Someone recently passed this article on to me, which I posted on another board. It was promptly removed. So sad . . .

Frightening News from France

Once again, the real news in France is conveniently

not being reported as it should. To give you an idea

of what's going on in France where there are now

between 5 and 6 million Muslims and about 600,000 Jews,

here is an email that came from a Jew living in

France. Please read! Will the world say nothing - again - as it did in Hitler's time?

"I AM A JEW -- therefore I am forwarding this to

everyone on all my e-mail lists. I will not sit back

and do nothing." Nowhere have the flames of

anti-Semitism burned more furiously than in France:

Lyon, a car was rammed into a synagogue and set

on fire. In Montpellier, the Jewish religious center

was firebombed; so were synagogues in Strasbourg and

Marseilles; so was a Jewish school in Creteil - all recently.

A Jewish sports club in Toulouse was attacked with

Molotov cocktails, and on the statue of Alfred

Dreyfus in Paris, the words "Dirty Jew" were

painted. In Bondy, 15 men beat up members of a

Jewish football team with sticks and metal bars. The

bus that takes Jewish children to school in

Aubervilliers has been attacked three times in the last 14 months.

According to the Police, metropolitan Paris has seen

10 to 12 anti-Jewish incidents PER DAY in the past

30 days. Walls in Jewish neighborhoods have been

defaced with slogans proclaiming "Jews to the gas

chambers" and "Death to the Jews."

A gunman opened fire on a Kosher butcher's shop

(and, of course, the butcher) in Toulouse , France;

a Jewish couple in their 20s were beaten up by five

men in Villeurbanne , France . The woman was

pregnant; a Jewish school was broken into and

vandalized in Sarcelles , France . This was just in

the past week.

So I call on you, whether you are a fellow Jew, a

friend, or merely a person with the capacity and

desire to distinguish decency from depravity, to do,

at least, these three simple things:

First, care enough to stay informed. Don't ever let

yourself become deluded into thinking that this is

no t your fight. I remind you of what Pastor

Neimoller said in World War II: "First they came for

the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I

wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and

I didn't speak up, because I wasn't a Jew. Then they

came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak up,

because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me,

and by that time there was no one left to speak up

for me".

Second, boycott France and French products. Only the

Arab countries are more toxically anti-Semitic and,

unlike them, France exports more than just oil and

hatred. So boycott their wines and their perfumes.

Boycott their clothes and their foodstuffs. Boycott

their movies. Definitely boycott their shores. If

we are resolved we can exert amazing pressure and,

whatever else we may know about the French, we most

certainly know that they are like a cobweb in a

hurricane in the face of well directed pressure.

Third, send this along to your family, your friends,

and your co-workers. Think of all of the people of

good conscience that you know and let them know

that you and the people that you care about need

their help. The number one best selling book in

France is "September 11: The Frightening Fraud,"

which argues that no plane ever hit the Pentagon."

Very honestly, with many many posts recently just admitting you are a Christian puts you in open season.

(snip)

If a Christian lashes out, then they're accused of not being a 'real' Christian or being hyprocritical or just plain stupid, but your constant interrogation and ridicule seems to somehow qualify you for superiority?

(snip)

By the way, I've been on this board since week one. I have seen this territorialism over and over. Different story, different factions, same behavior. This too shall pass..

Leatha, I'm not a regular in R&R, so I have no clue about the stuff you're referring to. But, from an outsider looking in, it's pretty obvious that you entered this particular conversation with an agenda based on *other* discussions here.

Tami

like Ron, who have no idea what has been going on be sucked in unknowingly.

There's a difference between unknowingly being sucked into something, and joining this board with the intention of rousing debate. It's not like "Ron Caruso" had been helping people determine if they were too tight over in General, or answering insurance questions, or -- pick a topic of your choice, and then somehow happened here and was taken down by a flock of prowling atheists. "Ron Caruso" posted here, and independently brought up the topic of religion with me. My title clearly states I'm an atheist. Not many questions about that. That's not really "unknowingly being sucked into".

Just for the record, when I posted here I expected that my topic and comments would spark lively debate and differing viewpoints. I make no bones about who I am or what I believe, and am not shy about expressing it.

What sparked me to bring up the subject was your moniker of "token athiest" which seems like an open invitation for discussion of the subject. If it wasn't meant to invite discussion, I assume it would not be there in such a prominent position. That being said, why do some find it suprising that a Christian would ask questions about someone displaying the title of "token athiest"!! That is like putting a bone in front of a hungry dog, and wondering why he ate it!!

why do some find it suprising that a Christian would ask questions about someone displaying the title of "token athiest"!! That is like putting a bone in front of a hungry dog, and wondering why he ate it!!

Ron, put down the athiest! Bad dog!

Tami

I'm sorry you see answering questions as being baited. We have a pretty clear difference of opinion there. I have no problems answering questions. I've answered more questions here about my atheism than I can count, and that's not even including the PMs and emails I get from here. I have some objection to being "scoffed", for lack of a better word, with insinuations like "have you done your homework?"

I've never had a problem with you Leatha, but I think your comments are stemming largely from what other people have done or have said, yet your finger is pointing at me.

What sparked me to bring up the subject was your moniker of "token athiest" which seems like an open invitation for discussion of the subject. If it wasn't meant to invite discussion, I assume it would not be there in such a prominent position. That being said, why do some find it suprising that a Christian would ask questions about someone displaying the title of "token athiest"!! That is like putting a bone in front of a hungry dog, and wondering why he ate it!!

Ok, I'll say it again. I don't mind being asked questions. I'm not a genius but I'm smart enough to know that "putting something out there" is likely to bring interest. And I've had a LOT of extremely civil conversations about my atheism, and others' christianity, and others' hinduism, and others' every which what.

Please don't think I have objections to rational conversation. All it would take is a search or two and you'd find quite the opposite. But my definition of rational does not necessarily include condescension.

"token athiest"!! That is like putting a bone in front of a hungry dog, and wondering why he ate it!!

And no, it's actually not like that. My signature has been what it has been for... oh... a year and a half. Two years. Something like that. So it's more like a hungry dog happening upon a bone, and deciding to jump.

I make no bones about who I am or what I believe, and am not shy about expressing it.

You keep saying that, over and over, in many different ways. I get it. Yet - no one has asked you to have bones, or be ashamed, or withhold your opinion.

Wheetsin,

You are taking something I said completely out of context! After explaining what I believed and why I believed it, I made it clear that I arrived at my conviction after many years of searching, studing and questioning. When I said "have you done your homework?"

I was inquiring if you had also done likewise to arrive at your position on faith. This is the second or third thing that I have said that you took as a personal afront, and have become defensive about. Now why is that??

Very honestly, with many many posts recently just admitting you are a Christian puts you in open season. All one has to do is read them. Even worse our moderators are part of the action.

I have posted many times that I'm a Christian, and I don't feel like I've taken flack for it at all.

I've been told I can just 'ignore' posts if I don't like them. I can just 'ignore' threads if I don't like them. So forgive me for asking, but if you see a person who openly admits to being a Christian, why on earth would you even feel compelled to speak to him?? You are obviously dead-set against his beliefs. You do not want to know his reasoning, you simply appear to be luring them in for the kill.

Ron came here, and his first post on a board that is mostly about Lap-Band wasn't about banding. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with doing that, but I don't see how he was lured in for some kill? He brought up personal faiths by asking Wheetsin about her title.

I did read the whole thread. This man had no idea what he was walking into and he was ganged up on. Shame on you...

I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. Again, he came to a lap-band board, granted at an invite. He brought up personal faith and questioned others believes. I think he knew exactly what he was doing, and had to have had an idea what the reaction would be.

This is the second or third thing that I have said that you took as a personal afront, and have become defensive about. Now why is that??

Why is it that I appear to get defensive when someone makes a comment that is easily interpreted as condescending? Do you not know the answer to that?

You said what you did. I interpreted it the way I did. I'm sure we'll both still die happy. I really don't dig bickering. Can we move beyond this?

I'm happy if you're happy!! :-)

I have posted many times that I'm a Christian, and I don't feel like I've taken flack for it at all.

Ron came here, and his first post on a board that is mostly about Lap-Band wasn't about banding. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with doing that, but I do see how he was lured in for some kill? He brought up personal faiths by asking Wheetsin about her title.

I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. Again, he came to a lap-band board, granted at an invite. He brought up personal faith and questioned others believes. I think he knew exactly what he was doing, and had to have had an idea what the reaction would be.

I agree. I think that Cusano was being totally disengenuous. Asking an individual who announces in her information block that she is an atheist whether she has examined her beliefs is both offensive and dumb. Of course she has! Why else would she put herself out there publically, eh? The issue of her beliefs should be a non-issue unless you are trying to troll for souls, something which drives atheists right around the twist. Cusano, you got what you asked for, the attention of a flock of angry atheists!

Listen, Christians, by virtue of their beliefs, will go to great lengths to share their faith. It is who they are! When we see someone who we believe to be eternally lost, professing themselves to be an athiest, we have a spiritual and moral obligation to share our faith with them. They may or may not accept it, but nevertheless, we must share it. We would be hypocrits if we did not. If being exposed to Christian faith and beliefs maks a "flock of atheists angry", then something must be hitting home!

Asking an athiest is they have examined their position on faith is very relevant, since atheists usually base their lack of faith entirely on "feelings" which can not be substanciated and have no basis in fact. It is based upon a foundation of sand that quickly washes away when put to the test. The result is usually anger, which as you point out, has happened here! God bless!

Listen, Christians, by virtue of their beliefs, will go to great lengths to share their faith. It is who they are! When we see someone who we believe to be eternally lost, professing themselves to be an athiest, we have a spiritual and moral obligation to share our faith with them. They may or may not accept it, but nevertheless, we must share it. We would be hypocrits if we did not. If being exposed to Christian faith and beliefs maks a "flock of atheists angry", then something must be hitting home!

Asking an athiest is they have examined their position on faith is very relevant, since atheists usually base their lack of faith entirely on "feelings" which can not be substanciated and have no basis in fact. It is based upon a foundation of sand that quickly washes away when put to the test. The result is usually anger, which as you point out, has happened here! God bless!

Wow. I don't agree. I do agree that when the time and place is right, yes, we should share our faith. However, not all times and places are right.

But to make such sweeping assumtions about what led others to their beliefs is so conterproductive to what you say you want to do. I don't think it helps anyone to share my faith in such a way that turns people off. And telling strangers on an internet forum such things is one of those ways.