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Show Dear Jim: I would like to add to your recent commentary on racism towards indigenous peoples here and abroad. Since this kind of racism does not fall under our trendy rubric of lovehate, I feel it is necessary to split hairs and explore religious appropriation in general, the root of racial exploitation. A fact that needs mention here is that Native Americans were, for over a hundred years, the first slaves to Europeans by virtue of a colonial method. Although pacification has many forms, religion is the most effective, achieved by helping the oppressed accept their fate and blame themselves. As a by-product of feudal hierarchy, religion demonizes humans as pre-condemned rabble—in need of kings and priests. Religious dogma advocates submissive peace, artificial love, and elitist volunteer charity as Ken & Jane Sleight's PACK CREEK RANCH ws A Country Inn & Guest Ranch a top-down replacement to freedom, justice and equality-the natural preventions to war, hate, and exploitation. The absolute idea that humans are either naturally evil or the “chosen ones" easily lends itself to bigotry. Adam and Eve take on personal meaning when seen as the domination of so-called primitives by a landlord who points out their nakedness, sin and poverty.as evidence of their shame. In this way our prehistories have been erased, including oral mythologies that describe our human genesis in nature. This brings me to my main point. Here in Utah we are privy to one of the greatest religious appropriations of all time via The Book of Mormon, which unambiguously asserts that Native Americans are descendants from a bad guy named Laman, brother to good-guy Nephi, who both came from Jerusalem around 600 B.C. to colonize America, an empty land promised to them by God. The rub here is that evil Laman was cursed by God to become dark-skinned, an idea also found in the Bible with the "mark" or Cain, the root of Christian fundamentalist assertions that Africans are sub-human. The good news is that science has again trumped religion by proving this bigoted phenomenon wrong. Not only is the religious doctrine of racial inbreeding biologically dismissed as dis-eugenic, but Emory University recently conducted a DNA survey of Native Americans and found they all came from Mongolia and Siberia, at different times, over twelve thousand years ago—without a = ¢ a aa ca trace of Semitic bloodlines in any of them. I’m not trying to bash Mormons, because this has nothing to do with them personally (I was raised Mormon and have suffered plenty of animosity from by immediate family for adhering to my natural instincts). Yet it should come as no surprise to anyone why a personality cult like Mormonism would appropriate North America before the fact. How YOU ARE INVITED TO A READING: On Friday, November 27th at 8PM David Lee (The Porcine Canticles) & Gino Sky (Appaloosa Rising) will give a reading from their collected else could a bunch of poor pedple build a mid-western empire unless they claimed it was already theirs? So much for unearned rewards and undeserved reprisals, the core to religious mock elitism. Conversely, Brian Bagley St. George, Utah works at Pack Creek. LETTERS TO FEEDBACK are printed at the whim of the publisher. When there isa Letter of the Moath, the writer receives a complimentary one year subscription. Try to be literate. THE PUBLIC IS INVITED * NO CHARGE CONTACT THE ZEPHYR VIA E MAIL @: zephyr@lasal.net THE WORLD WIDE WEB ADDRESS IS: Member of the La Sal Mountain Lodging Association Visit our web site: >Cr@packcreekranch.com www.canyoncountr yzephyr.com or call for a brochure at 435.259-5505 Janis Adkins’ HIGH DESERT ‘uniper GARDENS ili acd 2971 S. Hwy. 191 (at the Branding Iron) 259-4531 POBox 1419 Moab Native 6 Water-wise Plants Cacti. Succulents 6 Agaves Consulting/Site Design RIVERSIDE PLUMBING & HEATING PACK CREEK RANCH | PO Box 1270 Moab, UT 84532 wee : cm WE ARE NO LONGER SERVING DINNER, BUT WE ARE HOSTING WEDDINGS, WORKSHOPS & CONFERENCES WITH FULL FOOD SERVICE AVAILABLE. vt ice fold season 366 N. 500 W. * MOAB « 259-8324 Residential - Cet sales Installation - Drain Cleaning COMPLETE LINE OF PLUMBING FIXTURES Kohler - Grohe - American Standard Ejer - Moen - Delta - Briggs Price Pfister HOT WATER HEATERS - GARBAGE DISPOSALS Well...what do you know... 3RD ANNUAL SANTA GETS STUCK IN THE... WAIT It's Newt. A MINUTE... ‘ , |