A response to Sarnia Wellington’s letter “Why persecute doomsday preacher?” in the ‘The Sunday Gleaner’ of June 12, 2011

The Sunday Gleaner
Sarnia Wellington, we might all be entitled to an opinion, but there is no guarantee that its expression might not cause harm. If it does, then one can seek compensation as in the case of libel or defamation of character.

In recent years all sorts of advice is being fed to the gullible by religion. There has been religious finance through to doom day prediction. Preachers cannot be held above the law and expect to behave outside of the standards of civil society by making references to friend in the sky to which they have a special relationship that the rest of us are not privy to.

Furthermore, Sarnia, hearing voices speaking to you that no one else hears is a symptom of Schizophrenia. This disorder, at some point in the illness, involves a psychotic phase (with delusions, hallucinations, or grossly bizarre/disorganized speech and behavior. Many Fundamental Christians behavior closely mirrors this disorder. They have a special friend who talks only to them, they make strange proclamation and they speak in tongues.

When the music hit me, I might be moved to scream “fire” in a crowded dance, but if my fellow revelers rush for the door and three die in the stampede, then I might be criminally negligent and have contributed to the death of these people.  

People cannot continue to be excuses for all sort of irrational and irresponsible behavior on the grounds of a special relationship with an invisible friend.