Letters about letters about letters are one of the alternately charming and maddening things about local papers. So love this or hate it, I’ll jump in.

I missed the original letters but read Mr. Nechvatal’s response in the 12/22 Observer. After making some logical (and some simply silly) comments on politics, Mr. Nechvatal engages in God-talk. This bears comment.

First, no one who knows much about them would say that Buddhism or Hinduism worships “one true God” as Mr. Nechvatal states. These are polytheistic (or, in some Buddhist strains, non-theistic) religions.

Then Mr. Nechvatal claims to believe in a grace-less “God” who demonstrably does not exist. He is grace-less because Mr. Nechvatal says that this “God” expects us to “Learn and grow by the mistakes you make. Just don’t make the same mistake twice.” What? No allowance for us slow learners?

Further, I assert that Mr. Nechvatal’s “God” does not exist because of this claim: “You see, my God would never allow the atrocities in the world today that your God does. My God believes in a world where men don’t beat their wives, or molest young children. Where human beings don’t murder one another over selfish reasons.” His “God would never allow” these things, and yet, sadly, they happen all the time. His “God” is either powerless (and thus no god at all) or non-existent. Q.E.D.

Since most of us make many of the same mistakes over and over again, I wallow in the grace of a God who forgives us, who names evil, and calls on us to struggle against it; a God who became like us, was born in a barn, and laid in a feed-trough and paid the penalty for our errors. I hope you all continue to enjoy a Blessed Christmas Season!

Tony Stoutenburg

Naselle