IT DOESN’T MATTER

What doesn’t matter is somebody’s religion as long as that religion doesn’t place limitations on the human rights and dignity of other people.  It does matter when ISIS insists that everybody in the world, beginning with the part of the world controlled by that organization, adheres to the particular brand of Islam that has the approval of ISIS leaders.  It does matter when Baptists or Catholics or any other of the iterations of Christian faith insist all other Christian groups are wrong in some way.  When Buddhists or Jews or Muslims or Animists or Atheists insist that they are guardians of the truth and all others are wrong, that religious commitment is ultimately dangerous.  

Here are some of the issues in newspapers today:  

The L.A. Times “A” section begins with “Searing image of the lifeless body of Aylan, 3, lying in the Turkish surf fuels debate and soul-searching.”  On the front page a headline reminds that August was the deadliest month in 8 years with gang membership being responsible for much of the mayhem.  Gang membership in our poorest neighborhoods is very much like church membership. Loyalty to the group is demanded and loyalty must be demonstrated, usually by a violent action against someone like the homeless man shot to death near a bridge in Los Angeles two days ago.  The second page is devoted to what is called “Back Story” by the L.A. Times.  The back story today is, Perspective on Ferguson… all about racial tension in an American setting.  The World segment of “A “ section begins with the resignation and jailing of Guatemalan president Perez Molina and another story about the migrant flood in Budapest.  A third story reminds that “U.S. seen as falling short in aiding refugees.”  Page A4 is all about China’s incentive for a troop cutback explaining that the country is aiming for “slimmer” but stronger armed forces.  

Also on A4 we are reminded that Ayatoilah Ali Khamenei is holding out for the lifting of all rather than partial sanctions against Iran in the deal with the outside world.  Page A6 is a continuation of the core story about the plight of refugees in Turkey and the Mediterranean edge of Europe with a reminder that The West is demanding that Middle Eastern Muslim countries step up and show promise to take more of the displaced persons.  The continuation on page A6 reminds us that Africa at the Southern edge of Europe is like a kettle reaching the boiling point with religious conflict being the major cause of trouble.  A7 includes a story about the push for charter schools by Democrats for Education Reform.  The California Teachers Association hasn’t endorsed the idea that the DFER plan will work.  DFER’s plan doesn’t ensure that the poorest kids in the poorest  schools will go to schools with adequate facilities and best teachers. 

A8 is given over to the Donald who has signed a pledge that he won’t run an independent campaign if Republicans fail to make him their candidate in the 2016 election. He isn’t claiming that God has chosen him to be America’s next president, so that gives the Republican National Committee an out if they go with  someone else.

The stories on page A10 report on Texas’ reasons for asking the Supreme Court to bless their plan to make abortions illegal in their state…because God has told the Texas Governor that abortion under any circumstances is against God’s law.  The other story on the page describes the conditions under which the “Defiant Kentucky Clerk is Held” in jail.  She has vowed to stay in jail as long as the Supreme Court declines to affirm her belief that “God’s law is above the law of the United States of America.”  Throughout the week, Kim Davis, the elected County Clerk of Rowan County has refused to allow marriage licenses to be issued to anyone until the Supreme Court agrees with her that God approves only of marriages between one man and one woman.  She has been put in jail because as an elected official she refuses to uphold the law of the United States of America.