September 24, 2021

Letters to the Editor

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Say ‘no’ to culture of self, dedicate yourself to others

This is just to say “Amen!” or “right on!” to Richard Doerflinger’s guest commentary in the Sept. 3 issue of The Criterion about being trapped in a culture of self.

Somewhere in the past 40 or 50 years, America has not only become an “all about me” culture, we have attempted to put a “Jesus approved” stamp on it to boot.

Pop Christianity in the modern age has distilled and retranslated “love thy neighbor as thyself” to “love yourself more than your neighbor” and to even “block/bar/marginalize your neighbor.”

Shortly before his untimely death, Thomas Merton was in dialogue with Buddhists. He commented that Buddhism perhaps expressed more clearly than Christianity the futility of trying to fulfill self. Buddhism says that the idea of “self” is a learned notion, is error, and attempts to be consumed with its fulfillment are non-starters from the outset.

We only realize our best life when we dedicate ourselves to others and when we, as St. Paul said, “Empty ourselves of self” and even “die to self.”

We should listen to St. Paul. We should listen to Merton. We should listen to Buddha. We should listen to and follow Jesus.

- Sonny Shanks | Corydon

 

Columnist’s insight needed during this time of chaos

Thanks so much for Kimberly Pohovey’s column in the Sept. 10 issue of The Criterion, “God never turns his back on us despite our behavior.”

It was very well written on the chaos going on in the world, and lets us know that God still loves us whether we deserve it or not.

It was concise, to the point, and meaningful to me on many levels.

- Jim Holtman | Corydon

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