a letter I wrote with the Fundamentalist radioshow host response

Below you will Find the letter I wrote to radio-host and fundementalist Christian Scott Thomas. He was upset with a certain video conversion made by two fox news reporters who had been released by their insurgent captors. He wasn't angry with them, that would be too strong a word. He was disappointed that they made a conversion to Islam-even if it was false, and made only to ensure their release. He suggested that he wouldn't do it. He eventually put the question to callers: "Would you deny your faith under the same circumstances?" He suggested he wouldn't do it. Later in the program, he had a woman on who had started up "Day of Truth." This is an answer to the gay and lesbian movement's "Day of Silence."
Make sure your coffee is warm, it's long!
And so my letter begins.....

Scott I listened to your show today with some considerable interest.
Your first topic involved the release of two Fox News reporters from captivity. This was of course good news, but it was quite obvious you were annoyed by the fact they made video conversions to Islam.

Of course we can't know if those were the only ways in which their release from captivity could be effected, or whether they derived some other benefit. What was clear was you think you wouldn't have denied your faith. You eventually came out and said it. I think, we in the listening audience all knew you were going to say something like that. That you wanted to say it.

Lets say that by not acquiessing to the demands of these thugs you were killed by them. My question to you is what good would that have done? What have you proved? That your God is powerful enough to keep you from denying Him, yet not powerful enough or at least not interested enough, to save you from what I am guessing would a rather unpleasant end. And in so proving this what would have been the cost? You mentioned your family. What would your refusal to deny you faith-to preserve your life- cost them?

You mentioned the thousands of Chinese martyrs for the faith? And I guess I wonder how all this useless, sensless bloodshed glorifies God? Or does it betray a callous disregard for his followers, and the people he created in his own image. I contend that all this marytrdom only fuels wave after wave vendetta, because no matter how many people foolishly die for their religion, it never seems to spur anyone's Gods to action.
It seems an extrodinary waste. And don't the Gods themselves seem painfully indifferent to the very real plights of those who follow them? Lets face it, the God of Abraham, who is at the heart of all three major monotheistic religions, has totally been asleep at the wheel. Ask the Muslims in Bosnia, or Palestine, or survivors of the Holocaust (jews have historically gotten the short end of the stick where God's inattentivness is concerned), or yes the Christians in China. And let us not forget all the useless martyrdom that has occured thorought human history.

Your next guest-whose name I couldn't find on your web-site was quite miffed by the gay and lesbian community's "Day of Silence." I must say right off the bat that I fully support the Chrisian response to the "Day of Silence." I am on board with the notion of equal and fair access to school facilities, with out discrimination based on race, class, religion or sexual orientation. I would also like say I appreciate the reserve applied by the "Day of Truth" crowd by having their "Day" after, and not simultaneously with, the GLBTQ protest. Such a move would have been terribly confrontational.

What I really took issue with in this segment was the anger you both seemed feel that the "Day of Silence" kids were silent all day. "..they recieve no consequences for this," was what you said, not hiding your incredulity. I do wonder if you have any proof for such a claim, or if you just said it, secure in the knowledge that no one in your listening audience would question it. Moreover, you would have children whose parent's unquestioning belief in the literal truth of Bronze Age myths demanded it, leave class rooms where modern science is being taught simply because it doesn't square with said myths. I will presume that as you think this is a religious objection, and such education is a violation of religious conviction you would expect no consequences to befall such students. This is, in its own way, just as disruptive as any other political statement any student might make. So how is possible to deny other kids their political statements? Both the Creationist movement, and the GLBTQ have adult groups responsible for compiling and disseminating information to interested parties. Both have sections on their various websites for youth. So, tactically, the groups you support are no different from those of the GLBTQ community. In high schools both are started by youth-not adults-who, burdened by some social passion, be it to increase the franchisement of all our citizens or to deny that franchisment, and marginalize people, feel they must act.
I thank you for your candor,
Good Day.

Max Driffill

"We are all athiests about most of the Gods of human history, some of us just go one god farther."
--Richard Dawkins

The response....

Hi Max.

Thank you for an enjoyable and challenging email. Although I don't always hear only from the choir, it is blood pumping to hear from those in absolute diametric opposition. I appreciate you listening and writing. And, while, as I will point out, your presumptions are, in many cases, erroneous, I also appreciate your tone.

Your questions regarding me not denying my faith indicate you presume I have something to prove. Taking a stand for faith has nothing to do with proving whose God is most powerful. There is only one God, and His power is incomparable to that of gods, demons, spirits, magicians, idols, myths or witch doctors.

My stance, should I make it, would simply be in line with my faith...a faith in the God who created everything, including me...a faith that my human brain cannot possibly comprehend everything that's going on around me, around the world, around the universe, for now, from then, or for eternity. If, in the scope of omnipotence, God allowed me to die while refusing to deny my faith, that faith allows me to easily believe that He knows best and, in His way, will provide for my family. (Romans 8:28)

I guess my question for you, in this matter, would be, "What would making a phony conversion prove?" One thing it might prove, especially to those who deny God, is that faith isn't worth spit. For me, faith is worth everything, because God has given me everything. The martyrs of the Bible weren't trying to prove anything. The martyrs of China aren't trying to prove anything. It is those who kill believers who are the ones trying to prove something. And, each time one dies for their faith, many new believers rise up. Where is the Christian church growing most quickly...China!

You accuse God of being "asleep at the wheel", as if the only evidence for God would be for Him to run the universe in the same way you would. If you were God, you'd quell the tsunami. If you were God, Katrina would have simply been a thunder storm.

I can't tell you why God allows some disasters and prevents others. But, again, in faith, I trust He knows why. Actually, I can tell you why these things occur, but if you deny God to begin with, you'll certainly deny His word. To the unbeliever, God's Word is foolishness.

And, I cannot prove the negative. I cannot prove that God prevents disaster...simply because the disaster never happened. I can, however, observe that the conditions for disaster exist virtually everywhere, every day, yet disasters are relatively few. If you believe that God allows some, integrity demands that you believe that prevents the others.

You describe what we view as premature, or non-understandable, death as a "waste" and "foolish". How could God see it in any other way? Again, this is what happens when we try to define the limitless God with our limited understanding. As a Christian, I view life as a precious gift, one I choose (to the best of my ability) to live in service to the One who gave me my life. Having lived this life to His purposes, I see no death of a believer as either a "waste" or "foolish". In the scope of eternity, there is very little difference between 20 years and 80 years.

That said, I do view many deaths as tragic...tragic from a human standpoint for those who love and care for those who died. And, I view the death of a non-Christian as tragic because there is no redemption for them. That's the waste.

Regarding the "Day of Silence", I have no objection to political commentary, silent or not. I'm sure I made that point clear. But, it seems to me, if you have the conviction to make a political statement by remaining silent, even during class, even whey you're called upon, even if you're scheduled to give a presentation, then you need to take your lumps...if, in fact, there are lumps to be taken.

If, in class, you are expected to participate, orally, and you choose not to, then you should expect there to be ramifications. According to my guest, and previous guests on this issue, there were no cases of any scholastic ramifications of people choosing to participate in the Day of Silence. It is entirely possible that none of those participants were expected to say anthing out loud that day. But, it also is, at least, possible that some refused to participate when expected and chose not to.

My "miff" is not with the Day of Silence, per se. I am miffed at the almost Pavlovian response of support for anything and everything that advances the GLBT agenda. I don't blame the GLBT community for trying to advance that agenda. But, I do object to the virtually blind acceptance of that agenda as good and valuable.

Finally, Max, I make absolutely no assumptions that "no one in your listening audience would question it." I fully understand that this 50,000 watt signal, plus Internet delivery, reaches thousands of people who do not walk lockstep with me. The differences are legion...political, ideological, theological. When it comes to presumptions, I presume virtually everything I say will encounter question and disagreement from somebody.

Monday, it was you.

I thank you for listening. I thank you for writing. I pray (in fact, right now) that God would remove the scales from your eyes and you would see and know Him personally and that He would bless you abundantly.

His Peace.

ST