To the editor:

I have watched the reaction to Josh Ray's article with great amusement. I thought it best to refrain from commenting until the legion of letters in support or protest were published in the following edition of The Chart, both to avoid being redundant and to enjoy the responses such a volatile article was sure to generate.  I was far from disappointed.

First, I would like to commend The Chart (something I don't do often, I assure you) for publishing what was obviously the cream of the replies. This isn't to say that they were all exceptional (far from it, actually) but I have no doubt that what made it to press was far better than what was discarded. Bravo.

Next, I would like to say that I do not agree with Josh Ray. Not about Christianity...I am not a Christian, nor do I believe in any sort of God or supernatural being to whom I must pay worship. I disagree with him because his argument against Christianity (at least in the form presented in his article) is weak and fallacious. Christianity, as well as every other religion I've encountered, is wrong not because there is a lack of consensus among the adherents as to what the religion "is," but because they are false. I see no reason to believe in God, no reason to expect anyone (including myself) to return from the dead or continue to exist prior to my extinction. I believe this because of rational evaluation of the evidence I have in front of me, rather than a cynical distaste for certain adherents of the religions I have encountered.

I have found in my life that people are good or bad, benevolent or evil in varying degrees regardless of what they worship or believe. I've known a great many Christians of highly respectable character. The love of my life is a Lutheran, and the most honorable person I know, my mother, is a Christian as well. The fact that my girlfriend and my mother don't exactly agree on what Christianity is does not signal to me that they have false beliefs or are less than admirable people...far from it. If there were a God, I think that such a being would expect (and appreciate) variety in the beliefs of its creations.

I do not mean to be harsh on Josh. I appreciate his attempt to show a variety of beliefs in this campus. We are not all Christians here, something that I think a lot of our more religious students have a hard time understanding. I also understand his frustration at the overly-aggressive nature of the more religious members of the student body, as well as The Chart itself. A certain young journalist (a term used with far more generosity than he is due) in the employ of The Chart has made clear in several of his columns his prejudiced and condescending distaste for all religions and religious beliefs other than fundamentalist Christianity. He once claimed that the duck billed platypus was evidence that evolution was a lie, and made the comment that those who don't believe in God are limited to finding spiritual enlightenment in pornography or money. Another editor made a condescending remark about the Islamic belief in the afterlife, showing her blatant misunderstanding of a very complex and ancient religion.

So, I understand. However, to Josh (and to others) I give some pieces of wisdom that it took me a great deal of time to uncover for myself. The first is to remember always that what is widely regarded as the Christian faith in this area (unwavering and ignorant belief in a literal interpretation of the ENTIRE Bible, as well political conservatism on a level that would make Barry Goldwater roll over in his grave) is NOT in any way the tenant of the Christian faith worldwide. Most Christians are kind-hearted, generous people who share a love for humanity as well as for the words of Christ. Do not let the Bible worshippers so common in this area of the world embitter you to an otherwise beautiful and enlightening faith. Second, when dealing with the abovementioned, misguided souls who mistake fundamentalism for Christianity, remember the words of Nietzsche, "When one fights monsters, one must take care not to also become a monster"

Sean Poindexter

Senior Sociology Major