Cory Burnell
Shouting From the Mountaintop

It interests me that the Independent Mail receives guest editorials and makes them available to columnists to write opposition columns ahead of the editorial being printed. The quotes from my editorial noted by Mr. Charalambous on February 23rd were provided to the Mail on the 21st, but not printed until today the 25th. So this is how a liberal rag like the Independent Mail uses its power and influence to quash viewpoints with which it disagrees. And folks wonder why conservatives complain about the "liberal" media when even in conservative Anderson, South Carolina liberals control the media.

As to Christian persecution, there are varying degrees. Nowhere does Christian Exodus claim that infringement of free speech reaches the same heights of totalitarianism as the oppression of Christians elsewhere on the globe (China quickly comes to mind), but such infringement is persecution nonetheless. Moreover, it's patently forbidden by the 1st Amendment.
So once again we find an opposition piece printed by the Independent Mail that fails to deal with any of the constitutional and legal issues raised by Christian Exodus. Rather than engage in a debate about the myriad ways in which federal government violates its Constitution, Mr. Charalambous simply makes ad hoc attacks on Christian Exodus. My guess is that opponents of constitutionally limited government simply dodge these issues because should they actually engage Christian Exodus in debate about American law, history and government, they'd be found terribly ignorant and wrong.

A question for Mr. Charalambous is this: how does opposition to a set of political views mean that we at Christian Exodus don't "love or respect... people who believe or behave differently"? It's demanded within Christianity that we love our "enemies", and further that we love those who hate us. I'm commanded by Christ to love those who disagree with me, however, I'm also commanded to stand for truth and justice. Therefore, at Christian Exodus we enter the battle on the side of truth and justice while loving those who disagree with us. Under no circumstances does Christianity allow us to accept falsehoods and wrong doctrines simply out of desire to get along with others.

Lastly, why is it acceptable for liberals to disagree with our political viewpoints, and then say that WE have "no apparent love or respect for people who believe or behave differently"? Can't it be said of these liberals that they have no "love or respect" for us? Ah, one more example of the double standard so frequently demanded into existence by arrogant, omniscient, socially-superior liberals - the ability to call everyone else hatemongers while their own hearts spill over with hatred for those with whom they disagree. Fascinating world liberals live in! :-)

If you thought the cause of secession in the U.S. died with the surrender of Lee to Grant at Appomattox, you might be surprised to know that there are at least two dozen secessionist and separatist groups in the U.S. In that sense the meeting was more an attempt at cooperation than creation. Organized by the Middlebury Institute, a sort of secessionist "think tank" headed by the writer Kirkpatrick Sale, the convention assembled representatives from nine separate secessionist organizations, as well members of several groups who do not have secession as an explicit goal but who considered themselves fellow travelers. A handful of academic observers and journalists (including a reporter from the New York Times who is doing a series on offbeat Americans) rounded out the audience.

Read entire story here: http://counterpunch.org/jansson12202006.html