Morality is not dependent on God
In a recent Breakpoint column, the authors strongly imply that secular intellectuals are "blissfully unaware of what untethering the world from God would entail ... . No longer could social norms like human rights, scientific progress or preference of kindness over cruelty be justified ... ."
As one source asks, let's consider the following moral judgments, which seem to be obviously true:
› It is wrong to drive people from their homes or to kill them because you want their land;
› It is wrong to enslave people;
› It is wrong to torture prisoners of war;
› Anyone who witnesses genocide, or enslavement, or torture is morally required to try to stop it.
To say that morality depends on the existence of God is to say that none of these specific moral judgements is true unless God exists.
In fact, some believers in God have supported the above-mentioned statements, while some non-believers have vigorously fought against these sentiments.
What can be asserted without evidence can also be rejected without evidence.
Michael V. Woodward
Politicians should quit echo chambers
On President's Day, a local representative to Congress published a statement on social media advocating for an end to the United States, with states seceding based on political parties. The statement went further to say, "Everyone I talk to says this."
For a person elected to represent the entirety of the constituents of a congressional district, that statement puts on full display the ignorance brought about by political echo chambers. This viewpoint that the United States should break apart is not a majority position. It is an idea that would only be put into action by extremists. And yet, it is an idea that holds sway among certain representatives because of the power of echo chambers to amplify extreme beliefs and falsely convince adherence of their normalcy.
Any elected official that succumbs so easily to the power of echo chambers when they have the capacity to learn otherwise through town halls and other constituent service events is not fit for office.
Andrew Stephenson
Follow Jesus, the libertarian
Why are schools political (commentary by David Hopkins, Chattanooga Times editorial page, Feb. 19)? Because taxes pay for them. Don't like Ford? Don't buy one. Don't like Hixson High School? Pay up anyway.
So red and blue get more bitter than Ford and GM. The problem? Taxes: 48% have to pay for what 52% want, instead of getting to pay for what they themselves want. Solution? Divide dollars by children and let each family choose whatever education they think best (as President Biden accidentally endorsed.)
Problem and solution cover more than schools. Anytime government taxes for or requires or forbids something, it imposes a point of view, a view of right and wrong, a worldview, a "religion." (Stalin may've been secularist, but he imposed his point of view.) So the smaller the government, the less it imposes its point of view on people who disagree about details or about the whole thing; the less political bitterness.
So shrink the governments. Jesus Christ, king of kings, president of presidents, judge of judges and mayor of mayors, is rather libertarian politically. Repent and follow him.
Andrew Lohr
School board speech is beyond the pale
It is very unfortunate that a member of our county Board of Education has gone beyond the pale with her speech.
It wasn't a joke. It was not political speech. It was just ugly. It's probable that some students and even staff in our system have been victims of such an assault, and the subject is not to be taken lightly.
This board member should never again be responsible for our young people, and the rest of the board, as well as the County Commission need to see that is the case.
Daniel Durant
Fan of fairness and open primaries
To state Rep. Bryan Richey: In reference to the TFP story on Feb. 16 about closing Tennessee's state primaries: If, after the local elections, the pastor of your church is going to preach in my church and oversee decisions made by our community's government, you can bet your bottom Bible that I want to have a say in who that pastor is.
If things were reversed, would you not want the same? Huge fan of fairness.
S. Caulfield
Greene advocate for US insurrection
Today I read in the papers that Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has tweeted that the United States of America needs a divorce. She openly advocates for the separation of "red states" from "blue states," intimating nothing short of secession of red states from the United States of America.
Additionally, she jubilantly proclaims that 40,000 hours of video from various cameras at our nation's Capitol on Jan. 6 will be released to the public.
What she actually means is that Speaker Kevin McCarthy has turned over 40,000 hours of surveillance video to Tucker Carlson of Faux (Fox) News.
Carlson and others at Fox News and Fox News itself are currently embroiled in a lawsuit brought by Dominion voting machines claiming that the Fox News team knowingly and maliciously broadcast the Trump big lie that the 2020 presidential election was massively fraudulent.
This lawsuit, the closeness of Fox News to both the Trump and George W. Bush administrations, and McCarthy's release of surveillance video to Tucker Carlson reveal the true nature of Fox as the media arm of the GOP, which is currently driven by Donald Trump. Fox certainly is not a news organization.
Fox knows what its viewership wants to see and hear. It recognizes the financial incentive in making sure that happens. As for MTG, she has revealed herself to be an advocate for insurrection.
Robert Landry
CARTA drivers need a seat at the table
The 11-member CARTA board of directors recently welcomed nine new appointees and elected Johan De Nysschen as its new chairman. In his first public statement, Mr. De Nysschen stated that autonomous vehicles are the future of public transportation. He went on to say, "If you don't evolve, you're going to get left behind."
It is no secret that CARTA's recent history has included a great deal of mistrust and discord between management and its workforce (primarily drivers). It does not escape me that another word for "autonomous" is "driverless." I can only imagine how Mr. De Nysschen's words have been received by CARTA's rank-and-file workers.
I want to be clear that I am not wanting to question his motives or ascribe any nefarious intent to his statements. I simply want to publicly advocate for CARTA's employees and express hope that they will be included in any future discussions about the organization's future.
Finally, I support leveraging technology to promote operating efficiency and expand economic development opportunities. I urge CARTA to embrace its workers and plan its future in a way that is inclusive, equitable, and transparent.
Monty R. Bruell
Atlanta, Ga.