It won’t win any awards for scholarship, length, or style, but an Indianapolis Star article is worth mentioning solely because of how its readers responded to it.
The article opens, “Using the dictionary definition…one can only surmise that Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is delusional.” It goes on to belittle Mitt Romney for his religious views, calling his candidacy less legitimate because of his extraordinary beliefs. He must have missed that all religions have a bit of the extraordinary.
The award goes to the readers, whose comments you can read by clicking “Read all … comments” (currently 41). Here are some of the good ones:
You sound like one of the many in 1960 who cried about the horrors that would happen in our country if a Catholic were elected as president. I’m sure you remember that Catholic’s name..John F. Kennedy.
I suppose you would never see a letter in the paper calling those who believe in, oh, let’s say Islam, to be “delusional”. It’s easy to snark when you’re sure the target won’t fight back.
Considering that most of the country believes in virgin birth, resurrection, that the earth was literally created in six days, and that Moses parted the Red Sea and walked through the middle, I don’t think that Romney’s religion is any more out there than any other religion’s beliefs.
While we don’t want to burn bridges to well-intentioned journalists who may report our beliefs incorrectly, there are many opportunities to offer a gentle corrective voice. Newspapers want to please and keep their readers. Our kind corrections will also help other readers distinguish truth from fiction.
Living out a great season of my life, thanks to Jesus Christ, and two wonderful daughters, a great life's work. Loving this opportunity to share faith online...
I'm a single Mom, convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, second-gen Italian, from the East coast originally. Love the fine arts, dance, frozen yogurt, temples, scriptures, writing, jazz, helping others reach their potential, king salmon, ....and not in that order. God is good. I feel it deeply when people have a misconception of Heavenly Father or Jesus Christ, His Son, that lessens or cheapens Them and blinds one's ability to feel His presence or to trust in an ultimately good eternal end to life's circumstances.