Latin America: On religion and violence

As an earlier posting explained, I ran KGEI when it was the University ot the air. Then KGEI was taken over by the Far East Broadcasting Company, FEBC International, a religious organization of which Jim Bowman is President. He says: "When I was working at KGEI in the '70s, we received a letter from a young Peruvian who had been a guerilla with the Shining Path. His story was that one evening he was in the the forest listening to Radio Havana and on a particular evening got depressed listening to what he called "endless hatred of capitalists and the rich," even though he, by his own admission hated the rich. He stumbled onto KGEI, and heard a message about "forgiving one's enemies." On this message alone he ran away from the encampment, and eventually decided to go to seminary. At graduation time he was encouraged by the headmaster to write a letter of thanks to whoever it was that pointed him in the direction of the gospel, and thus we received the letter. Perhaps this gives an insight into the split in the road for idealists. They can decide to make a better world by love or by hatred, by faith or by force. I don't know why people make the choices they do".

My comment: This appeal to love is the special feature of Christianity. Whether it will ever work is an open question. Present events suggest not, and I am preparing a posting on the competition which breeds hatred in academia. Over my desk there is a sign which says: "Words of wisdom from St. Paul to academia (1 Corinthians 8.1): Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth".

Ronald Hilton - 3/16/02