Dear Editor:
After reading the angry, hateful News Tribune letter of June 7, I started wondering: are the Gods of Jesus and Moses the same? Moses' God said, "Destroy them all" (men, women and children). The God of Jesus said, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you." Early Christian groups began to argue about God. Was God alone as the head or were there two Gods? An "angry" Old Testament God versus the loving God of the New Testament points to two Gods. Then came the mystery of the trinity; in other words, unresolved issue.
The angry letter was directed at President Obama. No surprise there. Since being elected, skillful propaganda has been used to paint him as the devil incarnate. The Lohman writer parroted propaganda that Obama went to Hiroshima to apologize for the mighty U.S.A. There was no apology! There was a non-nuclear proliferation speech in one of only two cities that suffered a nuclear attack; a perfect setting. President Obama was smart enough to know that right wing haters would attack him for this. He did the right thing.
The man from Lohman told us in detail that from 1898 to 1945 Japan was a militaristic nation that caused more harm than Nazi Germany. I wouldn't argue with that. What does it mean? For the man from Lohman that history justified America's nuclear incineration of civilian Japanese men, women and children because of the "sins" of their nation. That's the same justification given for the 9/11 attack and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. This is what an endless cycle of war looks like: "I am justified in killing you."
This moral justification, with "God on our side," was a prelude to tell us our president is an evil slacker. Truman was a Lohman hero for his nuclear decision. Actually, Truman's decision was controversial before and after. Many of the bomb project scientists were in opposition to using it on Japan and tried to tell Truman such. One reasonable explanation for dropping the bombs is Truman was advised it would deter Russia from a nuclear arms race. In fact, it led to a nuclear arms race that could destroy life on earth many times over.
Like in the Old Testament, we live in a world of militaristic nation-states. Jesus preached love for our enemies, a message seldom heard. Maybe President Obama heard it and wants to keep hope alive.