I am quite proud of Mr. Lashier and Ms. Morgard for their bold statements. It takes audacity to be Christian in a country where 84 percent of the population is Christian (1998 Statistical Abstract of the UnitedStates, Table 90, U.S. Census Bureau).

Mr. Lashier and Ms. Morgard both mention persecution in their arguments. Perhaps our society has forgotten what “persecution” really means. According to Webster’s, persecution is defined as “to harass with cruel and oppressive behavior, especially because of race, religion and opinions.”

In reference to letters from Mr. Ficek and Mr. Vogel, Ms. Morgard wrote, “I have seen those consequences after reading the letters to the editor on Sept. 22 … I feel these are perfect examples of persecution.”

At no point in either article did either author refute the validity of Christian beliefs. Mr. Ficek and Mr. Vogel were simply stating some logical flaws in Mr. Lashier’s claim, the claim that Christians in the United States are undergoing persecution.

If you want to understand persecution, try being non-Christian in our society.

I am not a Christian. I am Taoist by philosophy. However, the oppressive treatment I have received is far beyond anything in the articles by Mr. Ficek and Mr. Vogel.

My fiance is a devout Christian. When we began to date, many of our Christian friends told her that she should not associate with me simply because of my differing views on life.

I’m not the only victim of Christian oppression. Christianity has been used to oppress since it was established as the primary religion of a faltering Roman Empire, and therefore, of Europe. The church continued to dominate life and practices in Europe through the Dark Ages, spreading fear of non-Christians. The church only lost its control due to political bickering within the church’s upper echelons (Hoyt and Chodorow, Europe in the Middle Ages, Harcourt, Brace & Co. 1985).

Persecution by Christians toward both other Christians and non-Christians was rampant even as late as the 1800s. Most notable are the Spanish Inquisition, English treatment of the Catholic Irish and Scots and the Salem witch hunts, among countless other examples. In all of these events, innocent people were rounded up, tortured, executed and murdered.

Now, I’m not going to advocate enacting a form of religious affirmative action, or that non-Christians need special treatment. I’m simply trying to give all the “persecuted Christians” out there something to think about the next time they snub someone who is different.

Brendan Speer

Sophomore

Computer science