Upholding the Rights of Nonbelievers

I congratulate The Times for printing Keith Taylor’s April 27 Voices essay, “Leave God Out of This Patriot’s (Ball) Games.” It rightfully deals with the shameless intolerance toward atheists so overtly practiced among members of religious faiths. I and, I am sure, Mr. Taylor don’t just tolerate but sincerely respect the beliefs of others. Atheists, agnostics and other dissidents do not impose their nonbeliefs upon others. By all means, share your various different beliefs with me, but please respect my abstinence.

Paul Victor

Pasadena

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Taylor is right on about how collectively this God nonsense is giving the impression that we are a nation of believers in an invisible “man” that can do anything to anyone. I wish people of faith would keep their faith to themselves and not burden the world with their ideas. As John Lennon said, “Imagine . . . no hell below us, above us only sky.”

Steve Bell

Laguna Niguel

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Taylor wrote, “‘God Bless America’ is definitely a prayer.” Yes, it is. A prayer that this nation will continue to be blessed by God. How awful can it be for a nation to ask for God’s blessing?

He wrote of how the posting of the Ten Commandments in schools could not hurt. No, it can’t. Can you imagine children coming in and seeing, “Thou shalt not kill”? Surely this would precipitate a remedy with regard to the problem of classmates killing one another. He wrote, “None of those things matter much taken separately, but collectively they deliver a message.” Yes, they do. The message is that as a nation we should not be foolish enough to leave God out of anything.

He referred to his atheistic views being countered with statements that the U.S. is a “Christian nation.” Yes, it is. Patrick Henry said it best: “It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Teresa Smith

Anaheim