[Vision2020] On Being a Principled Man

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

Greetings:

My, do people on this list make false assumptions about people and spread untruths about them.

1. As I've said on this list, I like the Buddha as much as I like Jesus, but the only religion I profess is Unitariani Univeralism.

2. As to my baptismal vows, I didn't take any because I was baptized Catholic as an infant.

3.  I've had only one debate about abortion with Wilson and he can attest to the fact that I indeed showed up.  Too bad he was so dishonest in his follow-up column in the Daily News.

4.  My sources on Calvin and Servetus are solid.  Ben Merkle, Wilson's son-in-law praised the one book that I used (Out of the Flames). My mistake about Calvin lighting the fire was mine not theirs.

5.  I'm a divorceced man, recognized by both the state of Idaho and the Danish Lutheran Church.  I'm no longer bound by those vows.

6.  I've never said that Christians have produced all religious violence.  Right here on this list I've blamed Hindu and Buddhist fundamentalists for their violence.  In terms of similar beliefs and actions, I see no difference between some Christian and Islamic fundamentalists.  After reading the latest news from Iran, I've added something else to my list.  They both want liberal professors to be fired from their positions.  Visionaries can read my essay "Chilling Parallels between Christian and Islamic Fundamentalists" at www.class.uidaho.edu/ngier/parallels.htm. 

7.  A baby dog and a baby human have different DNA, but those physical differences constitute no moral difference.  According to the Hebrew Bible, both have the divine breath (nephesh).  The baby human does have the image of God, which the Christian tradition has identified with rationality.  As I have argued many times on this list, that means that the fetus is not a person until the 25th week, when it develops a brain qualitatively different from the dog and other animals.

And thanks, Keely, was always coming to my defense.

Nick Gier