Cliffe offers good points, examples

We had the amazing opportunity last week to have Cliffe on campus. He made many good points in his discussions with people. One of those points was about why we try to share Christ as Christians: Just as people hand out condoms so people can have some type of protection from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases, we hand out Bibles and pamphlets to share what has made a difference in our lives.

Josh said, "If people want to be tricked into believing in an invisible man ..." Well, Josh, I for one would like to say, for the sake of discussion, if all my beliefs are some deal a person made up, I am no worse off than you in the end if we all will face the same end to our lives with nothing to look forward to.

Now, for the sake of discussion, what if my faith is the truth? Josh, then in that case I am, according to the Bible and Christ's promise, going to go to Heaven. "I am the Way the Truth and the Life, nobody gets to the Father except through Me." If it comes down to that judgment day, I believe that many would agree with me when I say that it is better to have had that faith and that dedication to Christ and be with Him than to be eternally separated from Him. I think the alternative of not having Him in my life is a lot worse.

The Ku Klux Klan, for the record, misinterpreted the Bible to support a belief system that they had believed to be right for a long time, the degradation of an entire race. We as Christians don't support this, so your attack on us is unfounded. We were warned to watch out for wolves in sheep's clothing; that is why we offer you the Bible - so that you can read it and check us on what we say. It evens out the playing field.

Consider those Bibles like textbooks for a class; if the teacher tells you something, you can find it in that textbook which will back up his claim. In the same way, you will find the things that the Christians say in the Bible. Go in and test what we say. It is just an easier way for you to try to see for yourself what we offer.

I don't, as a Christian, shove anything down anyone's throat, and for the record, I am offended that you would categorize us all in that same manner. There are plenty of us who are here to share Christ's love while not shoving it down throats. For example, Cliffe, who is a very respectful man with a very respectful message. God Bless.

Allan Bushnell
religious studies sophmore

Fair-weather fans should be ignored

There is one thing that makes me mad about Brett Moeller and the rest of the fair-weather fans. When we win, they are quick to chant that "our" team did it, but when we don't win, they say the team should have done this or that, etc. All I have to say is that it is our own Cats who were beating the No. 1 team by 15 points and on their home court as well! I would like to see you guys shoot a basketball. I have only three more things to say: 1) The Cats played great all year and rocked the house against Illinois, 2) Hassan Adams is definitely a soldier and 3) Salim, Channing and Hassan (maybe), we'll see you guys in the NBA where we will continue to cheer you on because you guys rock.

Irene Alvarez
pharmaceutical sciences graduate student

Don't blame home-court advantage for Illini win

Your article states at the very beginning the Illini had the home-court advantage. Sorry, but they were not at all at home. They just came from behind in four minutes to score 15 points with gutsy, unbelievable plays to beat you. Too bad you can't give them the credit they and their play deserved.

We realize it's tough to take.

Kent Parrish
Illinois fan

Republican protesters don't know English

Regarding the March 23 article "UAYD's removal still unattributed," my concerns are not only about the UA Young Democrats being removed from the publicly funded forum, but especially about the photo of the Bush supporters who clashed with protesters. This possible leader, the one holding the "Bush is better then hippies" sign, could use several lessons, in particular the use of the term "then" as opposed to "than" and "then" lessons about the politics of Social Security reform.

Pat Fleming
alumnus

Bible is real reason to dislike Bible-thumpers

This letter is in response to William Carroll's reply to my letter, "Don't let people hand out Bibles."

If everything that Mr. Carroll said were true - that not only does the Bible say "for God so loved the world ..." but that people followed it - I would say that he had a valid point. However, the church is in the center of the bigotry, hatred and exclusion that is tearing this country apart.

Sure, it does not say that God loves everyone except black Americans, but it also does not say that God loves everyone except homosexuals. The Bible says thou shalt not kill, yet many religious conservatives are in favor of the death penalty (while, ironically, against abortion and ending Terri Shiavo's life). Also, if Christians are so compassionate, then why are they against stem cell research? Surely, a life already made must hold more weight than a fetus that has already been aborted.

I raise these points to show that my comparison was not that far off. The Ku Klux Klan uses the Bible to promote their beliefs (white supremacy), and mainstream Christians use the Bible to support theirs (against the freedom to marry, against the freedom to chose to end pregnancy, in favor of the death penalty).

I am entirely for free speech. I would die for the right to free speech if it were taken away. But this is a college campus in which students - not old people with too much time on their hands - should be expressing their views. In addition, I do qualify being asked six times to take a Bible as harassment.

So many people have died at the hands of that book, so many people have been persecuted, so many people, even today, live worse-off lives because of that book that I do find it ridiculous that some people find any redeeming value in it (and yes, I have read it, almost cover to cover).

I believe that Christians and the world would be much better off if they listened to the words of Jesus instead of some outdated book. While no, I do not believe Jesus was the son of God, or even close to it, I think he had some great messages - none of which included exclusion.

Because I protest the KKK's bigotry, I feel that I have just as much right to protest the church's bigotry, however unpopular that may make me.

Josh Garber
economics junior

Plenty of intangible reasons to be found for faith

Thank you, William Carroll, for an intelligent and respectful reply to a letter that was neither of those things. I applaud you for being able to reply to Mr. Garber's letter without allowing anger at being compared to the Ku Klux Klan to cloud your reasoning and muddle your words - something I was unable to do. I also applaud you for responding with wit and sarcasm rather than crass accusations and generalizations.

In reply to Mr. Garber's comment on not believing in the "man in the sky," I would like to refer him to Hebrews 11:1 which states: "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

I have faith that there are little charged particles all over the place that make up what we call matter. I have faith that the world actually is round (having not actually been into space to see it). I have faith that there are things in this universe that I cannot see or observe. And I have faith that my understanding of this world is limited but that there is a God who does not have such limitations.

Maybe you, Mr. Garber, should think very carefully about all that you already believe through faith and find out how deep your understanding of this world really goes.

Steven Hurd
computer engineering junior

U.N. influence in Congo a storied history

The preconceptions surrounding the United Nations' policy of helping Third World countries is astonishing. The United Nations has had its claws in these developing countries since its inception.

A riot in Congo in 1959 led to nominal independence for these tribal peoples from their Belgian occupiers. However, provisions in the Congo's new constitution allowed for Belgian intervention whenever the latter felt compelled to do so (see the United States' Platt Amendment).

Within days, nationalist Patrice Lumumba was chosen in free elections. Belgian forces then occupied the province of Katanga, preserving this area of influence containing a majority of the country's cobalt, diamond, gold, copper and silver resources, and supported its secession.

Lumumba appealed to the United Nations, the United States and Canada for help, receiving none, which prompted welcome assistance from the Soviets. Soon thereafter, displeasure from the Soviets and countries in the Afro-Asia bloc prompted the United Nations to replace Belgian forces with its own.

The problem was that Dag Hammarsköld, U.N. Secretary-General, was closely allied with both Belgian and U.S. top administrators. The officials who led the U.N. forces were American, and vastly anti-Lumumba. Meanwhile, the CIA was aiding Joseph Mobutu, a military strongman, and after failing to oust Lumumba through the legislature, it turned to Mobutu and his army, which instituted a coup.

Lumumba fled to his home, where Mobutu's forces quickly followed. The same U.N. forces refused to intervene in the Lumumba hunt, save a battalion of Ghanaian troops fighting the Mobutu forces and holding their ground to save the Prime Minister. This forced the UN to support the salvation of Lumumba, until he left his home. CIA officials alerted Mobutu's army about Lumumba's whereabouts and captured him promptly. He was killed either by Belgian or U.S. forces a few months later. This is just one example of developing countries that have been "helped" by the United Nations.

Bryan McIntosh
political science senior