Freethought & Rationalism Archive

trebor · 02-19-2002, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by livius drusus:
...People that came from everywhere to just help those that needed help, regardless of who they were....

Jimmy, I agree with livius on this. I started to mark it before but thought, "aw, what the heck." Irregardless means the same, but regardless is standard English usage in our day.

echidna · 02-19-2002, 11:12 PM

Heh, you know you'll NEVER get anything done if you ask a committee.

Jimmy Higgins · 02-21-2002, 10:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by trebor:
Jimmy, I agree with livius on this. I started to mark it before but thought, "aw, what the heck." Irregardless means the same, but regardless is standard English usage in our day.

I hopped over to regardless for that. I submitted the editted article to their electronic website and their newspaper about 36 hours ago. I don't really expect to be printed in the newspaper because of length and the "controversial" subject, but I thought I'd finally try. Again, thanks for the help, especially with the grammer (spelling error on purpose).

abe smith · 02-23-2002, 06:40 AM

For some of the True Believers, Jesus of Nazareth is/was the Elvis of the first century. The NOMINAL "first" century i mean, of course.

Jimmy Higgins · 02-27-2002, 05:58 PM

**UPDATE**

I got this email today about the submission.

Quote:

Our letter policy states letters to the editor must be 300 words or less.

If you want this to run, you'll have to do some major editing.

I asked my executive editor if we could possibly run your lettter as a
guest column, but I was told this would not be possible - we can't have
people writing columns in response to other people's column, hence, the
letter option.

I hope you will resubmit this in a form that is 300 words or less.

At the very least its a beginning. I've got to get the scissors out and do some trimming.

Arrowman · 02-27-2002, 08:04 PM

Jimmy, I fancy myself as an editor and I couldn't resist. I've cut it down to 596 words (from 735) without, I hope, destroying the message, and working on the grammar along the way. Any more will have to be up to you.

----------------
I write in relation to "Ashes remind us of life's frailty" by the Most Reverend Anthony Pilla. While he tried to give a message of harmony and peace, I feel he neglects the true lessons learned from the attack and ignores the most beautiful outcome from Sep 11 - how people conducted themselves after such an atrocity.

Religion, race, color - all disappeared. Life, for a time, became the way it was meant to be. People helped people. Some helped people they didn't know. Some helped people they would never even see. It wasn't the firefighters who gave their lives in the twin towers. It wasn't the policemen who would be crushed by the towers. They were all doing what they signed up for as humanitarians. It was the people that had nothing vested in that city. People that came from everywhere to help those that needed help, regardless of who they were and of the cost it to them.

It was a moment that humanity should be proud of. It is testament of the good in man, as the Holocaust was to the testament of the evil in man. Sadly, that moment has passed. As the shock has worn off, people have gone on doing what they had before September 11. People are driving while intoxicated; they continue to rape women, they continue to steal from other people.

Kurt Vonnegut's Kilgore Trout might reply to post September 11 America by saying, "Ting-a-ling." It takes more to show that one has changed than chanting "U.S.A." at the TV during the Olympics.

So when Rev. Pilla speaks of growing closer to Jesus, I believe that may only drive us further apart. We must be growing together as a people for peace. One may follow the words of Jesus Christ, however, I doubt that Jesus would value a human's followship of Christ over their generosity to a fellow human. God has shown that he will not intervene in our plight using the manners we are using. To think otherwise would be foolish given our history; our direction must change to bring about peace. If we take pride in the real lesson of September 11th, when human beings selflessly came together in a city that had been wounded, we can begin the path towards peace.

The final point in the editorial that disturbs me is the mention of vulnerability, "..the collective struggle we have suffered since is the realization of our unavoidable vulnerability." By referring to the alms giving, prayer and sacrifice of Lent, Reverend Pilla is attempting to show control in an area where we have no control. We are vulnerable because we are technologically vulnerable. Human beings are weak creatures and are susceptible to so very much. To be surprised at our vulnerability is na�ve; to believe that we are the only ones who are vulnerable in this world is mindless. We as a nation have not had our mainland attacked by a foreign force since the War of 1812. We should heed the warnings of our European allies who have not been as fortunate, to learn what it feels like to be vulnerable instead of disregarding their words as weak liberal nonsense.

We can gain strength from God, however it is clear that we are responsible for our actions. In doing so, we must take strict regard to promoting humanity and not "Christianity". Only when people indiscriminately care for other people can God's kingdom be realized; a world where all humanity has the single goal of furthering humanity - its beauty, its grandeur, and its love.

Jimmy Higgins · 02-28-2002, 04:25 AM

Arrowman: Appreciate the editting of the editorial. Last night I spent a good little while trimming cutting and slashing that piece to 300 words. I added a couple more sentences, or one-liners, in order to replace half paragraphs. My favorite line was this:

Quote:

We must keep strict regard to promoting humanity through action and not "Christianity" through prayer.

I hope they print this. Nothing like spreading the atheistic creed of humanity through the guise of christianity. They won't even know what hit them.

Arrowman · 02-28-2002, 02:11 PM

Great sentence, Jimmy - I love it.

You little fifth column devil, you.

Jimmy Higgins · 03-04-2002, 10:55 AM

Hey folks, got an email back on my resubmission.

Quote:

I will pass your letter on to my executive editor and if any further information is needed, I'll call, If not, it will run in Sunday's paper.

I guess that sounds like an affirmative. Sure, it isn't the NY Times, but we all have to start somewhere. This is the final product I sent in.

Quote:

I was slightly unnerved by the above mentioned editorial by the Most Reverend Anthony M. Pilla. While trying to promote peace and harmony, I feel his manner would only go to neglect the true lesson learned from the attack.

The article points to religion for peace while it ignores the most precious outcome that resulted from the attack in New York City. Religion, race, color, sexuality, and all other human dichotomies disappeared. Life, for a brief period of time, became the way it was meant to be. People helping people. The good will of humanity lossomed within those that had nothing vested in that city � people who came from everywhere to just help those in need, regardless of whom they were and of the cost it would be to them. It was a moment of which humanity should be proud. Sadly, however, that moment has now passed us. As the shock has worn itself from of our minds, people have gone on doing what they did before September 11th. People are stealing, raping, and back to their ways of gaining wealth. Humanity has returned back to the doldrums of apathy and "religion".

We all can gain strength from God, but we must take strict regards to promoting humanity through action and not "Christianity" through prayer. Only when people indiscriminately care for all other people will the realization of God�s kingdom be realized. If we take pride within the real lesson of September 11th - the fact that human beings selflessly came together in a city that had been wounded - we can start down the path towards bringing about peace and ending hatred. .Jesus would hardly shed a tear to a world where all humanity plays to the single rule of furthering humanity, its beauty, its grandeur, and its love.

Thanks again to all that helped.

Jimmy Higgins · 03-10-2002, 06:51 PM

Final update. The article was published on 3/9/02 with very little editting from what I last posted. I think this one small step for our beliefs. I urge all to submit likewise. The creationists may try to teach their lies in our classrooms through the guise of ID, but we can submit our caring through the media within the shadows of christianity. Its time to expose our creed.

Once again thanks to all, especially trebor who was instrumental in making my original piece much more respectable.

<a href="http://the_champions_mls.tripod.com/personal/oped.htm" target="_blank">This will take you to my Op-ed page, however, brief. Click on 3/9/02... for the article.</a>

{Editted to fix link}

[ March 11, 2002: Message edited by: Jimmy Higgins ]

03-10-2002, 06:51 PM	#20
Jimmy Higgins Contributor Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Proud Citizen of Freedonia Posts: 42,473	Final update. The article was published on 3/9/02 with very little editting from what I last posted. I think this one small step for our beliefs. I urge all to submit likewise. The creationists may try to teach their lies in our classrooms through the guise of ID, but we can submit our caring through the media within the shadows of christianity. Its time to expose our creed. Once again thanks to all, especially trebor who was instrumental in making my original piece much more respectable. <a href="http://the_champions_mls.tripod.com/personal/oped.htm" target="_blank">This will take you to my Op-ed page, however, brief. Click on 3/9/02... for the article.</a> {Editted to fix link} [ March 11, 2002: Message edited by: Jimmy Higgins ]</p>

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02-19-2002, 11:12 PM	#12
echidna Veteran Member Join Date: May 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 2,832	Heh, you know you'll NEVER get anything done if you ask a committee.

02-23-2002, 06:40 AM	#14
abe smith Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: springfield, MA. USA Posts: 2,482	For some of the True Believers, Jesus of Nazareth is/was the Elvis of the first century. The NOMINAL "first" century i mean, of course.

02-27-2002, 08:04 PM	#16
Arrowman Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,358	Jimmy, I fancy myself as an editor and I couldn't resist. I've cut it down to 596 words (from 735) without, I hope, destroying the message, and working on the grammar along the way. Any more will have to be up to you. ---------------- I write in relation to "Ashes remind us of life's frailty" by the Most Reverend Anthony Pilla. While he tried to give a message of harmony and peace, I feel he neglects the true lessons learned from the attack and ignores the most beautiful outcome from Sep 11 - how people conducted themselves after such an atrocity. Religion, race, color - all disappeared. Life, for a time, became the way it was meant to be. People helped people. Some helped people they didn't know. Some helped people they would never even see. It wasn't the firefighters who gave their lives in the twin towers. It wasn't the policemen who would be crushed by the towers. They were all doing what they signed up for as humanitarians. It was the people that had nothing vested in that city. People that came from everywhere to help those that needed help, regardless of who they were and of the cost it to them. It was a moment that humanity should be proud of. It is testament of the good in man, as the Holocaust was to the testament of the evil in man. Sadly, that moment has passed. As the shock has worn off, people have gone on doing what they had before September 11. People are driving while intoxicated; they continue to rape women, they continue to steal from other people. Kurt Vonnegut's Kilgore Trout might reply to post September 11 America by saying, "Ting-a-ling." It takes more to show that one has changed than chanting "U.S.A." at the TV during the Olympics. So when Rev. Pilla speaks of growing closer to Jesus, I believe that may only drive us further apart. We must be growing together as a people for peace. One may follow the words of Jesus Christ, however, I doubt that Jesus would value a human's followship of Christ over their generosity to a fellow human. God has shown that he will not intervene in our plight using the manners we are using. To think otherwise would be foolish given our history; our direction must change to bring about peace. If we take pride in the real lesson of September 11th, when human beings selflessly came together in a city that had been wounded, we can begin the path towards peace. The final point in the editorial that disturbs me is the mention of vulnerability, "..the collective struggle we have suffered since is the realization of our unavoidable vulnerability." By referring to the alms giving, prayer and sacrifice of Lent, Reverend Pilla is attempting to show control in an area where we have no control. We are vulnerable because we are technologically vulnerable. Human beings are weak creatures and are susceptible to so very much. To be surprised at our vulnerability is na�ve; to believe that we are the only ones who are vulnerable in this world is mindless. We as a nation have not had our mainland attacked by a foreign force since the War of 1812. We should heed the warnings of our European allies who have not been as fortunate, to learn what it feels like to be vulnerable instead of disregarding their words as weak liberal nonsense. We can gain strength from God, however it is clear that we are responsible for our actions. In doing so, we must take strict regard to promoting humanity and not "Christianity". Only when people indiscriminately care for other people can God's kingdom be realized; a world where all humanity has the single goal of furthering humanity - its beauty, its grandeur, and its love.

02-28-2002, 02:11 PM	#18
Arrowman Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Adelaide, South Australia Posts: 1,358	Great sentence, Jimmy - I love it. You little fifth column devil, you.

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