My name is Anthony Mack and I am the webmaster for RestoreThePledge.com. I have noticed that most letters sent to Dr. Newdow (via this page) are beautifully-worded "thank you" letters for helping to preserve the separation of church and state that we all enjoy every day.
However, some people misunderstand what Dr. Newdow is fighting for. Instead of reading Dr. Newdow's legal briefs that were sent to the courts, they get their information from misled friends, religious leaders and ratings-hungry media personalities. Many people incorrectly think that Dr. Newdow is anti-religion and is fighting to remove religion from the public square. These people are understandably very mad. Dr. Newdow and I would be equally upset if someone were trying to hinder religious freedom in our country. I think this would surprise many people.
If you are upset, please read my response to a typical, misguided letter before writing your own.
| Dude how can you believe that all of this order in the Cosmos came out of nothing? Man did not come from the ape. And also this country was founded on the basis that there is a God. Trust me there is one and if you don't like it move to North Korea and stay. |
The first sentence is a rhetorical question designed to make it sound silly to believe in the Big Bang. The writer correctly assumes that Dr. Newdow thinks the scientific view of the universe is the one that is most likely to be correct. The majority of well-educated, intelligent people also believe that our expanding universe was once smaller. Much smaller. Maybe even as small as an atom. This conclusion was not just dreamed up, but follows from decades of observations and calculations. The idea is anything but silly.
With respect to Dr. Newdow's fight, the second sentence is completely irrelevant. It does not matter one bit if Dr. Newdow believes man came for Ardipithecus Ramidus or Romulus and Remus. More importantly, it doesn't matter if he is right or wrong. What matters is if the government takes a side. You and I have the right to believe whatever we want, because the constitution forbids the government from taking sides when it comes to religious beliefs. If you read Dr. Newdow's well-written legal briefs, you will see that the courts have interpreted the constitution as denying the government any involvement in anything that is even remotely religious. The idea being that we Americans will have more religious freedom and less religious fighting if the government gets completely out of the religion business. Our religious forefathers noticed that the more a government gets involved with a particular religion, the more atrocities and horrors are committed. It is best for the citizens if the government treats all religions equally (including no religion at all).
The third sentence of the letter was one that is repeated in many letters to him. I find it funny that people feel the need to tell Dr. Newdow about American history. Dr. Newdow has studied the formation of this country and its government more than most historians. His studies have been so comprehensive and thorough that he has made new discoveries in the field. He has not only read most of the writings of our founders, but he has memorized dozens of quotes. He, like I, believe that the founders would not have wanted "Under God" in our pledge or any other promotion of religion or atheism.
The fact that this writer then states that there is a God, shows that he does not understand Dr. Newdow's point, which is: The government should treat all religious beliefs equally, with no bias towards one or another. If the writer of this letter really wanted to contradict Dr. Newdow, he should have stated that the US government should promote monotheism or Christianity over all other worldviews. Constructive debates can only begin if you state an idea that is actually contrary to Dr. Newdow's ideas and ideals.
The last idea expressed in the above letter was also expressed by Robert C. Byrd, Democratic Senator from West Virginia, on June 26, 2002, in his immortal words: "If they do not like it, let them leave." These words caused Dr. Newdow to write the song "Let ‘Em Leave" (track 3 of his "Liberty and Justice for All" CD. Lyrics). Dr. Newdow pokes fun at the absurdity of this statement, but people don't see it. What the writer does not realize is that the "let 'em leave" attitude completely stifles all progress. When people complained about slavery, bad working conditions, or women's inability to vote, a "let 'em leave" attitude would never have fixed the problem. We would still be in the Dark Ages if most people shared that attitude. Fortunately, most citizens (and even many government officials) care about making this a better country for all, not just for some.
In conclusion, if you choose to call a man with two doctorate degrees (one in medicine and one in law) a "moron" or "idiot", it tells us more about you, than about Dr. Newdow. It is much more productive to pick your words wisely and research your facts. Give references whenever possible. Dr. Newdow reads every message and tries to respond to all of them. Please don't write letters like the one above, they have already been written.