[CSPS] FW: Christian Community

Wed Oct 19 10:09:08 CDT 2005

I did confirm Sylvia's quote with the Battalion reporter, by the way.  The 
reporter took written notes.  Sylvia has not responded to my phone call

>From: Dennis Berthold <d-berthold at tamu.edu>
>To: csps at PHILEBUS.TAMU.EDU
>Subject: Re: [CSPS] FW: Christian Community
>Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 09:10:11 -0500
>
>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
>>> >
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
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>>
>>
>>
>>
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