Regarding the Feb. 3 commentary “Why Goodness Depends on God,” Bishop Barron seems to have overlooked some recent research comparing the religious and non-believers. For example: “Religion does not make one moral,” published in the Sept. 11, 2014, edition of “Science”; “Secular family life is at least as moral and ethical as religious family life,” published in the Jan. 14, 2015, edition of the Los Angeles Times; and by that same author, Phil Zuckerman: “Democratic countries with the lowest levels of religious faith and participation today – such as Sweden, Denmark, Japan, Belgium and New Zealand – have among the lowest violent crime rates in the world and enjoy remarkably high levels of societal well-being, and when it comes to nearly all standard measures of societal health, including homicide rates, the least theistic states within the USA generally fare much better than the most theistic” (Los Angeles Times, Oct. 30, 2015).
Tom Rafferty lives in Charlotte.
It is encouraging to read in the Catholic News Herald about the voices of dissent and outcries regarding recent presidential actions on the refugee program, the border wall, sanctuary cities and other anti-people actions.
Catholics strongly supported President Donald Trump on the single issue of abortion, but apparently didn’t listen to the other threats being made over a lengthy presidential campaign. Now there are outcries; then there was silence. What is new now? Couldn’t we have seen it coming?
It was all laid out plainly before us in Trump’s speeches time and again. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is now praising bishops for speaking out against Trump’s actions and “in defense of God’s people,” and calling all the Catholic faithful to join in. This is great, but much too late.
Where was the speaking-out beforehand when these actions could have been prevented? Afraid of political involvement then, but not so much now. Let’s remember that the majority of voters rejected what they saw coming; it was only by a quirky system and our silence that the perpetrator of these actions won approval. But wait, there’s more to come.
Kenneth Schammel lives in Cornelius.