So wrote Roger Williams on June 22, 1670 in a letter to Connecticut Governor Thomas Prence. Sophisticated theologians get this totally . . . then there’s Doreen Costa. Kudos to Steve Ahlquist for his well-reasoned assessment of the current “holiday tree” nonsense in yesterday’s ProJo. His column “Chafee right to ignore loud majority” (B-6 of the December 3rd Providence Journal) takes State Rep. Doreen Costa (R-North Kingstown) to task, starting with her initial idiotic Christmas tree resolution and up to the current non-controversy. Costa does not seem to be a Constitutional scholar. Nor does she seem to care much for our state’s unique and noble founding ethos — one that inspired those same Founding Fathers her Tea Party is always going on about. Ahlquist also takes note of more pressing issues facing our legislature right now,
While people in this state struggle to find jobs, and as families are losing their homes, Representative Costa, who identifies strongly as Catholic, introduced the resolution, in her own words “on a whim” but was “excited” when it passed.
What a silly, stupid woman. Mr Ahlquist recently founded Humanists of Rhode Island which promotes a “godless philosophy based on reason and compassion.” The group has some meet-ups scheduled including tomorrow at 6pm, Monday, December 5, at Thee Red Fez, 49 Peck Street.
[CORRECTION: No meetup at the Fez tonight.]
(While we’re at it, brickbats to the local media for fanning the flames of this non-story.)
Thank you so much for calling attention to my op-ed in Saturday’s Providence Journal. I do have one small correction, however. Humanists of RI do not have a meeting scheduled tonight at the Red Fez. But we do have many exciting Meet-Ups planned, including a Habitat for Humanity build this coming Saturday, and a gift-wrapping fundraiser at Barnes & Noble in Warwick on Sunday. All proceeds from the gift-wrapping will be donated to the Women’s Center. Here’s a link to our Meet-Up site: http://www.meetup.com/Humanists-of-Rhode-Island/