Sounding Board -- Jane Altman-Dwan

What is this? Do we need to establish a new phobia? Let’s call it

Christobia; that way we can pinpoint a paranoia with one simple swipe of

a pen. Larry Platt has it, so does Pat Ormsbee (Mailbag, July 2), along

with a number of other observers.

It always amazes me how afraid some folks are about something they

never got to know. There’s homophobes, white supremacists, hillbillies

against townies, even group factions with the groups that are afraid of

each other: Jews, Christians, Mormons, Buddhists, Muslims (you get the

picture).

Today’s current subject is atheists/agnostics against Christians.

Evolution theory vs. Intelligent Design theory. Teaching abstinence or

not to teach abstinence. Include in this argument any other subject that

is approached from a countering viewpoint and supported by a church. Any

Christian church.

A number of people have written in to refute the foundation and

intelligence of the Intelligent Design theories. Not one of these

complainers has ever mentioned even once that they have actually studied

the theories in question and are basing their opinion on actual

intelligent facts.

Ironically, you know what this reminds me of? A story told to our

church by two missionaries who are just back from the Middle East (exact

location is withheld to protect them).

You know what the Muslims are saying about the Sept. 11 event? Their

propaganda is telling them that the Jews committed the Sept. 11 acts and

that they are blaming it on the Muslims, the missionaries said. Even

Muslims who were educated in our own Ivy League schools are buying that

story hook, line and sinker, they said.

Is someone teaching these letter writers unsubstantiated facts about

the science of Intelligent Design? Perhaps it’s time everyone goes to the

Creation Research Institute to settle the matter. It is located in the

San Diego area and has a decent Web site with quick response to

questions.

As for abstinence, did you know that the Consortium of State

Physicians Resource Councils released a report showing that the cause of

the overall teen birthrate decline in the 1990s is not increased

contraceptive use, but a trend toward sexual abstinence?

The report also shows that among those teens who are sexually-active,

the nonmarital birthrate has risen dramatically. The consortium that

prepared this report is an association of more than 2,000 health

professionals who are dedicated to bringing accurate medical data to

public health officials and public policy makers.

Isn’t the power of knowledge great?

* JANE ALTMAN-DWAN is a Newport Beach resident.