Scalise Letter

To the Editor,
CM LIFE Staff Writer, John Thorpe, has written an insightful and rational piece on the dangers of religious extremism. Two hundred and fifty years ago, the much persecuted Voltaire wrote, “The man who says to me, ‘Believe as I do, or God will damn you,’ will presently say, ‘Believe as I do, or I shall assassinate you.’” Most of us have matured somewhat in our lifetimes, realizing that other people have a right to their own beliefs, regardless of how much we may disagree with them. Sadly, there remains a significant minority who cannot tolerate differences in belief, and are willing to force their dogma onto others.
One of my heroes, Thomas Jefferson, when responding to threats to the liberty of conscience in his own time, said, “It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are 20 gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.” Embracing such an attitude would go a long way toward ending the violence we see daily throughout the world.