Religion S Role

I applaud Robert Scheer's bold search (Commentary, March 5) for specks of common sense and reason in the religious and political oceans of madness that abound in America and around the world. It is brutally clear, however, that no one seems to win arguments from the murky depths of either. The history of civilization has left us with a clear and present view of the horrors thrust upon unsuspecting societies and innocent people by religious fanatics and political tyrants with abandoned and malignant hearts.

I applaud Robert Scheer's bold search (Commentary, March 5) for specks of common sense and reason in the religious and political oceans of madness that abound in America and around the world. It is brutally clear, however, that no one seems to win arguments from the murky depths of either. The history of civilization has left us with a clear and present view of the horrors thrust upon unsuspecting societies and innocent people by religious fanatics and political tyrants with abandoned and malignant hearts.

The abuse of language concerning recent Mideast events has created a prism of distortion through which America views the latest developments and it causes us to perceive a dangerously twisted image of reality. Israel's most recent blow against international terrorism with its capture of Sheik Obeid cannot be called a "kidnaping". I would like to invite public attention to the fact that in common English parlance, criminals are captured, seized, arrested, or apprehended; not kidnaped.

The abuse of language concerning recent Mideast events has created a prism of distortion through which America views the latest developments and it causes us to perceive a dangerously twisted image of reality. Israel's most recent blow against international terrorism with its capture of Sheik Obeid cannot be called a "kidnaping". I would like to invite public attention to the fact that in common English parlance, criminals are captured, seized, arrested, or apprehended; not kidnaped.