The language used in Dar-Wei Chen’s article (Religion is becoming extinct, 4/5/2011) is a bit startling. The terms “religious baggage,” “religion excuse” and the statement, “The Internet and science are exposing many religious beliefs,” offend me for many reasons, yet I only have 300 words, so I will be brief. It is very convenient to be so confident that religion will be “eradicated” when the 21st century has brought relative prosperity to the developed world so far. But what of the dictatorships? Those comrades living under oppression of every variety must no doubt be further purged of their religion as well, am I right? This clearly Stalinist view of bringing the lowly peasant out of his ignorance is truly entertaining, especially when the memory of the millions who have been killed in secularist purges has been forgotten.
I spoke with my grandmother on the phone last night, and we talked of politics, as usual. She spoke of living in communist Romania under mental and religious oppression during the last century. It is still hard for her to believe that she was once forced to choose between a life of scientific study or religion (she chose science, so the Romanian secret police wouldn’t take her away). My point is that people should always be free to choose, with most everything. Christian Orthodoxy, a branch of Christianity I doubt many have heard of, has quite a peaceful and meditative history that brought hope to so many of the Eastern Bloc.
I have far too much to say for so little time and 300 words. I have spoken of Christianity, because I know that religion best, and I know that it has followers that have done too much good in the world to be hounded as they are.
Alexandru Popescu
Engineering sophomore