A Wednesday letter traces the lineage of many Protestant or Christian variants, and even the New Testament, back to Catholicism. Hence they are thereby “sheltered under the umbrella of Catholicism.” This subtle metaphor implies a benign overarching authority and legitimacy of ownership.

But why stop there to establish legitimacy? Take it back even further. To Abraham and the symbolic precursor of the sacrificial death of Jesus. Abraham, after all, earned God’s promise of “numberless descendants,” by his willingness to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Whether crazy or prophesy fulfilled, these Abrahamic offshoots now include not only Judaism, but Christianity and Islam as well. These “descendants” now make up more than half the world’s population.

There is a profound difference between the respect for religious freedom and the belief in unbelievable religious dogma.

Today in this country, in terms of religious freedom, all these denominations are equally legitimate. That’s the good news.

The bad news is, if they are to be taken literally, all are equally certifiable, sheltered under one big, nutty, bloody umbrella.

Theology has been described as the search for a black cat, in a dark room, that isn’t there.

But of course reality or fantasy is not the issue debated here. This Protestant/Catholic quarrel is about who owns the make-believe cat.

Wayne C. Evans

Bothell