From: ses2@po.CWRU.Edu (S. E. Stansfield)
Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc
Subject: Re: I feel threatened by Christianity...
Date: 12 Jan 1993 17:26:21 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: ses2@po.CWRU.Edu (S. E. Stansfield)
NNTP-Posting-Host: slc12.ins.cwru.edu


In a previous article, sperry2699@iscsvax.uni.edu () says:

>In article <1993Jan11.214149.22353@netcom.com>, bskendig@netcom.com (Brian Kendig) writes:
>> I just saw part of Pat Robertson's TV show "The 700 Club" for the
>> first time today while I was home on my lunch break, and I'll admit,
>> it frightened me.  I was never really aware of what large Christian
>> organizations are doing these days.
>> 
>> Robertson kept talking about how society is moving farther and farther
>> away from God, and how this nation is falling into such sinful
>> activities as drug use, murder, abortion, homosexuality and sodomy,
>> and materialism as a result.  
>
>Society IS moving further away from God.  Don't you believe drug use or murder
>(for example) are sin?
>
I don't believe that there is such a thing as "sin".  

>> He urged his audience to rally together
>> and fight the anti-Christian oppression.  He spoke highly of the fight
>> to put official prayer back into schools, 
>
>There should be a time set aside for those who wish to pray.  Possibly a break
>from the classroom.  Is it so bad to have 20 min set aside for people to pray?

It is if there are people there who object to forced prayer in school. 
What do we do about those people who don't want to pray?  Are they to be
ostracized?
>
>> and he encouraged the
>> pro-life crowd to keep striving for their goal, 
>
>Why not.  The NOW people are always pushing the pro-abortion side.

I have never met a single person who is pro-abortion.  We call you by the
term you choose, even though it is a misnomer, why can't you do the same
for pro-choicers?
>
>> and he even did an
>> interview with one of the lawyers from a Christian legal firm which is
>> working to defend the ability of students to distribute pro-life
>> pamphlets in schools.  
>
>Isn't that a good thing?  Shouldn't people be defending the pro-lifer's rights? 
>Others do a good job of defending the pro-abortion side.

Are people distributing pro-choice literature in the schools?
>
>> Throughout the whole time I watched him,
>> Robertson kept talking about his desire to return America to
>> traditional family values, despite his opposition (which, it could be
>> inferred from his words, is quite morally depraved).
>
>There is a lacking of traditional family values in this country.  If you don't
>see that problem, then maybe you are part of it.

Perhaps we don't see it as a problem becasue it isn't one.  You're making a
mountain out of a molehill.
>
>> I'm worried.  What am I to do if much of this comes to pass?  I don't
>> want my children to be singled out by sitting quietly during a school
>> prayer, 
>
>What's the difference?  Your kids don't have to pray if they don't want to. 
>Isn't that good enough?

NO.  It isn't good enough.  It is saying to them that they aren't as good,
in some sense, as the people who do pray.  Prayer belongs in churches and
homes, not public schools.
>
>> I don't want my tax money to be spent on a public nativity
>> scene, 
>
>Too late.  It already is.

Not around here it isn't.
>
>
>> not have a well-meaning government decide what's morally best for me.
>
>Good!  Then oppose the liberal government that we have and push for the
>conservative stand!

It is the conservatives that are attempting to force me into a morality
that I do not agree with.
>
>
>> I'm surprised they don't fall over is bad
>> enough -- seeing him on TV, with the phones around him ringing off the
>> hook with people pledging money to support him, really got to me.  How
>> _dare_ he try to pass _himself_ off as the oppressed one!
>
>Christianity is opressed in the U.S.  However, I've always heard that the
>opressed Church is the best!
> 
How is christianity opressed?  It is not nearly as oppressed as pagans are.
No christian has to worry about losing a job over his religion.  No
christian has been burned out of a business just because he is christian.
This happens to pagans all too often.

-- 
When subtlety fails us we must make do with cream pies.
                                                    --David Brin

Newsgroups: talk.religion.misc