On Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:31:53 -0800, Larry Dighera wrote
(in article ):

On Thu, 11 Jan 2007 18:21:17 -0800, Christopher Campbell
wrote in
2007011118211750878-christophercampbelldeletethis@hotmailcom:

First, let me say, that from reading your articles over the years, I
would characterize you _personally_ as a warm, gregarious,
intelligent, knowledgeable, individual. Certainly, as a flight
instructor, you have my sincere respect and admiration.

But when I see someone embracing irrational beliefs, it angers me,
because they blindly choose to deny reality, and that very denial of
rational thinking ENABLES those in power to commit unpardonable acts
against humanity, much as the irrational religious beliefs of the
Muslims are used to whip them into an irrational anti-American frenzy.

My beliefs are neither blind nor irrational. I have very strong reasons for
believing what I believe.

I might point out that such "rational" atheists as Stalin and Pol Pot managed
to do a pretty good job at genocide, too. Even Nietzsche knew that
rationalism, as he knew it, was a dead-end road. And look at the horrors that
such rationalism unleashed on the 20th century.

My church leaders are unlikely to tell me to kill anybody. In fact, when I
was in the mission field, I was strongly discouraged from expressing any
political opinions at all. No one in the leadership of the Church has
expressed much in the way of political opinions in decades, except to say
that members should be involved in all the political parties of their
countries and should work for "just causes."

We are opposed to violence except in self defense or, if you are in the
military, then serving your nation as honorably as you can. As for the war in
Iraq and elsewhere, Church members freely express their opinion on whether
that war is for self defense or not. Some feel it is, others not. I am not
convinced that it is, for whatever that may be worth to you. We believe that
all violence and hatred are evil.

I am very sorry that you think I have a blind, irrational belief. But that
says a lot more about you and your beliefs than it does about mine. You have
crossed over a line by being personally insulting and mocking things I
consider sacred. That was not nice, nor was it rational, nor was it with open
eyes. I hope that someday you will find peace.