Editor, The Times:
The loose bonds between diverse people are easily manipulated, especially if there is a conspicuous group that can be demonized. People who worship the same god can be persuaded to hate each other. Recent history is filled with endless examples: Catholics fighting with Protestants; Moslems with Christians; and Shiites with Sunnis. How long will ordinary people allow extremists to manipulate the meaning and relevance of old manuscripts for devilish purposes? The world has become too crowded and terrorists, too dangerous. Modern-day violence explodes with unpredictable consequences, multiplying the human and financial misery.
The solutions needed for the complex problems facing our beleaguered planet require leaders well grounded in science, not zealots selecting self-serving passages from arcane dogma. Our salvation depends on the inventive curiosity and the inherent compassion within our children. Sadly our misdeeds have made their task Herculean. Hopefully they will master the countless challenges we have left for them. While we anxiously await their innovative solutions, let me wish you all a Happy New Year!
Lloyd Atkins
Vernon, B.C.