To the editor:

Many have predicted that the rise of the Religious Right will hurt the economy of Kansas. Nonsense! It will create a wealth of financial opportunities!

Marketers of religious paraphernalia and hair spray should profit handsomely. Employment opportunities for censors will abound. Got a flair for theatrics? A gig as a revivalist or TV preacher can keep you in Cadillacs and Rolexes indefinitely. The selective application of butter on a fried tortilla can create the face of Christ, a proven money-making tourist attraction.

Science would boom, not suffer, once we’ve eliminated those bothersome educational credentials as a barrier to participation in the field. Any lawyer, veterinarian or high school diploma holder can declare him/herself a scientist! Forget the hassles of research, experimentation and peer review; our new standards allow you to just make up a theory and declare that your faith tells you it’s true!

As states with lotteries have learned, the gullible can be an excellent source of profits. We Kansans merely need to adapt to the changing environment and the fittest of us will survive just fine.

Tony Miller,

Lawrence