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Reader Reaction to "The Evolution of Religion & 
the Power of Pursuance"Wow, that’s quite the article splashed on the front page of your “Special Christmas Edition” paper. I’d like to ask Mr. Barrie Richardson why he stopped short of calling all Christians complete morons? I mean, after all, he did say that the Holocaust was perpetrated by Christians….that Christians are war mongering people who will stop at nothing to get what we want….among them oil and gold. The majority of Christians are not like this at all, and furthermore, the true meaning of Christmas is still very important to many people…as it should be. Let’s first make the point that Christmas would not exist at all if it weren’t for the birth of Christ…and for the Christian faith. Secondly, true happiness is not really achievable via the materialistic “things” of this world as Barrie would like to have us believe. I personally take offence to the comment that Mr. Richardson made when he said that the Holocaust was perpetrated by Christians…..the Holocaust was not perpetrated by the Christian faith….it was perpetrated by a bunch of ignorant, crazy Nazi’s who were following a mentally de-ranged dictator who went by the name of Hitler. Perhaps they claimed to be Christians, but just because someone proclaims the Christian faith doesn’t necessarily mean that they are a Christian. And let’s not forget the sacrifice made by thousands of soldiers who fought and died in World War II to bring an end to the atrocities being perpetrated by the Nazi regime…how many of those soldiers were Christians…and fighting to stop, among other things, the Holocaust? It’s interesting that you chose to release a special “Christmas” edition of this paper only to then put an article denouncing the true meaning of Christmas on your front page…..especially in a community that is largely dominated by people who proclaim their faith to be Christianity. For me, Christmas is a very joyful and exciting time of year, but it also a very spiritual time for me as well. It is possible for it to be both…and personally, I believe that it is meant to be both….a festive, joyous, gift giving and Spiritual time of the year. I have in the past enjoyed reading many of your articles pertaining to the surrounding area, but I will no longer give your paper the time of day…it will simply go straight into the trash can. Furthermore, over the next couple of weeks, I will take the time to email each and every one of your advertisers to let them know that I will no longer be seeing their advertisements in your paper because of the inflammatory remarks made towards my faith in the special “Christmas Edition.” I do realize that you have a disclaimer noting that the opinions expressed in your paper are not necessarily the opinions of the editors and/or publishers, but, just as Barrie Richardson is entitled to his opinion, you are entitled to approve or disapprove of the article being printed. I also am entitled to my opinion and consequent reaction….and unfortunately for your paper, my reaction is one that includes throwing your paper in the trash and letting your advertisers know that if they wish to reach me as a consumer of their products, that they will have to find another way to do it. Perhaps some of your advertisers will agree with me and stop advertising with your paper. Either way, you’ve lost me as a future reader….and I suspect you may lose others as well. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Sincerely, Chris Tedford Young’s Point GARDEN STONES FOR HOPE Alice Liberty 
On October 2, 2004, 11-year-old Lindsay Tucker (pictured left), and some of her family members (including her aunt, who is living with breast cancer), and 26 "Women of Apsley" took part in the C.I.B.C. Run for the Cure to support breast cancer research. The Apsley area participants raised close to $3500 for the cause. Lindsay is the grand-daughter of Alice Liberty and the daughter of Leigh Tucker. As well as participating in the run, she raised an additional $450 by selling her hand-made Garden Stones, decorated with marbles, shells, and river rock. Wendy Wood of Windsor is pictured above buying one of Lindsay' beautiful creations. |
The Author's Reply……... Dear Chris Tedford, I feel sorry that you did not get the point of my editorial. I did not condemn or even challenge the existence of God or that Christmas originated with the birth of the Savior. My argument is solely with those who allege to be Christian, who condemn us for not being Christian “enough” and who support the destruction of homes and the killing of people in the name of a faith, any faith. I was educated from the age of 6 to 11 by a private school based on Jesuit values and methods. Those guys did not fool around. You did, thought and prayed as you were told. Yet, you were encouraged to think for yourself. I ran afoul of this contradiction when I said that if Catholic martyrs could die for Christianity, why couldn’t the Pope stick up for others being killed? This was in 1946 when the story of the holocaust was just unfolding here in Canada. I was not only punished with a heavy rubber strap for the question, but I was told in no uncertain terms that the Pope is infallible; the victims were Jews and therefore non-believers with no chance of a heavenly afterlife. I thought this rather extreme and eventually left the school and the rites of Catholicism for a more comfortable accommodation with God. I have been a student of the irony and dichotomy between God’s “middlemen” and His followers ever since. The great thing about Canada, and the reason our men fought in Europe, Korea and elsewhere, is that we are free to say or write what we please as long as it does not inflame hatred of a group or race. Thank you for taking the time to respond and I respect your disagreement with me: That is what a healthy dialogue is about. Regards, Barrie Richardson Resolution Solution Make good health your family’s 2005 resolution! Look for this article in every issue of the Apsley Voice, for heart healthy recipes, and healthy lifestyle tips and tools. Not only will you and your family look and feel great, but you can significantly reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Visit www.heartandstroke.ca and learn more about how to:
5 to 10 Servings of vegetables and fruit a day can help to reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes and some types of cancer. Think Healthy * Be Healthy…... 
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