The American Spectator

OF TWO MINDS
Re: Mark Tooley’s The Zen Episcopalian:

I am an attorney working in Rochester, New York. Raised Episcopalian, I became Buddhist in 1971. I studied and practiced for 16 years in Zen Buddhism and since 1986 with Tibetan lamas. Currently I am a director at the White Lotus Society, Rochester’s Tibetan Buddhist Center.

The Dalai Lama once responded to a questioner who asked whether one could be both Buddhist and Christian by saying that from the Buddhist standpoint one could be both at a shallow level. At a deeper level the teachings on Shunyata (Emptiness) would pose a problem concerning the nature of a creator God.

There are paths leading up the mountain. One needs to decide and commit to one. Human beings cannot travel on two paths simultaneously. It seems to me that the Episcopalians are jettisoning truths that have sustained them — truths that have transformed hearts, minds and cultures over centuries for a pottage of profane beliefs.  They have lost faith in their own teachings and tradition and are searching for other methods.
— Frank J. Howard
Rochester, New York

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” Matthew 6:24.   Zen meditation is not incompatible with Christian or Jewish thought, as long as it is divorced from Buddhist philosophy/theology; this bifurcation seems to be absent from Forrester’s belief system. Yet Forrester’s denial of many fundamental beliefs are even more problematic. While not all Christian faith systems are dogmatic, each one has necessary and sufficient causes for being a member in good standing in the faith grouping. Forrester, who calls himself a Christian, does not believe that Jesus died for man’s sin and he is the only way to God. This has the logical equivalent of calling myself a communist but not believing in materialism or my belonging to the KKK and holding the belief that all men are created equal. Emerson wrote, “A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,” but equally true is that two beliefs are irreconcilable held within one mind will lead inevitably to insanity.    While owning more than one car may be beneficial, driving both at once is impossible. At some point, a person has to make a choice.
— Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, New York

SPREADING DEMOCRATCY
Re: Joseph Shattan’s Honor Thy Country :

This must be the first time I have ever taken issue with a derogatory reference to Jimmy Carter — I hope this is not the beginning of a horrible trend. But I think it is pretty clear by now that compared to Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter looks like a marauding Hun. I sure hope the next four years pass very quickly because at this rate, they look like they are going to be an unmitigated disaster for America and for the world. The guy who wrote that the path to hell is paved with good intentions must have had Barack Obama in mind.
— Christopher Holland
Canberra, Australia

The American people need to realize one thing and realize very quickly. The Democrat Party has adopted the doctrine of “Defeatism.” This doctrine is not new to the Party. The doctrine of “Defeatism” was first developed by the antiwar movement during the Vietnam War and subsequently adopted by the Carter and Clinton administrations as a major cornerstone of their foreign policy.

The Carter Administration failed miserably in dealing with Iran, and now many years later that failure is giving the world a nuclear weapon capable terrorist state and sponsor of worldwide terrorism.

The Clinton Administration was no different than the Carter Administration in it’s ineptitude  in dealing with this Nation’s enemies by refusing to admit, that the doctrine of “Defeatism”  resulted in the deaths of Americans and it’s allies by not taking action against the states that sponsor terrorists.

Now President Obama is setting the stage for our and our allies’ defeat in Afghanistan. But President Obama cannot be held singularly responsible but rather the entire Democrat leadership. Senate Majority Leader once said “this war is lost.” No Mr. Reid, this war was lost a long, long time ago in the jungles of Southeast Asia in a country called South Vietnam.
— Melvin Leppla
Jacksonville, North Carolina

INDUSTRY OF LUNATICS
Re: Matthew Vadum’s Hugo’s Hollywood:

Hollywood is truly the land of fantasy. Only here can a person make $20 million for a film project and still speak proudly and loudly against capitalism. The entire film process is the ultimate in capitalist project: individual talent is paid for its originality and scarcity; rewards and punishments are directly tied to the pay offs of the projects and monetary responsibilities cannot be refused. Yet Hollywood denizens worship at the altar of socialism. They place great esteem on The Prophet Obama and American enemy President Chavez. No, this is not fantasy; it is lunacy.
— Ira M. Kessel
Rochester, NY

SWIMMING AGAINST THE CURRENCY
Re: R. Emmett Tyrrell, Jr.’s The Prophet’s Wanderlust:

I want to comment only on the “Cuba” portion of this essay. I constantly read that Cuba pose a huge economic opportunity for American business.