Church and State
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Jonathan Swift said, “We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.” A glance at the world scene provides ample evidence of this distortion and perversion of religion. We can find examples in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Northern Ireland, Iraq and many other countries. In our own country, we have witnessed a gradual emergence of religious extremism which seeks to coerce the American people into a form of theological conformity. These “true believers” forget that a fundamental principle of American government is that in matters of religion we are not governed by the majority. Rather, because we separate church and state, we give equal rights to every minority.
We must seek to bring about a world in which all of us at all times will express our concern--our love--for our neighbor.
RABBI SIDNEY S. GUTHMAN
Long Beach
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