On Mon, 2 Oct 2000 09:05:15 -0600, Betty Ann <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>If you can attend a church meeting without fear of harassment, arrest,
>torture, or death........you are more blessed than three billion people in
>the world.
>If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead
>and a place to sleep.............you are richer than 75% of this world.

I appreciate the overall sentiments of this message.

But, as someone who toured through many places in India - and did so a
dozen
years ago, when it was significantly poorer than it is right now, I
would
question the "statistics" that form the basis of some of the things in
this
message.

The vast majority of people in India - and most everywhere else - have
clothes
on their backs (and spares), a roof overhead, and a place to sleep.
However -
and this may be the somewhat deceitful nature of the "statistics" used
- many
people in India don't have a "refrigerator" - and don't feel the need
for one,
especially since no one before them had one either. Food is cooked
fresh and
what leftovers there might be are given to beggars.

And, outside of the major exception of China (only one billion, not
three), most
people are free to practice their religion worldwide.    Now the
"statistics"
may be referring to place where CHRISTIANS are harassed - but that is
only a
handful of people in those places.   And, indeed, someone who tried to
chant
"Hare Krishna" in the middle of the street of a wealthy Connecticut
gated
community might also be "harassed and arrested"....


--
Cheers,

Ken
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