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From: mangoe@umcp-cs.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Black replies.
Message-ID: <4020@umcp-cs.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 13-Mar-85 15:22:13 EST
Article-I.D.: umcp-cs.4020
Posted: Wed Mar 13 15:22:13 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 15-Mar-85 02:12:37 EST
References: <1072@decwrl.UUCP>
Reply-To: mangoe@maryland.UUCP (Charley Wingate)
Organization: U of Maryland, Computer Science Dept., College Park, MD
Lines: 49
Summary: 

In article <1072@decwrl.UUCP> black@nisysg.DEC writes:
>>More to the point, Biblical days seem to have been pretty horrible.  I'll
>>stick with the preposterous 20th century, thanks.
>>-- 
>>Col. G. L. Sicherman
>>...decvax!sunybcs!gloria!colonel
>>Subject: Re: it was good enough for grandpa
>>Posted: Sun Mar  3 08:38:19 1985

>     With all due respect, colonel, military rank does not impress me; 
>credentials and accomplishments do.  
 
THAT was certainly a cheap shot.  Sounds to me like he meant "With all due
lack of respect.  But the saga continues...

>     Yes, the 20th century sure has been preposterous!  Since 1914, Babylon
>has done nothing but get drunk on the blood of American martyrs.  We've
>waged plenty of battles against Communism, but to this day we have not yet
>declared war on it.  (And what could be a better definition of "Antichrist"
>than "those who are against, i.e. anti-, Christ?  And who are more
>anti-Christ than the Communists, except for maybe...well, never mind.)

American martyrs??  What's this, a jihad against the Red Menace?

>     I guess maybe an even greater problem in America is not with Communism,
>not with atheists, not with the Jews, or the schools, or the politicians,
>but rather it is a deeper, less obvious problem.  American Christians just
>do not realize who they are, what America is, and what God's promise to
>them and to America comprises.  When American Christians begin to "see the
>light," the Antichrist is in "deep sneakers."

What escatological trash.  America is not the new Jerusalem, nor the new
Israel; it is a country, just as is the Soviet Union.  Hopefully, the USA is
better than the average; the Soviets are certainly pretty bad.  In any case,
Jesus' words about performing delicate operations while encumbered by large
particles in the eye is quite relevant.  While we should not cease to put
pressure on the soviets to reform their system, we should not think that our
own is above reproach.  A problem I have with Falwell and all his ilk is that
they ignore the little things of interpersonal dynamics and charity that are
so important, while they pontificate about world politics and outward
morality.  There was an interesting article in the Washington Post today
about wife beating.  In one case they cited, the offender was a minister in
one of these fundamentalist churches.  He continually demanded her
obedience, and when he beat her, his was forgiven by God, whereas she could
not forgive.  Now it seems to me that a church which is going to make that
kind of demands upon women had better have a strong stance against that kind
of abuse, but I have heard nothing from them.

Charley Wingate    umcp-cs!mangoe