Editor, Times-Union: In response to Gene May: Gene, I did do just a little more than a Google search to find out my facts. I found that looking through various books and resources I find that you are wrong in stating that the "Islam number of members does not include all the different sects or denominations of Islam." Well, in my research it does and I continue to come up with the same facts and figures.
The Muslims you might meet and talk with will probably not all hold the same set of beliefs and doctrines. Just as within Christianity there are different denominations, and individually held beliefs within each. However, several main denominations can be identified. I came up with 10 different sects or denominations that are included in my research: Sunni, Shiite, Kharijitis, Wahhabi, Ismailis, Ismaili Druze, Assassins, Sufi, Baha'ism, and the USA Black Muslims. A majority are followers of Abu, and others are followers of Ali. In looking at the figures provided by each sect or denomination, I came up with anywhere between 1 to 1.5 billion Muslims in the world.
In response to my figures on world aid provided by the United States, it would be your figures that are miscued. Your figures will show to be lower looking at the government accounting office because those are only monies given by government-funded organizations. Government aid, while fraught with problems, reflects foreign policy objectives of the donor government in power, which can differ from the generosity of the people of that nation. It can also be less specialized than private contributions and targets are internationally agreed to be measurable. If you include individual people and private funding through churches or business, it comes out to be roughly 92.67 percent.
Just a side note to my response. I never stated that Janice was a bad lady, I am sure that she is a lovely lady. I was just debating facts and opinions in the opinion section. I hope we donate time and money to a cause that is not lost. Believe in your country, vote for you rights, and help others in need. We all can make a difference if we choose to!
Jason Spangle Mio, Mich. formerly of Warsaw
Saddam's Secrets
Editor, Times-Union: Finally, many questions have been answered in the book "Saddam's Secrets, How An Iraqi General Survived Saddam Hussein" by General Georges Sada. He was an eyewitness to many of the significant events occurring in the last several years.
The author is a devout Assyrian Christian in whom Saddam placed unquestioning trust. It had been reported previously that Saddam said, "I can trust Christians because they always tell me the truth." At those times, I wondered what Christian would have access to him. Now the question is answered.
General Sada became an ace fighter pilot and rose to the position Vice Air Marshal. He placed his own life in jeopardy when he refused to execute 40 downed coalition pilots during the first year of the Iraqi war. One of those pilots, an American, Col. David Eberly, (Retired) writes the foreword to General Sada's book. Eberly has written his own book, "Faith Beyond Belief," describing his own experience as Saddam's POW, and how his trust in God brought him through his ordeal.
General Sada was able to counsel Saddam not to launch his chemical attack on Israel. He reveals Saddam's plans to gain control of the Arab world. Most of all he verifies Saddam's possession of weapons of mass destruction. General Sada witnessed their being flown to Syria in 747s rather than military cargo planes in order to avoid detection.
General Sada is now retired and is director of the Iraqi Institute for Peace. He is also an active evangelist for the Lord and has been used by Him to win hundreds of the Kurds to the Lord. He has been interviewed extensively several times on FOX News channel.
Please take time to read this book which can be purchased at a 25 percent discount, and costing $18.75 at Bible & Books in Warsaw.
R. Wayne Snider Winona Lake
Wal-Mart Marketing
Editor, Times-Union: Wal-Mart has joined the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce.
Dee Breazeale, a Wal-Mart vice president, will serve on the sodomite and lesbian chamber's corporate advisory council. This means that Wal-Mart not only supports the homosexual activist group, they now sit on the board to help promote the sodomite agenda.
To partner with NGLCC, Wal-Mart paid standard corporate dues of $25,000. Last year Wal-Mart held a seminar on how to market to homosexuals in America. How do you market to sodomites and lesbians? By carrying sodomite and lesbian products. So now when you take your children into what was thought to be a family safe environment, you have to be on the lookout for the homosexual marketing tools and products. It will start with homosexual movies like "Brokeback Mountain," "Will & Grace" and other sodomite and lesbian entertainment. Then propaganda such as children's books like "Heather Has Two Mommies" will ease their way into the children's section.
Homosexuals whine out of one side of their mouth, "What we do in the bedroom is none of anyone's business," and yet they form a Chamber of Commerce that says "Hey! If you practice sexual immorality, we are the chamber for you! We will fight for your right to commit sexual perversion and have special rights in the work place."
"Once a potential contractor is certified at least 51 percent gay-owned and operated through the NGLCC's supplier diversity initiative, the business can then join a pool of suppliers who can bid for Wal-Mart contracts under a preferred minority status."
Special rights because of how they perform sexual acts. Perhaps I should form a Heterosexual Chamber of Commerce. Is there a Child Molester or Polygamist CoC?
I was under the impression that the workplace was not the place to have discussions of sexual matters. It is a place to work and get paid to do a job. Not to seek preferential treatment because of what you do in the bedroom.
The Bible states that "The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire." Nothing says boasting like making your own private Chamber of Commerce. It also says "I have hated the congregation of evil doers; and will not sit with the wicked." In this case, I will not shop with the wicked. On a homosexual activist website Meijer is listed as #4 of top anti-gay stores. That sounds family friendly to me. Shop locally.
