Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/5/84; site aecom.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!aecom!diaz
From: diaz@aecom.UUCP (Daniel Diaz)
Newsgroups: net.religion.christian,net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: Terrorism and the Book of Mormon
Message-ID: <1982@aecom.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 27-Oct-85 20:30:47 EST
Article-I.D.: aecom.1982
Posted: Sun Oct 27 20:30:47 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 31-Oct-85 21:31:35 EST
References: <1953@aecom.UUCP> <1577@hammer.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Albert Einstein Coll. of Med., NY
Lines: 49
Xref: linus net.religion.christian:1488 net.religion:7680

> I personally find your proposed possibilities equally chilling,
> but neither likely.  There are "frightening" possibilities which
> exist for virtually any situation. Speculation as an exercise by
> the police to discover the scope of the crime and the players
> involved has utilitarian value. To incite prejudice and finger
> pointing with the speculation is to quench the openness which
> all who profess Christianity should welcome. Caution in our
> comments is the order of the day in a situation like this. (This
> is not net.politics. (-: )
> 
> Good old fashioned greed and revenge are more likely candidates
> for motive than religious zeal/insanity. The amounts of money
> involved ($40K for the "salamander letter" alone and $500K+ for
> the M'Lellin collection) make me wonder if I ought to scrounge
> great-grandmother's attic for old letters, etc.
> 
> -- 
> 
> Michael IsBell
> ..!tektronix!tekecs!mikei
> Tektronix, Inc.

I find Mike Bell misunderstood the spirit of my posting: Yes, it does
appear that greed may have been the primary motive in the Hofmann bombing,
the victim himself is suspected. But I find Mike too sensitive in his
accusation of prejudice; inciting anti-Mormon sentiment was not my
intention.

The point is that if we oppose those critical of our belief system
violently rather than examining their claims critically, it demonstrates
doubt in the ability of our faith to withstand close scrutiny. A Berean
spirit (Acts 17.10ff) should live in all professing Christians.

The bombings raised the question of Mormon fear of the Salamander letter;
I used that as a take-off point to question whether fear of criticism
is healthy in the Christian community. The answer is NO! Let the evidence
come; if we need to reconsider some beliefs then let's do so.

The issue goes beyond whether Mormons are squelching am embarassing letter
(it doesn't affect the argument) to a self-examination of our attitudes
to what we perceive as hostile intellectual challenges to our faith.
          
          Dan Diaz, Department of Biochemistry
                    Albert Einstein College of Medicine
                    Bronx, New York [..!philabs!aecom!diaz ]
-- 
          Dan Diaz, Department of Biochemistry
                    Albert Einstein College of Medicine
                    Bronx, New York [..!philabs!aecom!diaz! ]