>[According to the National Endowment for the Arts, the amount of
>reading Americans do is plummeting. I'd say Americans still read
>way too much.]
>
>July 17, 2004
>OP-ED COLUMNIST
>
>Jesus and Jihad
>
>By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF
>
>If the latest in the "Left Behind" series of evangelical thrillers
>is to be believed, Jesus will return to Earth, gather non-Christians
>to his left and toss them into everlasting fire:
I take issue with this though:
"People have the right to believe in a racist God, or a God who
throws millions of nonevangelicals into hell. I don't think we should
ban books that say that."
Books advocating racism should indeed be banned (and their authors imprisoned.) We can't compromise with these people, religion is no excuse. I'm open to argument whether or not the authors of these religious fantasies, about a hateful and deranged God who torments millions, are cut from the same cloth. Sounds like a harmless racket to me, parting fools from their money. So long as they content themselves with waiting for God to do it and don't cross the line to advocate giving the Almighty a helping hand.
Bill Bartlett Bracknell Tas