This fascinating letter was written by a Christian father to his Christian son in the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. A recent movie, "Gods and Generals," the epic screen adaptation of Jeff Shaara's best-selling novel, portrays the piety and consecration of various Christians, among whom are the famous Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson of Northern Virginia. A much deeper and detailed account of the Christian character of the Northern Virginian Army is found in the excellent book, "Christ in the Camp," by J. William Jones. Contained within this book is the letter you are about to read. If only we had more wise and loving fathers in this present evil world...
My Dear Son:
It may have seemed strange to you that a professing Christian father so freely gave you, a Christian son, to enlist in the volunteer service. My reason was that I regarded this as a purely defensive war. Not only did the Southern Confederacy propose to adjust the pending difficulties by peaceful and equitable negotiations, but Virginia used again and again the most earnest and noble efforts to prevent a resort to the sword. These overtures having been proudly spurned, and our beloved South having been threatened with invasion and subjugation, it seemed to me that nothing was left us but stern resistance or abject submission to unconstitutional power. A brave and generous people could not for a moment hesitate between such alternatives. A war in defence of our homes and firesides-of our wives and children-of all that makes life worth possessing is the result. While I most deeply deplore the necessity for the sacrifice, I could not but rejoice that I had a son to offer to the service of the country, and if I had a dozen I would most freely give them all. As you are now cheerfully enduring the hardships of the camp, I know you will listen to a father's suggestions touching the duties of your new mode of life.
1. Take special care of your health. More soldiers die of disease than in battle. A thin piece of damp sponge in the crown of your hat during exposure to the hot sun-the use of thick shoes and a waterproof coat in rainy weather-the practice of drinking cold water, when you are very warm, as slowly as you sip hot tea-the thorough mastication of your food-the avoiding of damp tents and damp grounds during sleep-and frequent ablutions of your person, are all the hints I can give you on this point. Should you need anything that I can supply, let me hear from you. I will do what I can to make you comfortable. After all, you must learn to endure hardness as a good soldier. Having never slept a single night in your whole life except in a pleasant bed, and never known a scarcity of good food, you doubtless find the ways of the camp rough; but never mind. The war, I trust, will soon be over, and then the remembrance of your hardships will sweeten the joy of peace.
2. The rules of war require prompt and unquestioning obedience. You may sometimes think the command arbitrary and the officer supercilious, but it is yours to obey. An undisciplined army is a curse to its friends and a derision to its foes. Give your whole influence, therefore, to the maintenance of lawful authority and strict order. Let your superiors feel that whatever they intrust to you will be faithfully done. Composed of such soldiers, and led by skilful and brave commanders, our army, by the blessing of God, will never be defeated. It is, moreover, engaged in a holy cause, and must triumph.
3. Try to maintain your Christian profession among your comrades. I need not caution you against strong drink as useless and hurtful, nor against profanity, so common among soldiers. Both these practices you abhor. Aim to take at once a decided stand for God. If practicable, have prayers regularly in your tent, or unite with your fellow-disciples in prayer-meetings in the camp. Should preaching be accessible, always be a hearer. Let the world know that you are a Christian. Read a chapter in the New Testament which your mother gave you, every morning and evening when you can, and engage in secret prayer to God for his Holy Spirit to guide and sustain you. I would rather hear of your death than of the shipwreck of your faith and good conscience.
4. As you will come into habitual contact with men of every grade, make special associates of those whose influence on your character is felt to be good. Some men love to tell extravagant stories, to indulge in vulgar wit, to exult in a swaggering carriage, to pride themselves on their coarse manners, to boast of their heroism, and to give utterance to feelings of revenge against the enemy. All this is injurious to young and impressible minds. If you admire such things, you will insensibly imitate them, and imitation will work gradual but certain detriment to your character. Other men are refined without being affected. They can relax into occasional pleasantries, without violating modesty. They can be loyal to their government without indulging private hatred against her foes. They can be cool and brave in battle, and not be braggarts in the absence of danger. Above all, they can be humble, spiritual, and active Christians, and yet mingle in the stirring and perilous duties of soldier life. Let these be your companions and models. You will thus return from the dangers of camp without a blemish on your name.
5. Should it be your lot to enter into an engagement with the enemy, lift up your heart in secret ejaculations to the ever-present and good Being, that He will protect you from sudden death; or, if you fall, that He will receive your departing spirit, cleansed in the blood of Jesus, into His kingdom. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes. Commit your eternal interests, therefore, to the keeping of the Almighty Saviour. You should not, even in the hour of deadly conflict, cherish personal rage against the enemy, any more than an officer of the law hates the victim of the law. How often does a victorious army tenderly care for the dead and wounded of the vanquished. War is a tremendous scourge which Providence sometimes uses to chastise proud and wicked nations. Both parties must suffer, even though one may get the advantage. There is no occasion, then, for adding to the intrinsic evils of the system the odious feature of animosity to individuals. In the ranks of the foe are thousands of plain men who do not understand the principles for which we are struggling. They are deceived by artful demagogues into a posture of hostility to those whom, knowing, they would love. It is against such men that you may perhaps be arrayed, and the laws of war do not forbid you to pity them, even in the act of destroying them. It is more important that we should exhibit a proper temper in this unfortunate contest, because many professed Christians and ministers of the Gospel at the North are breathing out, in their very prayers and sermons, threatenings and slaughter against us! Oh! how painful that a gray-headed pastor should publicly exclaim, "I would hang them as soon as I would shoot a mad dog."
6. Providence has placed you in the midst of thoughtless and unpardoned men. What a beautiful thing it would be if you could winsome of them to the Saviour! Will you not try? You will have many opportunities of speaking a word in season. The sick, you may comfort; the wavering, you may confirm; the backslidden, you may reclaim; the weary and heavy laden, you may point to Jesus for rest to the soul. It is not presumptuous for a young man, kindly and meekly, to commend the Gospel to his brother soldiers. The hardest of them will not repel a gentle approach, made in private. And many of them would doubtless be glad to have the subject introduced to them. They desire to hear of Jesus, but they lack courage to inquire of his people. An unusually large proportion of pious men have entered the army, and I trust they will give a new complexion to military life. Let them search out each other, and establish a fraternity among all the worshippers of God. To interchange religious views and administer brotherly counsel will be mutually edifying. "He that watereth shall be watered also himself." And now, as a soldier has but little leisure, I will not occupy you longer. Be assured that every morning and evening we remember you, at the family altar, to our Father in Heaven. We pray for a "speedy, just, and honorable peace," and for the safe return of all the volunteers to their loved homes. All the children speak often of "brother," and hear your letters read with intense interest. That God Almighty may be your shield and your exceeding great reward is the constant prayer of your loving father.
Ro. RYLAND. (his father)
Christians ordered to stop publishing news
Government says use of 'Allah' restricted to Muslims
ensions are escalating in Malaysia where government officials have ordered a Catholic newspaper to stop publishing its Malay language edition in an argument over use of the word "Allah," and the newspaper is threatening legal action against the government.
According to the Malaysiakini.com news website, officials ordered the Catholic Herald to halt publication of its Malay language edition. The newspaper responded with the suggestion that there may be legal action against the government.
Herald editor Father Lawrence Andrew told the website Intellasia the ban on the Malay language edition was just one of the conditions imposed by the nation's Muslim government when the newspaper renewed its license to publish for this year.
Authorities have contended that the word "Allah" can be used only by Muslims, but the Herald is circulated among the nation's 850,000 Catholics.
"The Constitution says Malay is the national language, so why can't we use the national language in Malaysia?" Andrew asked the site, confirming he plans to take action over the orders.
According to a report from Compass Direct News, the order came from the nation's Ministry of Home Affairs, which also set conditions that the newspaper can be sold only in churches. The government also required the paper to publish notice that it is intended for Christians only.
The newspaper already has appealed the order to the Ministry of Home affairs, and a hearing is scheduled next month.
Andrew called the limits "unacceptable."
Murphy Pakiam, the Catholic archbishop in the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, told the New Straits Times the ban didn't make sense.
"Even if the courts dismiss our application for judicial review, that has no bearing on the publication (in the Malay language)," he said.
The publication, a multilingual product put out by the Catholic Church, typically appears in English, Malay, Mandarin and Tamil. It has a circulation estimated at 13,000-14,000 and is read by about 50,000, officials said.
The dispute arose in 2007 when government officials warned the newspaper to not use "Allah," explaining that if Christians used the word it could cause confusion among Muslims.
The newspaper, however, said the nation's laws and constitution provide it a right to use the designation.
The Catholic News Agency said publishers in Malaysia must get annual permits from the government in order to operate.
Although Malaysia ostensibly grants freedom of religion, there has been a long list of controversies related to the issue.
A number of Christian converts from Islam have been denied permission to change the religious designation on their government identity cards, and the government limited the release of the movie "The Passion of the Christ."
WND earlier reported when Malaysia Deputy Internal Security Minister Johari Baharum said in an interview, "We cannot let other religions use it [Allah] because it will confuse people."
The official said "only Muslims can use the word 'Allah.'"
Andrew has explained the word was not used to offend anyone. He said the Malay-language Bible uses the word "Allah" for God, and uses "Tuham" for Lord.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85356
Thrift stores exempted from 'financial doomsday'
Announcement released after WND documents potential disaster
Posted: January 08, 2009
10:55 pm Eastern
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
The Consumer Product Safety Commission announced today that a new government regulation scheduled to take effect next month will not force thrift and consignment stores to adhere to strict lead and phthalate testing or declare their merchandise hazardous material.
Only one day following a WND report, the commission released a statement saying, "Sellers of used children’s products, such as thrift stores and consignment stores, are not required to certify that those products meet the new lead limits, phthalates standard or new toy standards."
Many thrift and consignment business owners were outraged after Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, or HR 4040, a retroactive rule mandating that all items sold for use by children under 12 must be tested by an independent party for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.
The regulations could have forced thousands of resale businesses – especially smaller ones that cannot afford the cost of lead testing – to throw away truckloads of children's clothing, books, toys, furniture and other children's items and even force them to close their doors.
Now those sellers are not required to test products before selling their inventories, but the CPSC warns, "[R]esellers cannot sell children's products that exceed the lead limit and therefore should avoid products that are likely to have lead content, unless they have testing or other information to indicate the products being sold have less than the new limit. Those resellers that do sell products in violation of the new limits could face civil and/or criminal penalties."
Small businesses still affected
However, the law still affects small businesses that sell new items. Under the new measure, new children’s products with more than 600 ppm total lead cannot lawfully be sold in the United States on or after Feb. 10, 2009, even if they were manufactured before that date. The total lead limit drops to 300 ppm on Aug. 14, 2009. Also, products manufactured on or after that date cannot be sold if they contain more than 0.1% of certain phthalates.
Some small toy businesses say lead testing alone costs more than $4,000 per item – a price some say only large companies like Mattel and Fisher Price can afford to pay.
"The only people who can do that now are the ones who actually put this scare into effect and actually caused the problem," Amy Evan's, owner of Baby's Boutique in Chico, Calif., told CBS' KHSL.
Shelsie Hall told California's KXTV News 10 she makes hair bows and jewelry for children and sells them online to support her family.
She believes her small business is threatened by the measure because those products must be tested.
"[M]y items sell for $4 to $10 and I make a lot of different things. So I couldn't just test one; I would have to test every item," she said.
One blogger who identifies herself as "Tina" has a home-based business making and selling cloth diapers online. She said a U.S. lab quoted a price of $75 to test each component of her diapers.
"I have at least two different fabrics, thread, snaps and elastic in a diaper," she wrote. "$375 to test each different combination of fabrics/snaps/thread/size combinations? That is insane."
She continued, "I am but one of many micro-manufacturers who will be forced to give up the American dream of owning my own business because of this legislation."
Tina said retailers purchase inventory with loans secured by the value of that inventory.
"What happens to these lenders and retailers when the value of that inventory goes to zero?" she asked. "It is conceivable, at least to me, that retailers will be the next group in front of Congress asking for a bailout."
The act's broad wording could extend to new children's items sold on eBay, Craig's List, Amazon. Critics also say landfills will be hit hard if stores, distributors and families simply throw their untested items away rather than face prosecution. And clothing, toys, furniture and books at large retailers could become more expensive to cover third-party testing costs.
Other tentative exemptions
While the Consumer Product Safety Commission administers the law, it may only be changed by Congress. Some exemptions approved Tuesday by the commission's two members, but not formally adopted, include the following:
Items with lead parts that a child cannot access;
Clothing, toys and other goods made of natural materials such as cotton and wood; and
Electronics that are impossible to make without lead.
But the tentative exemptions do little to reassure most businesses and families who will be affected by the law. Final rules are not scheduled for approval until after Feb. 10, when the rules take effect.
Taking action
The measure raises the CPSC budget each year until 2015, at which time the agency's budget would be $156 million. It also allows state attorneys general to take civil action against those who violate the strict regulations.
Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Il., sponsored the bill along with 106 co-sponsors. In the House of Representatives, 424 members voted for the act, nine voted "present" and a single member voted against it – Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas.
In the Senate, the totals were 89 for, eight "present" and three against – Sens. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., Jim DeMint, R-S.C., and Jon Kyl, R-Ariz.
President George Bush signed it into law on Aug. 14, 2008.
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=85638
Amish sue over upstate N.Y. town's building rules
WATERTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Eleven Old Order Amish families sued a northern New York community Tuesday, claiming that its refusal to grant permits for their traditionally built homes is religious discrimination.
The Amish families claim in the federal lawsuit that the town of Morristown is targeting them for building code enforcement.
"The Amish, who were chased out of Europe hundreds of years ago by government harassment and persecution, are being singled out by petty officials apparently bent on chasing the Amish out of New York," said Eric Rassbach, national litigation director at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a Washington, D.C.-based legal organization that joined in the lawsuit.
"The U.S. Constitution, and legal precedent all the way to the Supreme Court, are clear. The Amish, who are known throughout the world as master craftsmen and master builders, have the right to practice their beliefs. That includes building and living in homes that conform to those beliefs," Rassbach said.
Also joining in the lawsuit is Proskauer Rose LLP, a New York City law firm that provides legal assistance to Amish families.
Town Clerk David Murray said town officials had not yet been served with the lawsuit. Town Attorney Andrew Silver was not immediately available for comment, his office said.
In the past, town officials have said they were asking the Amish to comply with the same building codes that apply to other residents.
The plaintiffs are members of the Old Order Swartzentruber sect, among the most traditional of the Amish groups. They don't deny building houses without permits and have said they were willing to purchase building permits, but contend that the requirements of the codes — such as having smoke detectors, submitting engineering plans and allowing inspections — violate their religious beliefs.
Since 2006 — when the town's codes were updated — Morristown officials have brought more than 10 separate prosecutions against the Amish, the lawsuit said.
The Amish decided to file a federal lawsuit after Morristown Town Judge James Phillips ruled in July that their religion gave them no special standing to avoid compliance with local building codes.
The sect has had zoning disputes with local authorities elsewhere in New York, as well as in Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-01-06-amish-lawsuit_N.htm
'God' writer admits plagiarism
NEW YORK (AP) — Neale Donald Walsch, best-selling author of Conversations with God, said Tuesday that he unwittingly passed off another writer's Christmas anecdote as his own in a recent blog post.
As a result, Walsch's blog on the spirituality website Beliefnet.com has been shut down. The website said in a statement that Walsch had failed to properly credit and attribute material from another author.
Walsch had written about what he described as his son's holiday concert two decades ago in which children were to hold up letters spelling "Christmas Love." One of the children held the "m" upside down, so the audience got the message "Christwas Love," according to the retelling.
Author Candy Chand said in an interview Tuesday that she stumbled onto Walsch's post when she ran "Christmas Love" through an Internet search engine. She immediately recognized her own words, from her story based on her son's kindergarten Christmas pageant. She contacted Walsch and Beliefnet.
The story first appeared in a spiritual magazine in 1999, and was later anthologized. Chand said she copyrighted the story in 2005, in part because it had appeared on the Internet uncredited. The story was published as the illustrated book Christmas Love for this past Christmas, she said.
Walsch wrote on his blog Tuesday he was "truly mystified" about what happened and apologized. He said he had been telling the story for years in public talks and "somewhere along the way, internalized it as my own experience."
"As a published author myself, I would never use another author's words as my own," Walsch wrote. "Yet I have apparently done just that — although with no deliberate intent to do so."
Chand, of Rancho Murieta, California, said she did not believe Walsch's account.
"It's pretty difficult for me to believe that someone has a memory lapse that is word for word my story," she said. "He deleted the first paragraph. That's it."
Beliefnet said in a statement Walsch "failed to properly credit and attribute material from another author. As a result, Mr. Walsch has decided to remove himself from Beliefnet's blogging roster, a decision we will support in order to protect the mission and integrity of our site and community. As a faith-based web portal, Beliefnet will continue to hold ourselves and our writers to the highest standards of trust."
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/2009-01-06-walsch_N.htm
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