inner reflection by said cow... Thus this outcry against any criticism.
I resent being called anything from anti-Semetic to stupid or naive for simply holding other positions.
In November 2004 I visited Bethlehem despite fear and warnings from Israeli friends and family. Their protestation had to do with not only fear, but to discourage me from "supporting terrorists" with my tourist dollars. However, what about my need as a Catholic to see where Christ was born?
The cloak and dagger route that my driver and I took, which apparently no longer exists due to the fence was distressing and horrifying, but I was never afraid. It was deeply disturbing to enter a place where the citizens were locked in and unemployed. If I were them, Muslim or Christian, I would be getting angry too. There were no other tourists with me when I was in the Church of the Nativity. Not one. Shocking.
I did have coffee and buy things from a local seller. The economy there is a tragedy.
In 2006 I stayed at a hotel that was considered in East Jerusalem and everyone from my Israeli friends and relations expressed shock at my choice. Did I feel afraid walking to the hotel up the Nablus Road? No, not once ever.
At one point in my journey, my fiercely Zionist cousin took me on an unwanted journey to the West Bank. He spent the day driving me from settlement to settlement and pointing at the wall, trying to convince me of its value.
I was sickened and horrified. By what we have all become, both oppressed and oppressors at once. It is disturbing.
So when does the part come where the Israeli government can be honest about what the wall means? I am still waiting for that one.
One final thought, I also have one Palestinian Christian friend. If there were ever a group of people on the bottom rung this is it. What a tragedy.
What needs to happen before real healing and change can happen?
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Focus on the Real Issue
[Read the article: Back to the Dark Ages]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While I have cringed and cried over the poor choices that Pope Benedict has made during this issue, I must point out that the Catholic church is not the only church with a bigoted past.
I define myself as an accidental Catholic but Catholic I am indeed. And I also consider myself a progressive thinker. The two are not mutually exclusive, as Marilyn Bunting would have us think.
However, can we focus on the real issue of Benedict's decidely bad timing to say something extremely insensitive and not have this be another moment of public Catholic bashing, which is what it appears to be.
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Fascinating
[Read the article: Kirkus shrugged]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Where to begin? First of all, intentional or not, this Salon piece will likely offer you a good bit of buzz. Thus my intentional or not line. Sorry, in these times that is how it goes.
However as many have already said before me, many poorly reviewed books do very well. The two you mentioned are both awful in my mind. I found DaVinci poorly written, formulaic and it runs out whatever little steam it has about 3/4 of the way through and gets really stupid. The Corrections in my opinion is unreadable.
And isn't that the point? Opinions. They are like *****... everybody has one. Let it go. You got published.
I for one will actually check out your book due to this piece. Mission Accomplished as the saying goes!
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Psycho for Jesus or just another way to save a failed career?
[Read the article: Dude, where's my cross?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't even know where to start. Stephen Baldwin's bad behavior and tepid career are now, gasp pardon the pun, resurrected due to his accepting Jesus as his personal saviour. Ah, if only it were that easy.
As a Catholic, albeit a liberal and often conflicted Catholic, I am still trying to get my mind around the Bono-as-satan motif. Hmmmm.... tricky. Why bother saving those poor desperate souls when you could be on MTV preaching. Yeah, right.
This guy is nuts. He actually lives in my town. A very liberal and very diverse, very gay-friendly town. Other famous residents would include Rosie O'Donnell, Larry Mullen(you know, the drummer from Bono satan's band!), Jonathan Demme.
It makes me wonder what brought him to our environs. There are many other places for people of his ilk to go. Whatever the case , his most recent(and only) civic achievement was to protest a planned porn shop. I mean no one really wanted it to go in, but he was on tv railing about it instead of doing what other town leaders did... find a way to close the zoning loop that let it open.
In January I went to a conference in DC for the very populated-but-all-too-quiet Religious Left/Liberal/Progressive types. Billy Baldwin was there. I guess I am not that Baldwin-savvy because I thought it was Stephen and thought that maybe he really had been "saved". Anyway imagine my shame when I went up to him and said "you live in my town." Ugh. He just looked at me with shock and horror and said "hey, that's my brother!" as if I said "you live in my town AND you have the cooties."
This article makes me afraid for idiots like this that hold sway with some youthful types. I can only say... God help us all!