Chew on this
I was disturbed by the comments from a lawyer and a rabbi in the article about the Jesus lunches (Sandwich, Chips and Jesus,” 9/1/2016). It is disappointing to see learned people have so little understanding of the Constitution and the First Amendment. The rabbi questions what would happen if Muslims chose to exercise their First Amendment rights in the park. What should happen is that they should be celebrated for exercising their rights. The fact that the Jesus Lunch people are practicing the majority religion in no way diminishes their right to practice their religion. I have met the main organizer of the lunches and her family. They are wonderful people who project positive energy and love in their interactions with others. We would do well to have more people like them interacting with students on a regular basis.
Joel Winnig, Madison
This issue was addressed last year in a very good article by George Zen in the Middleton Review pointing out that the land is actually owned by the fire company and leased to the city, which in turn leased it to the school district. Either way it is a public park and subject to the rules of being a public park. The fact that it is next to the school is just a coincidence. Viewing the lunch last year (have not seen one there this year) students are not approached by others to participate.
Norman Arendt (via email)
I am no fan of evangelism. I’m radically agnostic. I hold a small place for the possibility of divinity because the universe is queerer than we can imagine, but all the evidence implies that the religious impulse is a vestige delusion from our Paleolithic evolution. But our first right guarantees freedom of expression. This is either always true or never true. People should be allowed to make their case, however crackpot. Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hindu, Scientology, whatever — none of it’s real; it’s all just Santa Claus for grownups. But everyone has a right to their beliefs.
Society has the duty to teach and train its citizens to think critically for themselves and make up their own minds based on the merits of ideas and arguments presented to them.
Chip Nesser (via email)
