Last year this woman, whom I don't know, forwarded to me a long rant asserting that Christians were being prevented from saying "Merry Christmas!" That Christians are being discriminated against, although this is a "Christian country."
Now I get THIS email with the same fervent comment added: "Amen!"
Maybe I should've merely deleted--but I replied.
Subject: This one will make you think THIS IS THE TRUTH, ALRIGHT
This is not intended to be a joke, it's intended to get you thinking.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).
More below:
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in
school. the Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou
shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide).
We said an expert should know what he's talking about.
And we said OK.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough,we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny y how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing.
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles
pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing?
Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they WILL think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us.
Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in!!
My response:
"This is the truth, alright"? Not to me.
I've asked you before to remove me from your mailing list, when your Christmas screed made it clear you cannot grasp the concept of the separation of church and state in the U.S.A.
The constitution makes it clear our government does not have the right to tell us what religion to practice, where and how. If you want your children to be led in group prayer during school, enroll them in a private church school, not a public government school. Of course, anyone can pray on their own, anytime, anyplace.
Ann Graham's concept of God is laughably childish, if she's being honest. "He" is a gentleman! Prayer and Bible study in school, and more spankings for children would cure all problems.
Ask any social worker or emergency room staffer how many thousands of children are shockingly abused, neglected and sexually molested every year. Yet your concern is for the ones that DON'T get spanked--that they are the ones who end up as criminals. Right.
The Bible says "Do not kill, do not steal"? Depends on which part you choose to read. It also has no problem with slavery, child abuse, stoning to death, genocide, and other such acts most of us would not consider okay today.
Societies like Saudi Arabia that mandate group prayer 5 times a day, public amputations for stealing, and complete submissiveness of women and children must have no disasters, tragedies or crimes. Oh, wait, as Muslims they're going to Hell in spite of all that Godliness.
If you don't want to receive another rant from me, then take me off your mailing list.
Dina