Mailbag:

I think Pastor Dwight Tomlinson’s response for the “In Theory” column Jan. 9 is the kind of twisted thinking that simply incites more misunderstanding and hatred of Muslims.

Characterizing the burning of the Koran as “rude behavior” is to put the desecration of a religion’s holiest document on par with not sending out a timely thank you note. Would he also label the burning of the Bible as “rude”? Minimizing the act has to be insulting to Muslims and is incredibly insensitive.

But the pastor goes on to say that he would be more sensitive if CAIR condemned Islamic terrorism and called for tolerance. It took me all of 30 seconds to Google the organization and find exactly that condemnation on CAIR.com.

The organization’s mission statement calls for freedom of religion and equal rights, and one tenet clearly states: “CAIR condemns all acts of violence against civilians by any individual, group or state.” That certainly sounds like an explicit, comprehensive condemnation of terrorism to me. Hopefully that sets the pastor straight, and he can be more sensitive in the future.

I really wonder, though, if CAIR’s statements will have any effect on the pastor. In his final paragraph, he says he would be driven to reexamine his faith and ask if something was horribly wrong with his religion, if Christians were perpetrating horrible acts of murder. The implication being that the murders are somehow a tenet of Islam, and not the deranged acts of people who are Muslim. There is a big difference.

To take some license with what is likely one of the pastor’s favorite slogans, “Religions don’t kill people, people kill people.”

But maybe the pastor, like so many others today, simply gets too much mileage from inciting mistrust and doubt in persons of a different faith to ever acknowledge their basic humanity.

Bill McCarty

Costa Mesa

Megonigal couple earned their home

Congratulations are in order for the Newport Beach City Council and the Megonigals (“Lot owner wins years-long battle,” Jan. 12)! The Megonigals should never have had to go through this. They bought the lot, cut the project down in size, and still they were hassled. It is comforting that justice did prevail. I wish them a happy retirement.

Rhoda Friedman

Newport Beach