I believe that Ms. White's dismissive approach to religions, other than her own, is a primary reason that "Christianity is disparaged and dismissed in our culture."
Our Founding Fathers had the wisdom to understand that freedom of religion includes freedom from religion. Section II of the Virginia Code of Religious Freedom, as authored by Thomas Jefferson, states:
"We, the General Assembly of Virginia, do enact that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities."
Ms. White's column suggests that the atrocities by the Nazis occurred in part because Hitler dethroned the church's ability to influence people.
However, it was precisely because of the church's ability to influence people that multitudes were slaughtered in numerous religious campaigns.
Ms. White's working assumption appears to be that only Christianity provides a moral compass for humanity. She excluded Buddhism by name, and while I am not a Buddhist or a religious scholar, I wonder what fault Ms. White might find with the Five Buddhist Precepts for their lay practitioners:
Do not kill; do not steal; do not indulge in sexual misconduct; do not make false speech; and do not take intoxicants.
I agree with Ms. White that living lives of radical love, sacrifice, courage, and joy is a great ideal. Tragically, her intolerance for those who do not share her religious brand poisons those very ideals.
As Jonathan Swift observed, "We have just enough religion to makes us hate, but not enough to make us love one another."
What a shame.
Gregg McCrary
Spotsylvania