Edward Hassertt wrote:
>
> Unfortunately I am merely a lowly servant in a local church. I don't have
> the comfort of having a big salary to promote theories which no one can
> understand and which have no usefulness to reality.
>
> Edward Hassertt
> Youth Minister
> Christ Episcopal Church
> Puyallup, Washington
> http://www.reasonbyfaith.org
[Hammond]
To say that my research has "no usefulness to reality" is merely
part of your hypocritical elitist - protectionist political agenda.
And by the way, I have financed my research by picking up soda cans
on the street and living in homeless shelters for 20 years, not by
"having a big salary to promote theories which no one can understand".
And let me inform you that I am not alone in my concerns for the
morality of modern America; consider for instance what Jerry
Falwell and Pat Robertson have to say about the role of contemporary
decadence and hypocrisy levels in America contributing to this disaster:
[Robertson, Falwell]
: U.S. Vulnerable
By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer
The Rev. Jerry Falwell and religious broadcaster Pat Robertson
said the United States was vulnerable to this week's terrorist
attacks because the nation has insulted God and lost
divine protection.
``God Almighty is lifting his protection from us,'' Robertson
said in a four-page statement issued Thursday by his Christian
Broadcasting Network.
``We have imagined ourselves invulnerable and have been
consumed by the pursuit of ... health, wealth, material
pleasures and sexuality.''
Falwell, a Baptist minister and chancellor of Liberty University
in Lynchburg, Va., said Thursday on Robertson's religious TV program
``The 700 Club'' that he blames the attacks on pagans, abortionists,
feminists, homosexuals, the American Civil Liberties Union (news -
web sites) and the People for the American Way.
``All of them who have tried to secularize America. I point the finger
in their face and say, 'You helped this happen,''' Falwell said.
He added later, ``God continues to lift the curtain and allow the
enemies of America to give us probably what we deserve.''
``Jerry, that's my feeling,'' Robertson responded. ``I think we've
just seen the antechamber to terror. We haven't even begun to see what
they can do to the major population.''
Elizabeth Birch, executive director of the Human Rights Campaign,
a gay rights organization, said Friday the comments of Falwell and
Robertson ``were stunning. They were beyond contempt. They were
irresponsible at best, and a deliberate attempt to manipulate the
nation's anger at worst.''
Robertson, who founded the Christian Coalition and unsuccessfully ran
for the 1988 Republican presidential nomination, said in his statement
Thursday that Americans have insulted God by allowing abortion and
``rampant Internet pornography.'' He also chided the U.S. Supreme Court
(news - web sites) for, among other things, limiting prayer in public
schools.
``We have a court that has essentially stuck its finger in God's eye,
'' Robertson wrote. ``We have insulted God at the highest level of our
government. Then, we say, 'Why does this happen?'''
Robertson was among conservative religious figures who backed President
Bush (news - web sites) in last year's election. A White House official
called the remarks ``inappropriate'' and added, ``the president does
not share those views.''
Falwell said Friday that he didn't mean to blame any one group.
``But I'd say this is a wake up call from God,'' Falwell told The
Associated Press. ``I feel our spiritual defenses are down. If we don't
repent, then more events might happen in the future.''
[Hammond]
I don't agree with blaming the political Left, I would add rich Yuppies
from the Right to his list, and corrupt government officials, kickbacks,
profiteering in Hi-Tech, Computers, dot.coms, Genetics, Stock market,
Real Estate etc. from the Right also,
HOWEVER, I do absolutely agree with Falwell when he says:
".....this is a wake up call from God"
it absolutely is, and it is time for us to seriously survey our
moral footing before we go off half cocked.
And finally, i consider it contemptible the way supposedly serious
religious people have ridiculed and failed to take seriously the
discovery of a scientific proof of God because they are involved in
such an orgy of profiteering and comfort that they now consider religion
to be a "gentleman's sport". As we now see from the tragic events of
the past few days, Religion is not a sport or a recreational pastime.
-- Be sure to visit my website below ----------------------------------------------------------- George Hammond, M.S. Physics Email: ghammond@mediaone.net Website: http://people.ne.mediaone.net/ghammond/index.html -----------------------------------------------------------
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