Oct. 12, 2025 7 AM PT
To the editor: Visitor contributor Alan Dershowitz says that “freedom of conscience doesn’t imply the liberty to evolve” (“When do laws against abuse become weapons against faith?,” Oct. 9). Following your conscience and being autonomous is American. We are able to’t punish individuals for his or her perception techniques. As Dershowitz notes, George Washington promised that our new nation would “give to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no help.”
Within the late Nineteen Sixties, my father and I have been discussing faith whereas driving on a New Mexico nation street lined by posts and barbed-wire fences. He turned to me and stated, “See that submit over there? Folks can pray to it if they need.” In different phrases, stay and let stay.
Tim Walz has his personal well-known phrase, “Thoughts your individual rattling enterprise.” Religions and perception techniques are protected by our Structure; that’s what makes our democracy nice.
Anastacio Vigil, Santa Monica
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To the editor: I’m what you’d name a non-religious Jew. Or, in different parlance, “non secular however not non secular.” Additionally, I want to say that I’ve no issues with anybody’s beliefs, however could and sometimes do have with a few of their actions and behaviors.
That being stated, on and off over a number of a long time, I used to be approached many occasions by evangelicals professing their beliefs with missionary zeal, accompanied by annoying main questions on my beliefs so they may begin a persuasive debate — emphasis on “persuasive.” I might reply that I wasn’t , then want them properly, letting them know I didn’t need to proceed the dialog. My grievance is that however, they might persist, typically to the purpose of aggressive pushiness accompanied by threats of divine judgment.
Once more, neutrally expressing one’s beliefs is assured free speech. However pushy persistence, often known as “shoving your beliefs down my throat” with out my consent after being requested to be left alone, is what I name badgering, and even worse, harassment. And harassment just isn’t a assured constitutional proper.
Alan Rosenstein, Santa Monica
