Letters for October 14, 2010

Hate machine

Re “First Amendment vs. First Commandment” (Feature story, Oct. 7):

Pastor Reed must get his “facts” about the LDS church from the anti-Mormon hate groups. Hit squads? I hadn’t heard that one before. He forgot the one about the LDS children casting “spells” depicted in one slow-motion video segment, when the children are actually singing about blossoms on an apricot tree looking like popcorn popping! Harry made no secret promises to the LDS church; he made covenants concerning his promise to live his life for the Lord. The LDS church has had many attempts made to call it a cult. It does not meet the definition of a cult. People have taken the sacred things of the temple and portrayed them out of context and with a malicious intent to turn them into some sort of perverse activity. Nothing could be further from the truth. Baptism for the dead was practiced in the time of Christ in the temples; a reference in the New Testament asks: Why are they then baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? The sacred temple garments are a reminder of the sacred covenants (promises made to God concerning how you will live your life) and are a protection to members because they remind them to stay focused on the important things, like the kingdom of God. The LDS church worships the same Jesus Christ as does the rest of Christianity. We do not worship any man. Prophets existed after Jesus died. Read the book of Acts for proof.

There is no secrecy in the church, only protection of what is believed to be sacred. The Lord has always warned against casting pearls before swine. Those who do not understand the value of those things will trash and defile them. As in all arguments of this nature that use “facts” that are not true or at the very least are taken out of context and twisted, look at the money. The LDS church has a lay ministry that does not get paid. It is voluntary service to their fellow man that sometimes adds up to many hours in a week away from their own families. Pastor Reed makes his living telling others what to believe and apparently is not good at telling them the truth. A simple visit to LDS.org would provide the pastor with volumes of truth about the church. Instead of facts, he seems to like rumors that fit his malicious views. This is not a good thing for Sharron Angle to be associated with.

Daniel Lage
Johnstown, Colorado

Whose god?

Re “First Amendment vs. First Commandment” (Feature story, Oct. 7):

I just read the cover story.The first word from my mouth: “Wow!”

Funny how when you ask a right-wing Bible thumper about an actual issue, they immediately point the finger elsewhere. So what if Harry Reid is Mormon? I have family and friends who are LDS, and I am never shunned away if I choose to attend their “cult.” They have always welcomed me with open arms. They have money to help their followers (food banks, help with rent/bills, etc.). And they keep that money because they can go three days without bickering with another branch. So why didn’t Pastor Reed ever answer any questions? Sounds to me he’s paid by the “kook” Angle to slam people on her behalf. God help Nevada if she’s elected. I pray to my God otherwise. She’s a joke.

Kristen Sutter
via email

Steel cage grudge match

Re “First Amendment vs. First Commandment” (Feature story, Oct. 7):

I think we all need to consider the religions of our leaders as they choose our destiny. Do they think Armageddon is on the horizon, and is this what we want for our children? How do we know and how can we trust the spirits who tell them what to do? Do they lie, or can all ghosts be trusted? Is this a holy ghost, and when do “we the people” get to see the “specter” interviewed by Katie Couric on the news? Sharron Angle fought the demons that were in the black colors of the Tonopah high school football team and won that particular battle when they switched to red. We never did hear the ranking of those particular demons. What colors will she use to fight Satan when he comes to tempt America? Certainly it won’t be pink, and we all know that purple triangles turn babies gay. Maybe she can use green, the color of money. As spoken of in born-again Christian media, a clumsy, unfocused mind is a sign of possession. When Sara Palin got exorcised, where did the demons go, and do they ever come back? What if we vote for her and the demons come back, then we will have voted a demon-possessed person to control the future of Earth. What if a crisis occurs? Do we have enough faith in her powers of prayer to split the seas for us, or will her god forsake her as he has done to so many armies of the past? Mental heath doctors say that people who see and talk to specters have serious issues. We should consider their claims very seriously when they want to lead us. How many of us must die before Jesus steps up to fight Muhammad himself, in the great battle of the saviors? Then who will buy tickets and who will sell them?

John Little
Sun Valley

Now, you’re talking

Some states are choosing wide-open-primary non-partisan elections. All qualified candidates for an office can compete, and all qualified voters may vote. The two candidates with the most votes advance to the general election. This is a most desirable election process for our democratic republic. Of course, the two major political parties oppose it, as giving we the people our right to govern would dilute the power of these “power elite.” The above would be a vast improvement to Nevada’s complex, inscrutable and unfair election process.

Walden Joura
Reno

Liberal? Arts?

Re “Listen to your ol’ dad” (Notes from the Neon Babylon, Oct. 7):

I’ve always heard that it’s good to get a well-rounded liberal arts education so you won’t be bored to death while unemployed for the rest of your life. It’s worked for me.

Karl Larson
Moab, Utah

Fake votes

Re “Don’t vote” (Editorial, Oct. 7):

Nevada is the only state in the nation that has a ballot option “None of these Candidates” in statewide races. It is non-binding, has no impact on the outcome of the election and isn’t counted in determining the winner. Only votes cast for named candidates are counted.

As voters, we have been led to believe that marking this ballot option is a way to protest against all those running in a race. But selecting “None” simply reduces the number of votes necessary to win.

There is a media, pollster and public misunderstanding that marking “None” is a protest vote, but it is not effective in sending a message to any candidate. It has never changed a candidate’s stand on the issues. You are not voting if you mark “None,” but by doing so, you favor the incumbent who has the benefit of media and name recognition, the candidate without significant opposition, or the one who uses negative campaign tactics to divert votes away from a challenger.

If you like a candidate, vote for that person. If you don’t like the politics of a candidate or what he/she stands for, then vote for someone, anyone, who will defeat that candidate. There will always be an opportunity to replace even the worst representative at the next election. But not by wasting a vote by marking “None” on the ballot.

Cathy Valenta Weise
Reno