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07/13/2004: "Apology"
I received a letter of apology from my friend who sent me a "Bush-Whacking" site. We must get over our fear of offending each other in matters related to God and politics. It is critical that we have an open discussion on these matters. That discussion will bruise some feelings, but it may prevent another 9/11. Below is my response to the apology.
Dear M,
You did not offend me personally.
The level of dangerous rhetoric from the liberal and conservative radicals threatens us all. It must be addressed.
What positive solution to this crisis does Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh offer us? Are they offering a solution to the God – no God controversy at the heart of this virulent ideological conflict? These gurus of liberalism and conservatism are making millions of dollars by playing on the fears of people on both sides. This is not politics; it is big business, and Michael and Rush are laughing all the way to the bank. Please do not be taken in by this extremely dangerous dog and pony show.
The conflict between atheism and religion caused all of the holy wars and violent atheistic revolutions of history, killing hundreds of millions of people. It has now taken down the World Trade Center and caused the subsequent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
I hope you will encourage your family and friends to openly discuss the real problem, God vs. no God, before it is too late. If you think I am being dramatic with that statement, please read the enclosed articles from the NY Daily News and US News.
In friendship,
Patrick
P.S. I will post this on the weblog tomorrow, because it is critical that we settle this crisis soon. Please send these links to your friends.
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Daily News Exclusive: Fringe elements are hoping to spark major disruptions at the Republican National Convention with a series of sneaky tricks - including fooling bomb-sniffing dogs on trains bound for Penn Station, the Daily News has learned.
FULL STORY http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/211413p-182089c.html
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Postpone elex if U.S. is attacked?
Counterterrorism officials have reportedly asked the Justice Department to determine if the November presidential election could be postponed in the event a terror attack occurred at that time.
FULL STORY http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/211413p-182089c.html
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Joyous killing. The unfathomable depths of the terrorists' moral depravity is manifest in the remarks of one of the jihadists, whose interview on an al Qaeda-linked website was translated from Arabic by the Middle East Media Research Institute. The speaker was Fawwaz bin Mohammed al-Nashami, commander of the al-Quds Brigade, who took responsibility for the recent murders of westerners in Khobar, Saudi Arabia. He described how he and his brothers shot their way into the compound, where they killed a British worker, then tied his body to their car. The four men drove, he said, until "the infidel's clothing was torn to shreds and he was naked in the street, and everyone watched the infidel being dragged. Praise and gratitude be to Allah." Then the terrorists stormed another compound and found an American. "I shot him in the head, and his head exploded," Nashami recounted. "We entered another office and found one infidel from South Africa, and our brother Hussein slit his throat. We asked Allah to accept [these pious acts] from us and from him." Then they caught a few more workers, checked on their religion, and then slit their throats, except for one American because he was a Muslim. All of this Nashami described with a sense of joy.
What is to be done in this new war? Certainly, we must win, for these are the same people who want to conduct chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attacks against us, according to the 9/11 commission. Western democracies, wedded to freedom and the rule of law, have a tough road ahead. The pressure from families of hostages, and from public emotion stirred up by the media, narrows the discretion of democratic governments. In Madrid, terrorist bombings of commuter trains were followed by a change of government. In Seoul, the decapitation of a South Korean led people to take to the streets demanding the withdrawal of Korean forces from Iraq. Such responses will only encourage the terrorists. To recognize them through any kind of negotiation would lead only to more atrocities, leaving innocent civilians exposed to killers whose warped ideology celebrates suicide and murder.
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/040719/opinion/19edit.htm
Please visit: www.realists.org
