Letters: Mormonism, Ash Wednesday, Classical Clips

Copyright © 2009 National Public Radio®. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

STEVE INSKEEP, host:

It's Thursday morning, the day we often hear your comments.

After Mitt Romney suspended his presidential campaign, we broadcast a report asking why many Americans are uncomfortable with Romney's Mormon faith. Matthew Woods of Mansfield Center, Connecticut, thinks it's appropriate to question a candidate's religion. He writes, unlike gender and race, a religion is a set of voluntary beliefs about our world. Disagreeing with the chosen beliefs of another and desiring not to be under their influence is not discrimination, it's a rational decision.

RENEE MONTAGNE, host:

A Mormon listener found nothing rational about it.

Ms. VICTORIA STERLING: Hi. I'm Victory Sterling in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. Unlike many other Mormons, I was reticent about Romney's presidential run and believed that it would do the church more harm than good. However, even I was not prepared for the unabashed bigotry that became en vogue this past year.

MONTAGNE: Which is roughly the way Julie Gosling of Port Orchard, Washington feels, though her reason is different. She writes I sympathize with Romney and his fellow Mormons. As an Atheist I've always known that I'm not qualified to be president because of my lack of faith. Maybe Mr. Romney's rejection will open a dialog about growing religious intolerance.

INSKEEP: Now let's stay on religion for a moment. I referred to last Wednesday, the day after Super Tuesday as an ordinary Wednesday. And that brought this letter from Carol Hill of Lansing, Michigan. Shame on you, Wednesday was not ordinary she writes. It was Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the solemn season of Lent for Christians.

MONTAGNE: And now a correction, in our story about the BP refinery blast in Texas, we referred to judge in the case as male and some of you wrote in to tell us Judge Lee Rosenthal is in fact a woman.

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INSKEEP: Finally our interview about an unexpected source of classical music videos, YouTube delighted Jerry Whiteleather of Meredith, New Hampshire. What a joy, he writes. I spent the morning in tears, laughter, cheering, more tears, shouting, applauding, clapping, and emailing friends.

MONTAGNE: Nester(ph) Galvez of Coral Springs, Florida writes that he stayed up until the wee hours browsing videos and quote "remembering the wonderful days I spent with my father as a youngster in Panama, listening to Toscanini, Karajan, and Furtwängler. You brought back many memories that up to today were forgotten."

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INSKEEP: Get us laughing, applauding, cheering or in tears with your comments anytime. Just go to npr.org and click on the button that says contact us

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