[Vision2020] Doug Wilson: Here's Real Intolerance

Sun Dec 19 11:02:02 PST 2004

Saundra,

It is indeed sad.

As many on this list have pointed out, there is a big difference between believing in some alleged god and practicing the moral dictates of that alleged god.  You give us another example.

[1]    I see no difference between the attitudes in the article you post and those which led to the internment of the Japanese-Americans during World War II.

[2]    Although Wilson and Wilkins ostensibly condemn racism, a closer look at their writings reveals a different attitude  (see Wilson's writings on marriage in Crudinto/Adumpsta and the special advise he gives about inter-racial marriage).

Religious belief like that of beliefs about terrorism and other emotional subjects is in part driven by fear and hope with little rationality.

While the tough-minded among the population condemn the wholesale grouping of Muslims as terrorists, the seekers of power, the weak-minded, and those with poor critical thinking skills cannot do otherwise.  Prejudice thrives on ignorance and fear and is promoted by those who gain power, control, wealth, etc. from its practice.

Art Deco (Wayne A. Fox)
deco at moscow.com

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Saundra Lund" <sslund at adelphia.net>
To: <vision2020 at moscow.com>
Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 10:19 AM
Subject: [Vision2020] Doug Wilson: Here's *Real* Intolerance

> Visionaries:
> 
> This weekend's Moscow-Pullman Daily News carried an AP article on page 13A that
> made my blood run cold.
> 
> Last February, I attended a presentation given by Steve Wilkins (League of the
> South supporter and pastor of Auburn Avenue Church in Monroe, LA), good friend
> of local Christ Church Pastor Doug Wilson, on "The Sin of Racism."  It was an
> experience I'll never forget for many reasons, but pertinent to the article in
> yesterday's paper was Wilkins' presentation of the Muslim faith as being a
> religion that was inevitably violent -- a "religion of the sword" -- because
> Muslims reject the trinity.
> 
> Is it not surprising, then, that according to a nationwide poll "nearly half of
> all Americans believe the U.S. government should restrict the civil liberties of
> Muslim-Americans"?
> 
> Well, it's a shocker to me!  We're not talking about Muslim immigrants or even
> illegal aliens . . . we're talking about 44% of Americans thinking it's a good
> idea to restrict the *civil liberties* of other Americans for no reason other
> than a difference of religion!
> 
> What wasn't shocking to me, though, was that "that Republicans and people who
> described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support curtailing
> Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less religious."
> 
> How sad this must make God . . . 
> 
> I am truly saddened to realize that so many of my fellow Americans seem to have
> forgotten so much of what makes America a successful democracy  :-(
> 
> For those who missed it, here's the text of the article:
> _____
> "Cornell University poll finds nearly half of all Americans support restricting
> the rights of Muslim-Americans
> BY WILLIAM KATES
> ASSOCIATED PRESS
> 
> ITHACA, N.Y. - Nearly half of all Americans believe the U.S. government should
> restrict the civil liberties of Muslim-Americans, according to a nationwide
> poll. 
> 
> The survey conducted by Cornell University also found that Republicans and
> people who described themselves as highly religious were more apt to support
> curtailing Muslims' civil liberties than Democrats or people who are less
> religious. 
> 
> Researchers also found that respondents who paid more attention to television
> news were more likely to fear terrorist attacks and support limiting the rights
> of Muslim-Americans. 
> 
> "It's sad news. It's disturbing news. But it's not unpredictable," said Mahdi
> Bray, executive director of the Muslim American Society. "The nation is at war,
> even if it's not a traditional war. We just have to remain vigilant and continue
> to interface." 
> 
> The survey found 44 percent favored at least some restrictions on the civil
> liberties of Muslim Americans. Forty-eight percent said liberties should not be
> restricted in any way. 
> 
> The survey showed that 27 percent of respondents supported requiring all
> Muslim-Americans to register where they lived with the federal government.
> Twenty-two percent favored racial profiling to identify potential terrorist
> threats. And 29 percent thought undercover agents should infiltrate Muslim civic
> and volunteer organizations to keep tabs on their activities and fund-raising. 
> 
> Cornell student researchers questioned 715 people in the nationwide telephone
> poll conducted this fall. The margin of error was 3.6 percentage points. 
> 
> James Shanahan, an associate professor of communications who helped organize the
> survey, said the results indicate "the need for continued dialogue about issues
> of civil liberties" in a time of war. 
> 
> While researchers said they were not surprised by the overall level of support
> for curtailing civil liberties, they were startled by the correlation with
> religion and exposure to television news."
> _____
> 
> It seems an especially appropriate time to remember the powerful words of
> Protestant pastor Martin Niemoeller:
> "First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not
> speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was
> neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a
> Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to
> speak out for me." 
> 
> 
> Saundra Lund
> Moscow, ID
> 
> The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
> nothing.
> -Edmund Burke
> 
> 
> _____________________________________________________
> List services made available by First Step Internet, 
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.   
>               http://www.fsr.net                       
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
> 
>
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20041219/45960b6c/attachment-0001.htm