Last month, Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Steven Kalas wrote a piece in which he referred to Republicans pandering to the Religious Right:

One of his readers didn’t like that and said as much in an email to him:

… I take exception to your comment about Republicans pandering to “religious right.” I am so tired of this phrase, as it makes us sound crazy for believing in our Christian Bibles and our God. I didn’t vote for anyone or anything that is in any way against my biblical teachings and beliefs, and I know that God will judge those who did and continue to do so… … I’m glad you are grateful to perform your civic duty [to vote]. Just don’t forget that God expects to have an input, too. If you’re an atheist, then I’ve just lost interest in your column.

So Kalas did something that religious people absolutely hate: He took his reader’s beliefs to their logical conclusion.

(Even better: He did it in a style worthy of Pete-Wells-taking-down-Guy-Fieri.)

Let’s say that, up until the Nov. 11 column, you have found my column interesting. What will you do if you should find out now, too late, that I’m an atheist? This would mean that, all this time, you thought an atheist was interesting. You are free to stop reading the column, but you will be unable to deny that you once found an atheist interesting. Will this be a dilemma for you? … And, if it’s true that you are interested only in theistic writers, not to mention that your God will judge anything and anyone who is “in any way against (your) biblical teachings and beliefs,” then why wouldn’t you find out whether I’m an atheist before you even allowed for the possibility of having your interest seduced by a God-denying columnist in a local newspaper? I’m really curious about this. Is it enough for you to give me fair warning? To put me on notice that, should you discover I’m an atheist, then my column will be less one interested reader? Or did it ever cross your mind to ask?

Silly columnist, asking a religious reader to question her own warped thinking…



