Letters to the Editor Finding viable road to achieve ‘long-term harmony’ in Middle East
Most people characterize the attack on Israeli civilians by Hamas on Oct. 7 as barbaric and savage. Others choose to condemn the unjust slaughter of an estimated 35,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza in the aftermath of the Hamas attack.
A recent New York Times article highlighted the work of the Nassars, a Christian Palestinian family that operates an olive farm, children’s camp, and other programs in the West Bank to promote understanding and nonviolence between Arabs and Jews even as this family nonviolently resists confiscation of their land by nearby Israeli settlers.
One might criticize this family’s work as naive. For myself, I see this approach as the only viable road to achieving long-term harmony and tolerance between the two camps.
Ellen Sward,
Vancouver
Religious leaders should stay out of politics, or give up tax status
All citizens should be concerned about the growing trend of pastors giving explicit voting advice to their congregations. This practice undermines the separation of church and state and is in direct conflict with their tax-exempt status.
The principle of separation of church and state is a cornerstone of our democracy, designed to ensure that religious institutions do not wield undue influence over political affairs. Pastors using their pulpits to recommend specific candidates or political parties are blurring the line between religious guidance and political campaigning.
