© NCSU Student Media 2010
Monday’s column “Sorry Glenn, God isn’t listening” was for lack of a better term, disturbing. Liberals and Atheists often believe that they have a tool to attack conservatives with, and this tool is religion. It is an overplayed argument that attacks religion by suggesting that it is full of hate, and intolerant lunatics.
The problem with the argument is that it is just simply not true. People, like Bill Maher, a political comedian, would like us to believe that every person who believes in God or a higher power of authority is a religious fanatic. That is not the case. Religion does not produce fanatics. People become fanatics, and use religion as justification. Individuals who abuse religion should not be linked to the rest of those who are just seeking to live a moral life. The crusades were not for God, they were for gold and glory. Those individuals who bombed the Twin Towers did not represent Islam, they represented evil. The other 99% of those who practice a faith should not have to apologize or be looked down upon for the actions of a few.
To say that Glenn Beck’s rally was offensive is just ignorant. It was a rally for a group of conservatives. If you know anything about Glenn Beck, and most conservatives do, it wouldn’t be hard to assume that God would be involved somewhere in the rally. If you are a liberal, and you are not a Christian, that rally was not meant for you anyway.
There is nothing wrong with having faith in God. The column on Monday makes a common fallacy among non-believers. A question is presented that goes something like this, “If God loves the world, why does he let evil things happen?” As humans, we have the capacity to do things, both good and evil. We have the power of free will. This gives us the ability to make decisions for both the good and the bad. If we were not forced to make these decisions there would be no reason to have a consequence or reward in an afterlife if you are a believer of an afterlife. Saying there is no God just because bad things happen in the world just simply is not a justifiable statement.
I don’t believe in bashing other people’s beliefs. I don’t believe in forcing religion upon others. Religion is a personal choice, and it should be left for individuals to decide. I don’t think that you have to be a religious person to be moral, and I definitely don’t believe that all religious people are moral. That being said, belief in a higher power is not that crazy of an idea. It was one that our fore fathers had when they created this nation, they might not have agreed on how, why or what was a higher power, but nonetheless “In God We Trust” was agreed upon. With the way the world is today, there are few people outside of your family and yourself that you can trust. According to Monday’s column, “According to a 2001 study of the City University of New York, the percentage of people who claim to be non-religious grew from 8.2 percent of the population in 1990 to 14.1 percent in 2001. Since that time those numbers have grown.” In 20 years, as the numbers of non-believers have gone up, the economic prosperity and wellbeing has gone down, and corruption has gone way up in America. I say let the revival begin.