The Extreme Court
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that religious institutions don’t need to follow COVID rules. Mask mandates? Not in church. Limits on indoor gatherings? Not for church services. Do they think divine intervention will stop the coronavirus from spreading in church? Or are they just such fanatics when it comes to religious rights that they are willing to ignore the dangers?
I have to hand it to religious conservatives. Through decades of hard work and determination, they have managed to pack the Supreme Court so successfully that these kinds of rulings look like they will be the norm for the next couple of decades. Overturning Roe vs. Wade looks all but certain. And all they had to sacrifice was their souls.
Four years of supporting an uncaring and prideful president — the exact opposite of Jesus. Four years of making excuses for a man who breaks most of the Ten Commandments on a regular basis. Four years of supporting tax cuts for the rich and doing nothing for the poor, of separating refugee children from their parents, of making up lies almost every day to glorify himself.
As Jesus is quoted by Mark in the Bible: “What profiteth a man to gain the whole world and lose his Soul?” Now that they have their Extreme Court, will the religious right turn away from their addiction to political power and look again to Jesus’ teachings? Will they begin to understand that selling their souls to the Republican Party may have helped them win the battle over abortion but at far too high a cost?
Many young people today see Christianity as a negative force in society, and they see most Christians as unthinking, unprincipled political pawns. Unsurprisingly, according to the Pew Survey on religion and public life, the young are staying away from church in droves.
Sadly, this religious Extreme Court will be making the law of the land for decades to come. If you think denying services to a consumer who has a different religion than you is going to help our country — this is the court for you. If you think you shouldn’t ever have to hire someone of another faith — this is the court for you. If you think accidentally pregnant teenaged girls should be forced to have babies — this court is for you. If you want to go back to the 1950s and open all these wounds and fight these same battles all over again — then this court is for you. But I think it is an Extreme Shame.
Matt Binder
Waimea
‘We had a choice’
So, we have a clear headline on Sunday (Tribune-Herald, Nov. 29) regarding criticism of the mayor-elect’s cabinet picks.
Uh, hello citizens, did you happen to really believe that voting in Mitch Roth would result in any thing different?
I respect and thank him for his service to the county, but the writing was clearly on the wall, and I only read the Sunday Trib! Seriously, you should read the entire article from Sunday. Well-written.
I have tried to explain to friends and family on the mainland why we do not really need Republicans (nothing against most of you; I have voted that lane before, but if you love our current president, you might have to erase that previous nicety) in Hawaii, because we already have them. They just call themselves Democrats and proceed with legislation that does not benefit us normal humans. Rather, they pay out to donors, give tax breaks, schmooze developments through that trash the ‘aina, and deny citizens of Hawaii nei access … etc., etc., etc. (as Yule Brenner might pronounce).
We had a choice: Entrepreneur/community activist who helped thousands of our fellow citizens when government failed them and they really needed help, versus a lawyer with deep political connections here, there, in the party, out, across the ocean and so on.
I wish you (meaning all of us on Hawaii Island) well, Mr. Roth. Please do not make our people and lands suffer or cry any more.
Michael Pacheco III
Hakalau