Goldfield's column should have mentioned economics

Professor David Goldfield:

I regularly read the opinion page of The Gazette. The July 22 guest column was your article spelling out how politics and religion fueled unjust slaughter in the Civil War (“Civil War's lesson”).

You are quoted as saying, “By 1861, the Bible had replaced the Constitution as the arbiter of public policy.”

Other passages in your article would lead the average reader to believe that religion, the Great Awakening and northern/southern Christians caused the terrible carnage that was the Civil War.

Have you read Eric Metaxas' book, “Amazing Grace”? It describes the terrific price that William Wilberforce paid to abolish the slave trade in England. It cost him his personal fortune and destroyed his health. He was a devoted Christian and religion was the motivating force that destroyed this horrible traffic in England and France. It aided in destroying this evil in our western world.

Maybe if you take time to read this account your article will have more balance. Strange that economics were not mentioned in your article.

Paul M. Werger

Iowa City