Will the atheists be made to feel ashamed?

To the editor:

In the conclusion of his Dec. 22 column criticizing the excellent Dec. 19 column by Corey Levitan, Alan Stock states, "We should all be celebrating the fact that in this great country we are afforded the opportunities to celebrate who we are without the need to feel ashamed of who we are."

I guess that is true for Christians and Jews. But does Mr. Stock really believe that his statement also applies to those with other beliefs?

Would his statement also apply to atheists, against whom prejudice is rampant? Only one of 435 House members -- and no senators -- will acknowledge that he is an atheist. Others fear such an admission will be a deathblow to their chances for re-election.

What about employees who lose the trust of their employers simply because of their atheist beliefs? Does Alan Stock honestly believe that atheists can be as "good" as Christians or Jews?

There are Americans who are unwilling to acknowledge their beliefs because they fear the consequences in a country where freedom of belief is the law, but not the practice.

Mel Lipman

Las Vegas

The writer is vice president of the International Humanist & Ethical Union

Too dumb

To the editor:

If many recruits are too dumb for the Army, then they are too dumb to function in society (Review-Journal, Wednesday).

If they are too dumb to function in society, they will be unable to get good-paying jobs in our technological environment. If they can't get good-paying jobs in our technological environment, they will be unemployed for most of their lives. They will demand services to support them and when the government is unable to support them they will start a revolution.

Your article makes it clear that in the very near future our society will collapse as a large underclass will never be able to function in a democracy.

Jason G. Brent

Las Vegas