CCCAMPER@UMCVMB (Elizabeth Stevens) (02/07/90)
A friend of mine gave me the following letter and asked me to distribute it to as many people as possible. It has amazed me to hear many Christians actually voice the opinion that we shouldn't force Christianity on people who have their own beliefs, ie by prayer in school. Yet aren't we called to spread his word? When you go to witness to someone does it ever occurr to you *not* to because you should respect their choice of belief????????? What Mrs. O'Hair is trying to do sounds so ludicrous it's hardly worth worrying about. Yet, that's how extremists like herself are able to accomplish the impossible, by not being taken seriously. I hope some of you will seriously consider letting your voice be heard. Thanks! Elizabeth Madalyn Murry O'Hair, an atheist whose efforts successfully eliminated the use of Bible reading and prayer from all public schools 15 years ago, has been granted a Federal hearing in Washington, D.C. on the subject of (F.C.C.). The petition, R.H. 2493, would ultimately pave the way to stop the reading of the Gospel on the air waves of America. She thook her petition, with 27,000 signatures, to back her stand. If her attempt is successful, all Sunday worship services being broadcast, either by radio or television will stop. Many elderly people and shut-ins, as well as those recuperating from hospitalization or illness, depend on radio and television to fulfill their worship needs every week. Madalyn is also campaigning to remove all CHRISTMAS PROGRAMS AND CHRISTMAS SONGS AND CHRISTMAS CAROLS from public schools. You can help at this time. We need 1,000,000 signed letters. This should defeat Mrs. O'Hair and show that there are amny CHRISTIANS ALIVE AND WELL AND CONCERNED in our country. This petition is NO. 2493. --------------------------------------------------------------------- Federal Communications Commission 1919 'H' Street Re: Petition 2493 Washington, D.C. 20054 Date: To Whom It May Concern: I am an American and proud of my heritage. I am also very much aware of the place religious faith has played in the freedom we as Americans now enjoy. Therefore, I protest any human effort to remove from radio or television any program designed to show faith, God or a Supreme Being, or to remove Christmas songs, programs, or carols from public schools. Sincerely, ____________________________________________ Print name______________________________________________________________ Address_________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code ________________________________________________________________________ Return Address...... Elizabeth Stevens (314) 882-5166 CCCAMPER@UMCVMB Computing Facilities University of Missouri-Columbia 316 Jesse Hall Columbia, MO 65211
PJS895S@SMSVMA (Pat Shepard) (02/08/90)
Although I am definitely opposed to removing Christian broadcasting from
our country, I am solidly against (organized) prayer in the public schools. For
three different reasons.
First, we have a separation of church and state for a reason, and a good
one at that. We don't want government messing with the churches. How would
you like there to exist the potential of New Age rituals being introduced into
the public schools? We have to put up with the lack of religion in our public
institutions so we don't have our public institutions messing with our religion
Second, prayer is something intended for praise of God. It should not be
forced...not on anyone, but rather it should be voluntary. I remember school
quite well, everything there is forced.
Third, Christianity has always done best when it was not institutionalized
. The greatest tragedy ever to befall Christianity was when it became the
official religion of the Roman Empire. Christianity is meaningful because it
is CHOSEN. I choose to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. If God had wanted
this forced upon us he could have created us without free will.
In His Love,
PatCCCAMPER@UMCVMB (Elizabeth Stevens) (02/08/90)
*** Forwarding note from HDWIEBE --OWUCOMCN 02/07/90 12:45 *** From: <HDWIEBE@OWUCOMCN> Subject: RE: TAKING CHRISTIANITY OFF ALL AIRWAVES To: CCCAMPER@UMCVMB Original_To: BITNET%"CCCAMPER@UMCVMB" I just received your post to CHRISTIA about Madalyn Murray O'Hair's petition to take religious broadcasting off the air. If this is the same "petition" I have heard of (and since it mentions RM2493 I think it is), it is either a mistake or a hoax. I have seen this one go around several times before, on BITnet and in various churches, and according to our local Christian radio station (who would of course be directly affected by any such petition), it is not true that any such attempt is being made. A petition WAS mad in 1974 and 1975 by two men (Mrs. O'Hair had nothing to do with it) which would have limited some aspects of religious broad- casting; this was the real RM2493, and it was rejected unanimously by the FCC in August 1975. Since that time phony petitions have periodically re-appeared, causing a total of about 16 million letters to be written to the FCC (as of 1986). So, this is one we apparently don't have to worry about at this time . . . H. D. Wiebe Return Address...... Elizabeth Stevens (314) 882-5166 CCCAMPER@UMCVMB Computing Facilities University of Missouri-Columbia 316 Jesse Hall Columbia, MO 65211
bin@PRIMATE.WISC.EDU (Brain in Neutral) (02/09/90)
If this FCC thing is what I think it is, we should all ignore it. It has been known to be a fake for a number of years, and the FCC wishes it would go away because there is no substance to it. Or is this a new, valid, one? Paul DuBois Internet: dubois@primate.wisc.edu UUCP: rhesus!dubois FAX: 608/263-4031