I am sure that Pastor Stiff, in his letter, is well-intentioned when he suggests that the recent Marysville Pilchuck High School tragedy might have been averted if only the perpetrator had a “relationship with a loving and caring Creator,” namely, Jesus Christ. He further extrapolates by implying that bad things happen when you have a society “without absolutes, and an author of those absolutes.” Sadly, this is nothing more than recycled, myopic, religio-drivel. I’d like to remind the pastor that the track record of societies throughout recorded history with “absolutes,” particularly religious absolutes, is not worthy of envy. Dare I mention the Islamic State, as a recent example? How many other atrocities have been committed in the name of one religious absolute or another?

Of course I can hear the rejoinder — that is, “Christian absolutes” are different somehow (the Crusades notwithstanding, apparently.) As someone who does not have an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, I take offense at the notion that I, and the multitude of others who don’t share the pastor’s sentiments, are somehow responsible for this terrible tragedy. There is no need to use the Marysville tragedy as a reason to impugn others’ religious choices.

I do agree with the pastor on one thing — the underlying problem is a cultural and societal issue. That is, we live in a gun-tolerant culture, and a society that is inured to the almost daily gun violence surrounding us. The irony is that for many, guns have become a religion, an “absolute,” unto itself, with predictable tragic results.

Larry Wechsler

Edmonds