The June 24 story “Sectarian hatred deeply rooted: Civil war in Syria has exacerbated the situation” is, to me, the most important informational reporting published recently. Involvement in wars with religious roots is an obscene futility. We must begin to understand the religious hatreds by name, by participants, and funding. We must begin to understand the futility of our participation in any armed conflict in the name of religion.
I know our current economy relies heavily on oil, but that purchase is the major funding of the religious wars. Every dollar spent on solar, wind and hydro power cannot be spent on guns and bombs in the Middle East. Every barrel of U.S. oil lessens the influence of Middle East governments. American inventiveness can surely relieve this dependence.
Americans are also blessed to have in written law the First Amendment, and also the judicial decisions that protect us. If we abuse this law, religious ambitions will be transferred into government actions. And, over time, our country will degenerate into hostile religious groups.
Celia Louderback
Vancouver
