Klarinet Archive - Posting 000477.txt from 2001/09

From: Bill Hausmann <bhausmann1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] This horrible event
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 20:26:33 -0400

At 03:53 PM 9/13/2001 +0100, Virginia Anderson wrote:
>Colleagues,
>
>This tragedy has numbed us here - like everyone, we're shocked by the sheer
>callousness of the acts and wish with every fibre of our beings for the
>welfare of those who are rescuing and deep sorrow at the loss of so many
>innocent lives. Requests for or exhortations to "prayer" are inclusive
>(even an atheist like myself can adapt such sentiments to my own ethical
>code), welcome and understandable in a time when words fail. However, the
>forced injunctions to Bible verses and fellowship "in Christ" by a small
>fundamentalist minority of this list has made me feel marginalised and has
>only managed to divide this group. And, if it has marginalised me (who has
>at least Christian ancestry and cultural associations), just think what this
>does to Muslims, for instance.
>
>It is a time for uniting in our commonality - in our horror of the act, in
>our insistence that the guilty are found and punished according to due
>process without harming more innocent people - not dividing up according to
>our religions and national identities....

The Bible is as much a part of the common heritage of peoples of the
western world as are Grimm's fairy tales and Aesop's Fables. To most of
us, it has deep religious significance as sacred scripture, but even the
atheists among us familiar enough with the lessons and parables contained
therein. They are completely woven into the fabric of everyday
speech. And remember, whether you like it or not, our entire legal system
is based on the 10 Commandments.

No one is forcing you to adopt a particular religious viewpoint, and yet
you seem to feel entirely comfortable with insisting that YOUR viewpoint be
the only one allowed on the list. Such narrowmindedness among certain
fringe radical Islamic fundamentalists is exactly what has brought us to
this point. If you do not believe, fine. But let those who DO believe
take comfort in their faith without your interference. To do anything else
is FAR more divisive than posting a biblical quotation. By the way, Christ
is considered a prophet in Islam.

Bill Hausmann bhausmann1@-----.com
451 Old Orchard Drive
Essexville, MI 48732 ICQ UIN 4862265

If you have to mic a saxophone, the rest of the band is TOO LOUD!

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