 The Evil That Men Do
Is More Veiled Than Most Realize
A few years ago I was troubled by a report about an atheist group in Denver that was barred by a federal judge from
displaying a challenge to the Christmas story in the public square.
While I am not an atheist, I recognize atheism
as a belief system that is as viable as Christianity, Buddhism, Judaism or any of the other religions of the world. Our constitution,
which promises religious freedom in America, should be upheld by the courts. . . even in this peculiar incident that happened
during the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus.
For those who missed this story, here is what happened in Denver.
According
to Reuters News Service, U. S. District Judge Zita Weinshienk ruled that the group, called Freedom From Religion Foundation, could not have its anti-Christian display presented with the Christian
nativity scene at the Denver City and County Building.
The group's sign said: "The Christ Child is a religious myth.
The City of Denver should not promote religion. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only
our natural world."
Julie Wells, who placed the sign next to the Christmas display, argued that she had a constitutional
right to state the atheist position because city
officials created a public forum by planting a nativity scene on government grounds.
Wells, of course, was quite right
but she lost her argument in an intolerant court. Oddly, this judge seemed to have no problem with the Christians doing exactly
the same thing Wells was attempting to do. The differences were that the Christians got there first, and they outnumbered
the atheists.
The story points to a very troublesome movement in the United States that seems to be singling out small
groups or individuals who are not in lock step with the masses. And the masses happen to be followers of the major religious
movements, mostly Christian, Jewish and Moslem. In the Western States the Mormons are a strong force, and the Buddhists have
a good standing in some of the major cities, so they also are left alone. Anyone or any group that proclaims a variation in
religious or non-religious belief is singled out as a "dangerous cult" or person displaying "suspicious behavior" and are watched closely by local, state and federal
police.
All the warnings of possible terrorism seem to be a ruse created by government to seek out and destroy those
who fail to fall in line. I also suspect someone in high places is creating fear to break down resistance to new laws that
would rob us of the few remaining freedoms we have. Except for the bombing of the New York Trade Center and the federal building in Oklahoma City, events that both looked suspiciously "set up" by our own government, there have been no incidents
of terrorism in the United States. The terrorism lies within the framework of our own minds, and only then if we allow it.
We
hear daily now of federal agents capturing would-be bombers and suspicious characters sneaking across our borders, but to
date, not one of these evil doers has successfully planted a bomb or caused a true incident of terrorism. Yet federal agents
are freely arresting, and convicting people of so-called "thought crimes," claiming these individuals were planning to do something bad but were
nabbed in the nick of time.
One example of thought crime arrests is the number of school children being expelled from
their schools, and charged by local police for planned "Columbine style" attacks on their classmates. It is going on all over
the country. Yet why is it that all of these children are being caught before doing the deed? Are they all so stupid as to
not plan their attacks in secret? I have a hard time believing they are guilty of anything.
All of this raises the
question. . . just how free are Americans today? When you hear of people being arrested because they suggest in an e-mail
message, or in a careless internet chat-room conversation that they might be on a terrorist bombing mission, doesn't that
send shivers up and down your spine? Is Big Brother watching and listening to everything we say and write?
I was in
a chat room filled with people talking about entering the year 2000. I asked the simple question: how many people thought
they would be alive to enjoy the new year. I was referring to all of the news stories about terrorist threats. Someone in
the group asked me if I was a terrorist. I immediately wondered if I was talking to a police officer. I answered, no, I was
a survivalist. He then asked me if I was hoarding food. For those of you who don't know it, hoarding food is now a federal crime. I decided to back out of that web site and keep my conversations at home,
with people I know and trust. The last thing I need is a storm trooper knocking at my door because I said something careless
in an internet conversation.
My point is that our freedoms have been so badly eroded in America that they are nearly
all gone. Anyone who takes a stand on almost any topic is usually under police surveillance and subject to possible arrest.
Our
choice is to fade in with the crowd and disappear, or step out among the warriors. Fading in is the easiest way. Then you
can be almost assured of being left alone by the police.
Here is how you fade: Take your prozac (most doctors will freely prescribe it for you), join the local church
(even if you don't believe the spoon-fed line you get), labor daily at some menial local job and struggle to live on the meager
pay you receive, always pay your taxes, and always vote. Marry someone just as enslaved as yourself and produce a lot of children
so the process will repeat itself. You also can be confident that you are contributing to the destruction of your environment.
Smile,
your future is grim but don't have to think about it. You have prozac.
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