Wow, I didn't expect this response

Some of my posts , I cross post to my http://www.redstate.com/ diary

My Post below (http://www.bloggybayou.com/2010/02/for-mrerick-erickson-of-redstate-on.html) was quickly shot down and closed by the editor-in-chief, Erick Erickson.  For those of you who do not know of RedState, you should. It is one of the more influential conservative sites.

However, as you can see via this link , I immediately got incoming fire and my post was quickly shutdown by Mr. Erickson as being religious vice political in nature.

I responded to Mr. Erickson with the following email:

Mr. Erickson:

While I meant no harm, it is evident I struck a chord that, whether we like it or not, will be a subject of debate in the upcoming election cycles. I am sure a large part of the Republican big tent people will believe as I do on creationism. We, as Republicans, must come to an understanding on this issue without anger and with mutual respect. If the responses to being challenged on this issue are (and I quote):

"I think your attempt to slander Christians while making an argument against creationism to bring about moral relativism with truther and brithers is DISGUSTING and for this non-Religious individual I hope that you are done away with as a warning to all others who would try this lame exercise in ignorance."
or
"This is pure idiocy….What you “believe” about the origin of the universe and life is your business, and there is room for both of us in the Republican party. On the other hand, you come across as an arrogant jerk in this posting, which may well not be true. You could have come up with a better way to say this."

Then I say: Such responses as this will not suffice on the political stage ("They could have come up with a better way to say this" s/off) . I put thought and effort into the post, especially as the first year anniversary of my Mom dying in my arms is this Wednesday. (http://www.bloggybayou.com/2009/08/end-of-life-counseling-intensifies.html). To plainly state my beliefs and to be more or less called an "arrogant jerk" or someone to "be done away" will not play well when such comments are played out in the cold spotlight of the press.

I was about to post a response when you closed the thread, (My main concern was exactly how I was to be "done away" with… I got a chuckle out of that) leaving me without a least a chance to respond.

I grew up in North Carolina and was raised in a home filled with science and History books. I had a father who had much the same beliefs as I, yet was a wonderful Sunday School teacher.  The area I grew up in was strictly Bible belt and no sale of alcohol in the county except at the county seat. I was raised a Southern Baptist, but as I got on about seeing this world ( I was in the Navy..) I came to grips with what I could and could or could not believe in. I've been at deaths door, so to speak and like I said, I have no problems with my soul.

However, to say this is a religious issue and not a political one is not true. The Democrats will make it an issue and one cannot deny the fact that certain communities have tried or succeeded in inserting creationism into the public schools which makes this a political issue. We Republicans on both sides of this debate must come to mutual understanding on this (like leaving the debate on evolution vs. creationism and the teaching of both out of K-12, which was what I was trying to say. That way you take (most) of the issue out of the political arena)

If the response is to ban talk on the subject, then I would say : "Houston, We have a problem". You Believe Truthers and Birthers have no basis on fact. I say you are correct. But I am to be condemned when I say honestly and openly, I feel creationism is a product is based on faith and religion, not science and by injecting the teaching of creationism into our public schools makes it fair game for political debate? (Do not take this as a position that you do not have the right to stop or close debate on any subject on YOUR site…You have absolute control and right to stop or delete any post or comment.)

I am a conservative American. I am an active Republican who has a good working relationship with our local Tea Parties. However, I am a man of Scot Irish heritage who has decided that I cannot accept the core requirement to be a Christian (i.e., Jesus was the actual son of God).

I have no problem with prayers at ballgames or prayers by teams before games. If my son is there when the prayers are made, I have done a very good job of teaching him about our country's past and how the Judeo-Christian system of beliefs are a fundamental part of our country. He is free to make up his own mind on matters of faith and what path he takes with regards to that issue.

I've taught him the concepts of honor, integrity and keeping his word. I've talked with him about the nature of God and man's place in this universe. I have taught him about his mother's concepts of Buddhism and America's use of the Christianity to establish a more perfect union.

My issue is this, where do we two different conservatives find common ground and how do we address this issue of evolutionists vs. creationists without resorting to anger or rejection? I offered a solution: Keep both subjects out of K-12 and let our children decide for themselves at home or at church.

Unless I hear of another, better solution to this political issue…that is where I stand. We need to learn how to accommodate each other or we will alienate each other.

V/R
Royce White

If you don't think the democrats will use this a crowbar to split our party, then I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.  You Read my solution...What's yours?  And try to be civil. (PS: I clean up a few grammatical errors from the email, but the message of the email remains the same.)