‘Prodigal son’ urges change
3/14/2013While I may be a prodigal son, I no longer attend Catholic services because the church has strayed from the teachings of its founder (“Fallen-away Catholics beckoned; U.S. cardinals in Rome draw parallel in Scripture to prodigal son,” March 11).
I left because of the church’s intolerance of gays and its positions on celibacy, birth control, women’s rights, women in the clergy, sex abuse, sex abuse cover-ups, and forced retirement of priests of liberal persuasion.
I have instilled in my two daughters the idea that they could grow up and do anything men can do. But not so in the religion of my birth.
When my father confronted me about my wild living, he only said: “Take a look in the mirror.” I pray the Catholic Church has done the same in Rome as it selected its new leader.
MICHAEL VANDERHORST
Mapleway Drive
Mankind needs to learn reasoning
Atrocities make news. What does not make news is that God is in charge.
He could just, so to speak, snap His fingers and mankind would do only good. But that is not the Creator's plan. He wants mankind to learn to use the gift of reason. And no matter how long it takes, God knows it will happen.
DONALD KELLER
Foxbourne Road
White House tour stoppage wrong
Schoolchildren have begged President Obama on Facebook to keep the White House open for their trip to Washington, but he has closed the White House to tours because of the sequester (“Canceled White House tours offer painful lesson in civics,” March 10).
Spring break will bring many families to Washington. If the President would have canceled his golf trip with Tiger Woods, or upcoming trips for him and his family, he may have saved enough money to keep the White House open to visiting schoolchildren.
President Obama is taking his dislike of Republicans out on families who will be visiting Washington this spring.
ROBERT SCHUSTER
Elmore, Ohio
Canceling tours of White House bad
The Obama Administration’s cancellation of public tours of the White House because of the sequester cuts is sad, because Americans won’t be able to tour this part of our nation’s history.
There may be a better place to cut funding than taking away a White House visit by students from schools all over America.
WILLIAM RACZKO
Swanton