Music Title: Ebb Tide CR's Archive Center Index Theo the "snooper" speaks! On comparing pro abortionists and Nazis! Are We Selective in Condemning Violence? Is Promise Keepers a Suspect Organization? Is it a sin to be white and part of a dominant majority? On teaching kids how to kill! Search All of Circuit Rider's Range Guess what? I got to snooping around in some of CR's files and found a letter he had written to the Interpreter magazine a few years back. It seems some people were upset about some other people making comparisons of abortionists and their supporters to Nazis of WW II notoriety! Ah, doesn't take much imagination to figure that CR would respond, putting an interesting twist to this as he makes his "confession" concerning his own guilt in this issue! There is a puzzle here -- why do you suppose they chose not publish this one? After all, shouldn't it make front page headlines when a Methodist preacher 'fesses up??? March 30, 1995 Editor, Interpreter Nashville, TN Dear Madam: I am responding to the reporting of an open letter sent to pro-life groups and leaders deploring among other things the rhetoric of comparing abortionists and their supporters to Nazis. Being adamantly pro-life, in strong disagreement with the official United Methodist position on abortion, and sometimes guilty of using the aforementioned rhetoric, I now admit I was wrong in making such a comparison for the following reasons: 1. The Nazis only exterminated a total of 10 to 12 million persons while abortion providers have destroyed a grand total of 32 million unborn children or more up to this point in time! 2. The Nazis did not make any money in their extermination program. In fact it was a financial drain and proved rather costly. Abortion providers make big bucks and will resist all efforts to restrict abortion in order to protect their lucrative market! 3. The Nazis did not discriminate as much as the abortion providers in that they eliminated men, women and children. Abortion providers on the other hand discriminate solely against women and unborn children -- exploiting the one group financially and destroying the other! 4. The Nazis exterminated certain humans because they sincerely believed the purity of the race was threatened. In America abortionists exterminate unborn humans merely for the sake of convenience and lush profits! So I confess my error in comparing pro-abortion people to Nazis. It is not an accurate comparison and certainly not fair to the Nazis! On the societal "totem pole" ours would rank a few levels lower than Nazi Germany due to the number of victims involved. Further, we would be at least one level lower than the ancient Canaanites. At least the Canaanites allowed their children to be born and live a while before being thrown into the fire in sacrifice to Molech! Pro-abortionists in American society have seen to it that millions of our children didn't even have a chance to be born! In the cause of human life which God identifies and for which He has plans even prior to conception and birth, I am Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor Triangle United Methodist Parish Belsano PA 15922 Are We Selective in Condemning Violence? Two violent events in October '98 dominated media reports for a time -- the violent murder of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual student at the University of Wyoming, and the shooting of an abortion doctor in the state of New York. No one with a bit of sensitivity to a Christian based value system can condone these happenings no matter how opposed one may be to the homosexual lifestyle or to the practice of performing abortions by a doctor. Perhaps Bishop Mary Ann Swenson (Rocky Mt. and Yellowstone Conferences) best depicts the inconsistency within the UMC in her public statement on the death of Shepard which among other things declared that the violent act "sickens me," adding, "God's love is for all. I know only one meaning of that word, and that is: all, everyone, no exceptions." At this point in time no statement on the death of the abortionist has been made by the bishop. [Return to 2 faces of mainstream media] What is the point? If we are going to publicly state our outrage at violence which takes human life, then let's go the whole way -- are not the violent acts that occur within abortion clinics and some hospitals on an average of over 4,000 times per day worthy of protest publicly? And they are very violent as colored photos of mangled remains will reveal! For the most part our diligent (?) media people see to it that such photos are suppressed -- it's ok to show graphic details of other violent acts and results, but not on what happens when a doctor violently destroys a human being whom God is forming in the womb -- no sir, can't do that! Would Bishop Swenson's words, "...all, everyone, no exceptions." extend to the thousands of victims of the American holocaust? The defense as to the strange silence concerning response to thousands of violent acts performed in the womb on a daily basis is this -- "It's a complex issue!" Come on now -- what is so complex about a person taking some tools and tearing to pieces another person God is forming in the womb for a high and holy purpose? To some of us, it seems like a rather plain and simple act of raw violence -- one BIG difference however -- the guy with the tools gets paid very well for doing the violent act! Well, bishops, in the UMC -- which of you will be the first to issue a public statement deploring this very common area of violence and loss of human life taking place daily? Don't hold your breath on this one folks! Should Promise Keepers Be Suspect? On September 26, 1998 the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, PA) published an article on a rally being held in the city by Promise Keepers. If that article alone was the only information one had on Promise Keepers, one would conclude that this is a suspect group with highly questionable motives. Below is a letter responding to that article which details some of the concerns as to how the event was reported. September 27, 1998 Dear Editor: Was it a deliberately planned strategy that the article on Promise Keepers (Sept. 26) was authored by a female writer, a considerable percentage of the article was given to references to NOW (National Organization of Women), female opinions, and the headline emphasized that a women's group would not have a counter rally? It was noted that NOW fears a "hidden agenda" in the Promise Keepers movement. NOW would do well to honestly assess its own agenda which among other things gives sanction to the destruction of huge numbers of unborn children on a yearly basis and has served notice constantly that it will do whatever necessary to preserve the infamous Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision that grants the so called "right" (?) to abortion on demand. This agenda is in direct conflict with our Creator's agenda which includes a special plan and purpose for those same victims of mass destruction. If the NOW people willfully refuse to face that reality now, they most certainly will after making their exit from this earthly life! How about balancing this subject out a bit and run an article which is exclusively devoted to all female and children's comments. However, in order to get a more accurate picture of Promise Keepers without male bias and the repulsive NOW bias, let the comments be limited to the wives and children of men who are quite involved in Promise Keepers. Further, in order for that picture to be as clear as possible, cover geographical areas all over the country, including rural, urban and inner city areas. That should confirm what a substantial number already know -- that Almighty God has been pleased to bless this movement with very positive results, and groups such as NOW can scream and complain all they want to, but they can't stop it! Still contending (Jude 3,4) Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired Belsano PA Is It a Sin to Be White and Part of a Dominant Majority???? The following is a response to UM Reporter editorial which suggested that it's not just a matter of racial prejudice as such, but it's a bad thing that Caucasians are too many in number and are dominant in American society! The letter was printed in some editions of the Reporter, but it was "butchered" a bit as a result of "editing license" (???) -- here is the COMPLETE letter as originally written and sent to them. Editorial Staff United Methodist Reporter Dear Editors: So now it's not just that whites have been guilty of racial prejudice -- we have now sinned because of our arithmetic (98/07/03) -- there are just too many Caucasians around! Ok -- instead of just making editorial talk, let's do the practical thing -- all Caucasians in some kind of dominant, controlling position should resign and turn that position over to an African American. Let's start with the United Methodist Church -- all white bishops (including the females), senior pastors, heads of boards and agencies, and editorial staff members can turn their positions over to African Americans. Unfortunately I don't have a prestige pulpit from which I can resign, having intentionally chosen to stay with insignificant small congregations during active ministry years. And to offer the pulpits of those little churches out in the sticks to an African American would be considered a racial slur I'm sure! The reason for my choice is given in Range 4 of the Circuit Rider's Range located at: http://www.angelfire.com/pa/truthfrees/index.html. After the church has paved the way toward rectifying this sin of dominance by numbers, then the rest of society can be challenged as well. Demand the resignations of white government leaders, starting with the president -- then all white members of Congress, the Supreme Court, ranking officers of the military, the heads and professors of colleges and universities, and all CEO's and supervisory personnel of corporations! This will go a long way in correcting this grievous wrong and also help whites to have a new perspective as African Americans assume the dominant roles across the various social structures of American society. It will further remind us of how sinful we are due to our being the majority in terms of numbers. I was keenly aware of racism and prejudice when I served in the U.S.M.C. in North Carolina at a time when some of you were not even born and others of you were but a few years old. I was not even a Christian but the prejudice so angered me that with my bare hands I felt like tearing out the 2 water fountains in a local 5 & 10 store that had the labels "colored" and "white" attached to them. And I spoke out against this shameful and horribly disgraceful thing. One of my best buddies was a black from Ohio. We were both angered by the fact that we could not "socialize" publicly -- that is, go to certain places in each other's company because the blacks had their places and the whites theirs and there was no social mixing of the two! There is still much to deal with in the issue of racism, but to be tagged a bunch of prejudicial "sinners" because we happen to be white and are the majority number? That one is certainly open to question! I used to think it would be an absurd and rediculous possibility but no longer take that position -- that the day may come when someone in the United Methodist Church will propose some kind of resolution that we put Jesus Christ on trial and try Him in absentia, finding Him guilty of prejudice because He chose all males in the selection of His apostles and thus denied such privilege to females and minority representatives. His sentence would be that He be demoted as King of kings and Lord of lords and forced to live an eternity in a society where a minority group is now dominant at all levels of the social structure! Your editorial is obviously pointing in the direction of such a resolution or something quite similar coming into existence at some future point in time. Still contending (Jude 3,4) Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired Member in full connection - W. PA Annual Conference Letter to United Methodist Reporter - 1998 Dear Editors: In reference to your April 24 editorial, "We Must Stop Teaching Kids How to Kill," you bring out the issue of the negative influence of the movie and TV industries which provide under the label of "entertainment" a powerful agenda which "conditions" people of all ages to settle their differences with others by violent actions. But it's not just the visual graphic violence that spurs young and old to duplicate what they see and digest -- it is also the audio and printed media as well. What is deceitfully marketed as "music" is nothing more than a deadly mix of vulgarity, immoral sexual activity, violence, suicide and a host of other view points that trample under foot all that is honorable and sacred! It is further supplemented by printed media which is readily available to the young. We crusade and spare no expense in attempting to eliminate deadly diseases in our society that destroy life -- why not really "pull out all the stops" and demand the elimination (not toleration) of those companies and their officers completely from the market place as they peddle their products which "program" and eventually destroy the young as well as the older members of our society? Those powerful individuals in the media are arrogant and greedy and take the position that the majority in our society want vulgarity, immorality and violence in their daily diet of entertainment! Driven by an obscene profit motive they are determined to give the public "what it wants." While they did not literally "pull the trigger" in school yard, post office and wherever shootings, they did mold the bullets which the elementary aged and older have fired and are just as guilty as "co-conspirators" would be! Come on, let's call a "spade" for what it really is here! Let's also honestly face the fact that those holding to and willing to consistently stand boldly for a standard of values which agrees with that which has been established by the Creator of this universe comprise a very small minority of individuals! It is becoming more obvious with the passing of each day that we are a society which is fulfilling to the very letter the words of Paul's predictions in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. There is more than an outside possibility that we may well have already crossed over the line of offered grace and it is merely a matter of time until we experience the wrath of a holy God Whose patience has finally run its course! Should that happen we can also expect to hear a multitude of voices whining, "Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?" (Jer. 5:19), just as a society did centuries ago which walked down the same road that we are now traveling! As it has been for nearly 2,000 years the call issued by God to fully repent of all sin is being scorned and rejected by the masses -- a tragedy that defies description, for in heeding that call we find the perfect cure for kids (and adults) who are inclined to kill each other and in rejecting it we commit national suicide! Still contending for the faith (Jude 3,4) Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired Wish to respond? Aw, go ahead -- responses to Circuit Rider's Range are always either positive or negative, with the negatives usually lumped into one category ("I hate your guts!), so it is doubtful anyone can come up with anything to top that! Just click on Penelope, our letter eating toad, who is charge of our mail room -- she's been promoted and given a pay raise for doing such a good job! In fact she is now in the salary range of UMC district superintendents, and that's a goodly chunk of change :^) Aaaaaagh! I'm a glutton for punishment - beam me to the top! Return to Range 1 Bird's Eye View of Circuit Rider's Range Circuit Rider's Search List Return to CR's Cauldron! Return to CR's Shooting Range Sign Circuit Rider's Guest Book Copyright 1998, 1999, 2000 Clayton D. Harriger
Guess what? I got to snooping around in some of CR's files and found a letter he had written to the Interpreter magazine a few years back. It seems some people were upset about some other people making comparisons of abortionists and their supporters to Nazis of WW II notoriety! Ah, doesn't take much imagination to figure that CR would respond, putting an interesting twist to this as he makes his "confession" concerning his own guilt in this issue! There is a puzzle here -- why do you suppose they chose not publish this one? After all, shouldn't it make front page headlines when a Methodist preacher 'fesses up???
March 30, 1995
Editor, Interpreter Nashville, TN
Dear Madam:
I am responding to the reporting of an open letter sent to pro-life groups and leaders deploring among other things the rhetoric of comparing abortionists and their supporters to Nazis.
Being adamantly pro-life, in strong disagreement with the official United Methodist position on abortion, and sometimes guilty of using the aforementioned rhetoric, I now admit I was wrong in making such a comparison for the following reasons:
1. The Nazis only exterminated a total of 10 to 12 million persons while abortion providers have destroyed a grand total of 32 million unborn children or more up to this point in time!
2. The Nazis did not make any money in their extermination program. In fact it was a financial drain and proved rather costly. Abortion providers make big bucks and will resist all efforts to restrict abortion in order to protect their lucrative market!
3. The Nazis did not discriminate as much as the abortion providers in that they eliminated men, women and children. Abortion providers on the other hand discriminate solely against women and unborn children -- exploiting the one group financially and destroying the other!
4. The Nazis exterminated certain humans because they sincerely believed the purity of the race was threatened. In America abortionists exterminate unborn humans merely for the sake of convenience and lush profits!
So I confess my error in comparing pro-abortion people to Nazis. It is not an accurate comparison and certainly not fair to the Nazis!
On the societal "totem pole" ours would rank a few levels lower than Nazi Germany due to the number of victims involved. Further, we would be at least one level lower than the ancient Canaanites. At least the Canaanites allowed their children to be born and live a while before being thrown into the fire in sacrifice to Molech! Pro-abortionists in American society have seen to it that millions of our children didn't even have a chance to be born!
In the cause of human life which God identifies and for which He has plans even prior to conception and birth, I am
Clayton D. Harriger, Pastor Triangle United Methodist Parish Belsano PA 15922
Are We Selective in Condemning Violence?
Two violent events in October '98 dominated media reports for a time -- the violent murder of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual student at the University of Wyoming, and the shooting of an abortion doctor in the state of New York. No one with a bit of sensitivity to a Christian based value system can condone these happenings no matter how opposed one may be to the homosexual lifestyle or to the practice of performing abortions by a doctor.
Perhaps Bishop Mary Ann Swenson (Rocky Mt. and Yellowstone Conferences) best depicts the inconsistency within the UMC in her public statement on the death of Shepard which among other things declared that the violent act "sickens me," adding, "God's love is for all. I know only one meaning of that word, and that is: all, everyone, no exceptions." At this point in time no statement on the death of the abortionist has been made by the bishop.
What is the point? If we are going to publicly state our outrage at violence which takes human life, then let's go the whole way -- are not the violent acts that occur within abortion clinics and some hospitals on an average of over 4,000 times per day worthy of protest publicly? And they are very violent as colored photos of mangled remains will reveal! For the most part our diligent (?) media people see to it that such photos are suppressed -- it's ok to show graphic details of other violent acts and results, but not on what happens when a doctor violently destroys a human being whom God is forming in the womb -- no sir, can't do that! Would Bishop Swenson's words, "...all, everyone, no exceptions." extend to the thousands of victims of the American holocaust?
The defense as to the strange silence concerning response to thousands of violent acts performed in the womb on a daily basis is this -- "It's a complex issue!"
Come on now -- what is so complex about a person taking some tools and tearing to pieces another person God is forming in the womb for a high and holy purpose? To some of us, it seems like a rather plain and simple act of raw violence -- one BIG difference however -- the guy with the tools gets paid very well for doing the violent act!
Well, bishops, in the UMC -- which of you will be the first to issue a public statement deploring this very common area of violence and loss of human life taking place daily? Don't hold your breath on this one folks!
Should Promise Keepers Be Suspect?
September 27, 1998
Dear Editor:
Was it a deliberately planned strategy that the article on Promise Keepers (Sept. 26) was authored by a female writer, a considerable percentage of the article was given to references to NOW (National Organization of Women), female opinions, and the headline emphasized that a women's group would not have a counter rally?
It was noted that NOW fears a "hidden agenda" in the Promise Keepers movement. NOW would do well to honestly assess its own agenda which among other things gives sanction to the destruction of huge numbers of unborn children on a yearly basis and has served notice constantly that it will do whatever necessary to preserve the infamous Supreme Court Roe v. Wade decision that grants the so called "right" (?) to abortion on demand. This agenda is in direct conflict with our Creator's agenda which includes a special plan and purpose for those same victims of mass destruction. If the NOW people willfully refuse to face that reality now, they most certainly will after making their exit from this earthly life!
How about balancing this subject out a bit and run an article which is exclusively devoted to all female and children's comments. However, in order to get a more accurate picture of Promise Keepers without male bias and the repulsive NOW bias, let the comments be limited to the wives and children of men who are quite involved in Promise Keepers. Further, in order for that picture to be as clear as possible, cover geographical areas all over the country, including rural, urban and inner city areas. That should confirm what a substantial number already know -- that Almighty God has been pleased to bless this movement with very positive results, and groups such as NOW can scream and complain all they want to, but they can't stop it!
Still contending (Jude 3,4)
Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired Belsano PA
Is It a Sin to Be White and Part of a Dominant Majority????
The following is a response to UM Reporter editorial which suggested that it's not just a matter of racial prejudice as such, but it's a bad thing that Caucasians are too many in number and are dominant in American society! The letter was printed in some editions of the Reporter, but it was "butchered" a bit as a result of "editing license" (???) -- here is the COMPLETE letter as originally written and sent to them.
Editorial Staff United Methodist Reporter
Dear Editors:
So now it's not just that whites have been guilty of racial prejudice -- we have now sinned because of our arithmetic (98/07/03) -- there are just too many Caucasians around!
Ok -- instead of just making editorial talk, let's do the practical thing -- all Caucasians in some kind of dominant, controlling position should resign and turn that position over to an African American.
Let's start with the United Methodist Church -- all white bishops (including the females), senior pastors, heads of boards and agencies, and editorial staff members can turn their positions over to African Americans. Unfortunately I don't have a prestige pulpit from which I can resign, having intentionally chosen to stay with insignificant small congregations during active ministry years. And to offer the pulpits of those little churches out in the sticks to an African American would be considered a racial slur I'm sure! The reason for my choice is given in Range 4 of the Circuit Rider's Range located at: http://www.angelfire.com/pa/truthfrees/index.html.
After the church has paved the way toward rectifying this sin of dominance by numbers, then the rest of society can be challenged as well. Demand the resignations of white government leaders, starting with the president -- then all white members of Congress, the Supreme Court, ranking officers of the military, the heads and professors of colleges and universities, and all CEO's and supervisory personnel of corporations! This will go a long way in correcting this grievous wrong and also help whites to have a new perspective as African Americans assume the dominant roles across the various social structures of American society. It will further remind us of how sinful we are due to our being the majority in terms of numbers.
I was keenly aware of racism and prejudice when I served in the U.S.M.C. in North Carolina at a time when some of you were not even born and others of you were but a few years old. I was not even a Christian but the prejudice so angered me that with my bare hands I felt like tearing out the 2 water fountains in a local 5 & 10 store that had the labels "colored" and "white" attached to them. And I spoke out against this shameful and horribly disgraceful thing.
One of my best buddies was a black from Ohio. We were both angered by the fact that we could not "socialize" publicly -- that is, go to certain places in each other's company because the blacks had their places and the whites theirs and there was no social mixing of the two!
There is still much to deal with in the issue of racism, but to be tagged a bunch of prejudicial "sinners" because we happen to be white and are the majority number? That one is certainly open to question!
I used to think it would be an absurd and rediculous possibility but no longer take that position -- that the day may come when someone in the United Methodist Church will propose some kind of resolution that we put Jesus Christ on trial and try Him in absentia, finding Him guilty of prejudice because He chose all males in the selection of His apostles and thus denied such privilege to females and minority representatives. His sentence would be that He be demoted as King of kings and Lord of lords and forced to live an eternity in a society where a minority group is now dominant at all levels of the social structure!
Your editorial is obviously pointing in the direction of such a resolution or something quite similar coming into existence at some future point in time.
Still contending (Jude 3,4) Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired Member in full connection - W. PA Annual Conference
Letter to United Methodist Reporter - 1998
In reference to your April 24 editorial, "We Must Stop Teaching Kids How to Kill," you bring out the issue of the negative influence of the movie and TV industries which provide under the label of "entertainment" a powerful agenda which "conditions" people of all ages to settle their differences with others by violent actions.
But it's not just the visual graphic violence that spurs young and old to duplicate what they see and digest -- it is also the audio and printed media as well. What is deceitfully marketed as "music" is nothing more than a deadly mix of vulgarity, immoral sexual activity, violence, suicide and a host of other view points that trample under foot all that is honorable and sacred! It is further supplemented by printed media which is readily available to the young.
We crusade and spare no expense in attempting to eliminate deadly diseases in our society that destroy life -- why not really "pull out all the stops" and demand the elimination (not toleration) of those companies and their officers completely from the market place as they peddle their products which "program" and eventually destroy the young as well as the older members of our society? Those powerful individuals in the media are arrogant and greedy and take the position that the majority in our society want vulgarity, immorality and violence in their daily diet of entertainment! Driven by an obscene profit motive they are determined to give the public "what it wants." While they did not literally "pull the trigger" in school yard, post office and wherever shootings, they did mold the bullets which the elementary aged and older have fired and are just as guilty as "co-conspirators" would be! Come on, let's call a "spade" for what it really is here!
Let's also honestly face the fact that those holding to and willing to consistently stand boldly for a standard of values which agrees with that which has been established by the Creator of this universe comprise a very small minority of individuals!
It is becoming more obvious with the passing of each day that we are a society which is fulfilling to the very letter the words of Paul's predictions in 2 Timothy 3:1-7. There is more than an outside possibility that we may well have already crossed over the line of offered grace and it is merely a matter of time until we experience the wrath of a holy God Whose patience has finally run its course!
Should that happen we can also expect to hear a multitude of voices whining, "Why does the LORD our God do all these things to us?" (Jer. 5:19), just as a society did centuries ago which walked down the same road that we are now traveling!
As it has been for nearly 2,000 years the call issued by God to fully repent of all sin is being scorned and rejected by the masses -- a tragedy that defies description, for in heeding that call we find the perfect cure for kids (and adults) who are inclined to kill each other and in rejecting it we commit national suicide!
Still contending for the faith (Jude 3,4) Clayton D. Harriger Methodist Pastor, Retired
Wish to respond? Aw, go ahead -- responses to Circuit Rider's Range are always either positive or negative, with the negatives usually lumped into one category ("I hate your guts!), so it is doubtful anyone can come up with anything to top that! Just click on Penelope, our letter eating toad, who is charge of our mail room -- she's been promoted and given a pay raise for doing such a good job! In fact she is now in the salary range of UMC district superintendents, and that's a goodly chunk of change :^)
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