Unfettered Letters

‘Bodies Revealed’

I read the letters raving about “Bodies Revealed” and expressing “sadness” that the Catholic Church does not endorse the tasteful viewing of corpses kicking a soccer ball. These human bodies, I am confident, were not voluntarily donated by the prior occupant to be used for this purpose.

I assume all have been to movies and are aware of the magic done with plastic to simulate the human body.

To the writer (3/3 Letters) who had the thought within seconds: “Don’t pray in my school and I won’t think in your church.” I would wager more thinking has been accomplished by great minds while in church than has been accomplished in many of the public schools today.

Let’s call this what it is: a shameful way to make a buck.

Mark S. Damon
Blue Springs

Prayer amendment

We have concerns about health care, energy costs, etc., and our Missouri legislature is wasting time on Republican Rep. Mike McGhee’s inane amendment to the Missouri constitution to “clarify” the right to pray in public (2/19, Local, “Missouri House backs right-to-pray amendment”). Even McGhee admits that the law is already in place and that the amendment won’t change a thing. This is merely a scheme to get the conservative Christian Republican voters to the polls in November (and it also gives McGhee some bragging rights as he runs for re-election).

Certain Republicans are obviously not so devout that they will not use religion to satisfy their own selfish motives. It is up to tolerant Christians and people of all faiths, or no faith, to go to the polls and help assure that these show-boaters do not get elected or re-elected. They are an embarrassment to the state and the country, and they are chipping away at our right to be free of laws based upon their religious concepts.

Sharon Boers
Odessa

Praying isn’t prohibited

Evidently Rep. Mike McGhee believes many Missourians don’t scratch their itch to pray in public because they are unaware that the state constitution allows it (2/19, Local, Missouri “House backs right-to-pray amendment”).

As this premise is clearly flawed, his willingness to advance his political agenda by demeaning the intelligence of the faithful smacks of cynicism in the extreme.

And right by his side is Rep. Bryan Stevenson, who would amend the Constitution in order to remind some school superintendents that no law forbids children from bowing their heads above a plastic tray in the cafeteria. How ignorant he must think superintendents are!

Shame on those who advance the agenda of Caesar under the guise of faith. And shame on those who continue to vote for them.

Whatever happened to Matthew 6:6, anyway?

Steve Hatfield
Liberty

Missouri legislators can try to ignore the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, but the courts will not. Long ago the Supreme Court ruled that state legislatures, like Congress, shall make “no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

In the 1947 Everson case, the court unanimously agreed that the 14th Amendment incorporated the establishment clause: “The establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment means at least this: Neither a state nor the Federal Government can ... pass laws which aid one religion, aid all religions, or prefer one religion over another. … No tax in any amount can be levied to support any religious activities ... whatever they may be called” (330 U.S. 1, 15-16).

Or, if you prefer, Jesus commanded in Matthew 6:5-6: “When thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing ... that they may be seen of men. ... But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet ... shut thy door, pray to thy Father ... in secret.”

Gene Garman
Master of divinity
Pittsburg, Kan.

A day to pray

I had an e-mail reminder from a friend that today is the National Day of Prayer. I invite all to take some time to pray this day.

Stop and give praise that our country is so blessed with abundance. Give glory to God for the beauty of the season, for the sunshine and the rain and the anticipation of a prosperous growing season.

Ask for forgiveness for our personal wrongs, as well as for the wrongs of our country. Pray for an end to senseless killing whether it be through war, terrorism, random acts of violence or the taking of innocent lives through abortion.

Pray for wisdom that we will elect leaders who will follow God’s agenda instead of a personal agenda. Pray for all those who do not get the medical help they need, are hungry or homeless.

Thank God we live in the country of abundance and freedom. God has given this country so many blessings, let us not forget him.

Pray, pray, pray! Pray today and every day.

Therese Myzer
Overland Park

Condolences over tragedy

On behalf of the Heartland Muslim Council, we extend our condolences to the innocent victims of Virginia Tech for the tragic and most painful massacre that took place April 16 on their campus. The hearts and prayers of American Muslims are with the students, faculty and families who have been devastated by the senseless killings.

Islam holds the life of a human to be sacred, and abhors and condemns acts of terror. According to the Holy Qur’an, the murder of one innocent life would be as if the entire humanity was slain (Qur’an: 5:32).

We express our deepest regret and sorrow for the young lives that were struck down in their prime years. We ask God Almighty to grant us all patience and peace as we endure the pain of loss.

Zulfiqar Ali Malik
Secretary, Heartland Muslim Council
Overland Park

Prayer would help

Lee Judge’s cartoon on how to prepare our nation for a nuclear attack (3/6) was important, even if he doesn’t know it. Apparently Judge is oblivious to the fact that if our nation had 300 million people praying it would be the best defense our nation could have. Let’s all do it!

John Younger
Kansas City

Sending prayers and thanks

What do you give the man who has everything?

On Thanksgiving Day in Kansas City, as we all anticipated the first NFL Thanksgiving evening game, our most favored Chief, Lamar Hunt, was in a hospital in Dallas.

Not only was Mr. Hunt unable to attend yet another game, he wasn’t even able to view it on TV in his hospital room, since the hospital didn’t have the NFL Network. He was forced to listen to the game on the telephone!

And he didn’t just miss the game. He missed the wonderful showcase of Arrowhead, the Plaza lighting ceremony and the enormous spirit of the Kansas City Chiefs’ fans.

This has been his dream for so long, and the injustice of the circumstances was quite simply heartbreaking.

So what do you give the man who has everything? We give all the prayers and heartfelt thanks to a man who has more grace and spirit in his little finger than most in his position have in their entire bodies.

So thank you, Mr. Hunt, to you and your family. May your recovery be swift so you may come “home” to Kansas City and your second family — the Chiefs players and fans.

Mary Jo Mayer
Kansas City

Prayers for president

I agree with recent letters requesting prayers for President Bush. I sincerely pray for him and our nation’s leaders every day. I pray that they receive wisdom and heed Christ’s messages of peace, humility, justice, equality, tolerance and truth and that they will work for the good of all humanity. It doesn’t seem like too much to ask of our leaders.

And I pray that they contemplate these questions: To which secret CIA camps would Jesus send captives to be tortured? To which international treaties would Jesus renege on his agreement? To which workers would Jesus deny a living wage? To which children would Jesus deny health care and adequate nutrition? Would Jesus grant tax breaks to the rich at the expense of the poor? Which villages would Jesus bomb?

In November, we have a chance to change the tide toward humility and justice. Please pray for and vote for those candidates who are committed to the common good.

Jim Cosgrove
Prairie Village

Praying for victory?

David Heinke (9/5, Letters) asks us to organize worldwide prayer groups to pray around the clock until the enemy is overcome. He says that only God can help us win this war.

I pray that Heinke will take the time to read the words of Bob Dylan’s song, “With God on Our Side.” It ends with these words: “If God is on our side, he will stop the next war.”

Perhaps there you might find a new direction for your prayer group.

Richard L. Strickland
Mission

President Bush

Pray for Bush, U.S.

With suicide bombers, the enemy using car bombs and planes to blow up buildings with many people inside and using the civilian population to hide behind, this is the most difficult war any country has ever faced.

Whatever your politics, our president needs and deserves our prayers because no other president has ever faced this kind of challenge. This war is one that will not be won with human wisdom. The only way these terrorist enemies can be stopped is by the power of God.

We need to organize worldwide prayer groups to pray around the clock until the enemy is overcome. The enemy has been taught to hate Jews, Christians and everyone else who doesn’t believe as they have for centuries. No military strategy is going to solve the problem, no matter how clever. Only God can help us win this war.

David Heinke
Kansas City

Lame-duck presidency

Listening to President Bush give a speech these days is akin to attending a workshop in clichés and platitudes as part of a convention on political rhetoric. He hasn’t made any kind of meaningful statement on foreign or domestic affairs in a very long time.

Having already announced that he will hand over the immense quagmire of Iraq to the next president, there is little for him to do except to travel the world and bark about how he will never give up.

But he has already given up by passing his disastrous policies on. There’s no buck stopping in this White House.

For the rest of his presidency, he will be all talk and no action — staying the course and keeping those clichés coming. The next two years will be like watching those old TV shows where the performer tries to keep all those plates spinning on sticks without any of them falling.

It will make no difference whether his popularity goes up or down. Having sent the current situations of the world into the next administration means he has decided he will not do anything about what is happening now.

That’s what I call a complete definition of a lame-duck presidency.

Reggie Marselus
Lenexa