An Open Letter to Religious Zealots

Hi.

You don't know me, even though you think that you do. I am a happily married, public school educated, father of a teenage daughter and a young son. We all share our house with one dog and four cats. I would like to ask you not to turn my country (and especially my government) into a theocracy that would be based on Biblical law.

I don't want to be killed for blasphemy, heresy, witchcraft, sexual crimes (it is ok for me to kiss my wife now, but under Biblical law I could be put to death for doing so if I am not thinking of God when I kiss her) or for failing to go to the right church on time.

I also think that it would be wrong to put people to death for homosexuality, failure to keep the Sabbath, among other ideas about length of clothing or whether or not people are modest enough in a variety of choices. Can't we agree to leave people who are not hurting anyone alone? Sounds like a good idea, doesn't it?

What have you got against marriage? I mean, you only seem to support marriage for some people. Why the differences? Isn't that a bit contradictory and unfair?

I also don't want to study Biblical prophecy and Christian reconstructionism. Not my cup of tea. You can feel free, but I would rather read a book or watch the latest episode of Lost or Frontline. Besides, I think the historic record shows that the founding figures (ok, fathers if you must) were Deists.

I would like to ask you why you are so concerned that I think like you? Isn't it a good thing that we have a diversity of opinions? Just because I fail to see the world in the same way you do does not mean that I am an agent of Satan. Really, I have never met the guy.

Also, while we are on the subject I am interested in knowing how you can have such strong support for the death penalty (and many more expansions of the death penalty based on Biblical law)? I am really confused by the incongruity of your belief in a "culture of life" (if I can borrow a recent phrase), while you seem to want to kill a lot people who are on death row. Did you know that most of those guys have low IQs and suffer from severe mental illnesses?

I have many more questions for you, but this seems like a good place to stop for now.

I look forward to reading your reply and hope that we can strike up a correspondence because, if I can be honest, I am really worried about you.

Best of luck with that Rapture thing,

Dick DeDurkheim