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From: martillo@ihuxt.UUCP (Yehoyaqim Martillo)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Letter from a Zoroastrian
Message-ID: <452@ihuxt.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 30-Apr-84 12:31:11 EDT
Article-I.D.: ihuxt.452
Posted: Mon Apr 30 12:31:11 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 1-May-84 07:40:22 EDT
Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Naperville, IL
Lines: 34

I saw this letter in Friday's New York Times.

To the Editor:

As a fellow journalist and "adopted" New Yorker, I must write to say how
much I enjoyed Russel Baker's bitter-sweet column "Alert on Dangerous
Turf" (April 18).  I had much the same reaction when I got married and
first visited my husband's home in the lovely little island country of
Fiji.  It is a place where everybody smiles at everybody else -- for no
special reason, except that people are warm and friendly.

Imagine my plight:  Conditioned as I had been to the New York habit of not
making eye contact, of regarding a smile with suspicion, I was in a
constant state of paranoia.  To smile back or not to smile back?  Well,
after a period of exposure to the disease, the infection was too strong,
and I succumbed.  Happily and completely.

***[The point]***

May I, however, presume to correct Mr. Baker on a minor point?  He speaks
of giving money "for the propagation of Zoroastrianism."  As a
Zoroastrian, I would like to inform him that my religion is not
propagated.  One can only be born a Zoroastrian.  The community does not
accept converts.  Would that some other religions practiced such
self-restraint.  The world would be a more peaceful place.

So save your money for some other worthy cause, Mr. Baker.  That is, if
you are not relieved of it by your friendly neighborhood mugger in the
meantime.

					Zarine Nandan
					
					New York, April 20, 1984