Word: abrahamisms
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...conclusion of your excellent review of the historical Abraham and the three great religions seemed to be that belief in Abraham might help bring Muslims, Jews and Christians closer to one another [RELIGION, Sept. 30]. But hasn't this been tried in vain for centuries? My conclusion: ban all these religions, cults and man-made concepts of how to worship God. Bar the different religious leaders from spreading their views as the only absolute. Mankind can always use religion as a casus belli. Forbid religions, and there will be far fewer fights. JORMA KAJASTE Espoo, Finland...
...legacy of Abraham" was very interesting. I was unaware of Abraham's great influence on three very different religions. It is disheartening, though, to see the people of the faiths that share a common "father" fighting over the interpretations of Abraham's life. I was born a Hindu, but I have no religious rituals, no religious stories to believe in. I have been brought up to be God-fearing and good, kind and honest. I believe in the welfare of humankind. If there were no religions, and only empathy, altruism and humanism to lead the way, the world would truly...
...treat other people as you would want them to treat you. But human failings, especially greed, mean that this ideal, plus other sensible scriptural instructions, can be interpreted as one wants. For example, killing is bad, except during war or self-defense, and you can always declare war. Abraham may be a link between religions, but we will never surmount the lowest common denominator of the seven original sins. MURRAY HUNTER Auckland, New Zealand...
Your reporting on Abraham was evenhanded and perceptive. It is certainly the right of anyone to seek interfaith understanding. For those of us who believe there is only one way to please God, however, the key to maintaining harmony among competing faiths is a democratic and pluralistic society that allows full and free expression of diverse religious beliefs. Charles T. Buntin Mayfield...
...Abraham really exist? Skeptical readers objected to our cover story as nothing more than myth. "To treat Abraham as a historical figure is like presenting Noah's Ark as fact, complete with measurements and an inventory of all the animals aboard," wrote a Kansas man. Equally unconvinced was a Californian who declared, "Bringing together Christians, Jews and Muslims through their love of Abraham is about as likely as unifying them through a belief in Santa Claus." And a New Jersey reader went the furthest: "More important than recognizing the shared significance of Abraham would be acknowledging that the story itself...