[CSPS] FW: Christian Community

Wed Oct 19 09:10:11 CDT 2005

Isn't it peculiar that the Eagle would print a letter comparing 
presidential IQs--by now a rusty, well known urban legend--and then return 
YOUR letters for "fact-checking"?  I'm especially disappointed in 
Wilkerson, who I thought had a grain of sense.  And now that we know we 
have a City Council composed of criminals (who got off on the grand jury's 
mercy), we shouldn't expect a much from them, either. --Dennis Berthold

At 08:11 AM 10/19/2005 -0500, Larry Oliver wrote:
>I got a similar response to my letter.  I revised the letter (which 
>required diluting it a bit) and resubmitted it.  Larry
>
>
>>From: "Mike Alvard" <alvard at tamu.edu>
>>To: <csps at PHILEBUS.TAMU.EDU>
>>Subject: [CSPS] FW: Christian Community
>>Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 22:01:15 -0500
>>
>>Here is Ray Wilkerson's (The Eagle's Executive Editor) response to my
>>letter... It seems he won't include a reference to the Battalion article
>>that includes the quote from Silvia about our "Christian community"...  He
>>also seems to question a basic premise of my letter - that the city
>>officials are limiting who can participate in prayer-time. I sure can't find
>>the part of the Oct 9 Eagle article where city leaders say that they won't
>>shut out any group....
>>
>>Michael Alvard, Ph.D.
>>Associate Professor of Anthropology
>>Department of Anthropology
>>4352 TAMU
>>Texas A&M University
>>College Station, Texas 77843-4352
>>
>>
>>
>>web:http://anthropology.tamu.edu/faculty/alvard/profile.htm
>>
>>e-mail: Alvard at tamu.edu
>>Office: (979) 862-3492
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: Ray Wilkerson [mailto:rwilkerson at theeagle.com]
>>Sent: Monday, October 17, 2005 10:00 AM
>>To: alvard at tamu.edu
>>Subject: Re: Christian Community
>>
>>If you wish submit for publication, edit your letter to a maximum of 300
>>words. And keep it fact-based. You can address what the Batt reported or
>>didn't report to the Battalion for letter purposes. For Eagle, we have
>>reported that while Silvia has said he doesn't consider Wicca a religion, he
>>and other city leaders have said they won't shut out any group.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Ray Wilkerson
>>The Eagle
>>
>>
>> > [Please acknowledge receipt- thanks]
>> >
>> > Dear Editor,
>> >
>> > The College Station City Council recently restored pre-meeting prayer to
>> > their agenda.  And if that was not alienating enough for those of us who
>>feel
>> > religion and governance don‚t mix, they immediately justified our fears by
>> > stating they will only allow citizens who adhere to certain
>>council-approved
>> > ideologies to participate (Eagle, Oct 9).  All religions are allowed, they
>> > say? but the council gets to decide what is defined as a religion.  The
>> > actions of the Mayor and City Council could serve as an elementary school
>> > primer on why mixing religion and civics is a bad idea.  In addition to
>> > Wiccans and Pagans, I know that we have Hindu citizens here in town.
>>I‚m
>> > sure there are Buddhist, Sikhs, and Baha'i as well, not to mention
>>atheists.
>> > If the council insists on prayer time, excluding these and other
>>ideologies
>> > is patently unjust.
>> >
>> > Mr. Ron Silva, College Station‚s Mayor, exposed the ugly underbelly of
>>what
>> > is happening in our town when he justified the actions of the Council by
>> > stating that College Station is a „Christian community‰ (Battalion Oct
>>14).
>> > Evoking some sort of providential Christian superiority based on history
>>to
>> > justify civic policy is unconscionable.  Mr. Silva might as well add that
>> > College Station is a Œwhite‚ community.  In a magnanimous moment,
>>Councilman
>> > Ben White was reported to say that he feels that the prayers should
>>include
>> > invocations from people of other „recognized religions‰ such as Muslims
>>and
>> > Jews.  Well, thank you, Ben!  How generous, and well? doggone Christian of
>> > you for allowing hell-bound Jews and Muslims to offer their prayers too.
>> >
>> > Keeping superstitious beliefs out of civic affairs avoids the appearance,
>>if
>> > not the practice, of exclusion.  I have come to terms with the fact that
>>many
>> > of my neighbors believe I am condemned to ever-lasting hell for what I
>> > believe.  This is America, however, and they can believe as they choose.
>>I
>> > draw the line when my city government, which is ostensibly responsible to
>>all
>> > citizens regardless of religion, through their actions implies that I am a
>> > second-class citizen.  Christian community!?  Where do I fit in, Mr.
>>Silva? --
>> >  on the sidelines?  As an individual, Silva is free as any American to
>>hold
>> > these cruel views, but when he speaks as mayor, he speaks for the office.
>> > The Mayor‚s view evokes the justifiable fear in many citizens that a
>>policy
>> > of exclusion is being endorsed by our city officials.  How can I trust the
>> > municipal courts to treat my family and me fairly?  When I bid on a city
>> > contract why should I believe the Council‚s assurances that I will be
>>fairly
>> > considered in spite of the fact that I am not a Christian.  What does the
>> > Mayor expect me say when my children ask about living in a Christian town?
>>I
>> > no longer believe that the College Station City Council and Mayor Silva
>>can
>> > govern fairly. They have lost their legitimacy.
>> >
>> > Michael Alvard
>> > 2707 Teakwood
>> > College Station, TX  77845
>> >
>> > Home phone: 694 9695
>> > Office: 862 3492
>> > Email: Alvard at tamu.edu
>> >
>>
>>
>>All email messages from theeagle.com are scanned for virus by
>>http://www.Postini.com  for your protection and ours.. Thank you.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>_______________________________________________
>>CSPS mailing list
>>CSPS at csps.tamu.edu
>>http://philebus.tamu.edu/mailman/listinfo/csps
>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>CSPS mailing list
>CSPS at csps.tamu.edu
>http://philebus.tamu.edu/mailman/listinfo/csps
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://philebus.tamu.edu/pipermail/csps/attachments/20051019/6eb94909/attachment-0001.htm