There are some who think there is no God, but the evidence for God is overwhelming (Movement on the move, Faith & Values article, Friday). Nevertheless, they hold onto that belief because it gives liberty to hedonism.

Hedonism is rejected by many atheists, but for no good reason. Bertrand Russel once wrote, We feel that the man who brings widespread happiness at the expense of misery to himself is a better man than the man who brings unhappiness to others and happiness to himself. I do not know of any rational ground for this view.

Russell was a secularist; what values did he hold and, for that matter, for what reason did he hold them? His daughter, Katharine, took these words from his autobiography, thus an accurate conveying of a despairing sentiment, suggesting the values of a secularist have no foundations and are fluid.

In the battle of ideas, especially on college campuses, secularism and theism should be made available to each student to choose on his and her own. Let the debates begin, and let not the campuses shut them down because one might be conservative and the other progressive/liberal.

The Rev. Ron Thomas

Sunrush Church of Christ

Chillicothe

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Letter: Encourage open debate of secularism - The Columbus Dispatch