There is no excuse for violence. That applies equally to violence against women, sexual violence, violence in the family, political violence and above all to violence in the name of religion, which unfortunately we have seen too much recently. Especially in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI’s lecture at Regensburg University, which was meant to open a dialogue between the religions on this topic.

But instead of a sincere dialogue about violence in religion, we are getting exactly the opposite. To wit, outbursts of rage, hate and violence with many churches being put to the torch and even a Catholic nun murdered – her only crime being a life dedicated to helping the sick and downtrodden in Somalia – have occurred.

It is high time for spiritual leaders of all religions to come together to seriously discuss the violence connected with religion that has taken over in today’s world. It threatens to destroy everything we hold dear: our freedom, liberty and civilization.

We have to stop labeling and demonizing adherents to different religions as “infidels,” as people of spiritual deafness, blindness, and hearts of stone or worse, acknowledging we are all searching for a meaning in our lives and existence within our different religions.

This makes us all human. There are no “infidels.”

Klaus D. Kuck, Lewiston