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To the editor:
When Mayor Eric Adams wraps himself in a cloak of religion, he may be consciously or unconsciously seeking immunity from criticism, especially for moral and legal flaws including nepotism, political corruption, greed, megalomania and despotism. Could he be asking, “If God chose me to do this job, how can you fairly challenge or criticize me?” Dictators throughout history have asked this question.
There are horrific examples of religious leaders, including the leaders of Christian religions, promoting evil and ignoring evil. We have the Crusades and the witch hunts, characterized by torture, murder and child killings, carried out in the name of God. Then we have the Catholic Church tolerating, if not being friendly, with Adolf Hitler despite his hatred of the Jews.
Mayor Adams can be as supportive and enthusiastic about his Christian religious beliefs as he wants to be, and he shouldn’t be criticized for that. However, he should be vociferously criticized for attacking the First Amendment’s separation of church and state, or for trying to convert people to his own particular version of Christianity.
We didn’t elect him to be “The Pope of Greenwich Village” (pardon the movie analogy and actor, Burt Young). We elected him to be the mayor of New York City.
PS: Mayor Adams, the job of mayor is a political job.
Michael J. Gorman
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