Letter to the Editor

Policing Your Thoughts

In his opinion column of July 3, 2019, Gene Linzey expressed his disdain for the "ignorant and depraved politically-correct thought police" passing "corrupt laws." The particular corrupt law to which he referred was actually not a law at all but a resolution which has no legal effect on anyone's freedom but merely an opinion of the legislative body. In general, the "corrupt laws" laws he rejects are those laws which protect the freedoms and rights of people whom the religiously-correct thought police look down upon as depraved and not entitled to equal rights and freedoms, such as those denied human rights and freedoms by the Christian-instigated Defense of Marriage Act.

When the Christianity-correct thought police gained legal power in 385 A.D., they executed Bishop Priscillian whose thoughts on Christianity differed from theirs. Subsequently, millions of "corrupt-thinking Christians" have been persecuted, tortured, and executed by the "ignorant, depraved and corrupt religiously-correct thought police" in power. When the puritans escaped the "thought police" in England, they became the thought police in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. They began hanging the Quakers whose thoughts differed from theirs and banished Anne Hutchinson because her thoughts differed, and she was killed by Indians.

Today in the U.S. there are numerous different Christian denominational churches each split into differing religiously-correct thought groups. For example there are 29 different Baptist types some declaring themselves as the "only true church" going to heaven all others going to hell. There are more groups declaring themselves the "one and only true church" than can be counted. When the right-wing evangelicals gain enough political power to enforce their "religiously-correct thoughts," all others will begin losing their religious freedoms.

The history of harm to humanity from persecution, torture, and killing of heretics, witches, non-believers, and wars between the Abrahamic religions powered by their ignorant, corrupt, and depraved adherents far exceed the good done by the good people of these religions.

There are very good Christians, Jews, and Muslims. The Christian couple across the street from me is kind, loving, thoughtful and helpful. They are very good friends to me and my wife though they know we are atheists! There is no doubt they and the vast majority of these good religious people would be just as good if the Abrahamic religions had never existed.

These "Holy Scriptures" give greedy depraved power hungry people greater collective power to do harm.

Oren Piper

Siloam Springs

Editorial on 07/31/2019