The Omega Letter

The Omega Letter
In Defense of the Faith 
Thursday, April 19, 2012 
J.L. Robb 

In a remote section of Camp Pendleton, California, an area that can hardly be seen by normal means, stands a memorial that was established in 2003 by seven United States Marines who were stationed at the large Marine base.  The two 13-foot crosses on the top of a remote hill, symbolize the Marines’ appreciation for the sacrifices made by their fellow veterans.

Three of the seven Marines who erected the memorial have now been killed, but many Marines, their families and their friends continue to make the 3,000 foot trek and leave mementos, from small flags to 50 pound rocks, to show respect.

A few miles to the north of Camp Pendleton, Mount Soledad in La Jolla is the home of the Mount Soledad Cross.  The first cross was erected in 1913.  The present version was designed by an architect and rebuilt in 1954.  When I was in the U.S. Navy and stationed in San Diego in 1968, I had the opportunity of seeing the cross at Mount Soledad at night.  Nothing is more awe inspiring, and the cross could be seen from a great distance, standing on top of a hill bathed in the whitest of lights.

In Barrow County, Georgia, north of Atlanta, the Ten Commandments display in the small, Barrow County courthouse had been hanging on the wall for decades, sort of an icon of what the law is really about.  It didn’t seem unusual, because the Ten Commandments are carved into the exterior structure of the Supreme Court Building, as well as its interior doors.

I live in Duluth, Georgia between Atlanta and Barrow County.  Duluth is just the neatest little Southern town, a Town Green surrounded by small stores and restaurants with an Old South flavor.  Every Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, the City of Duluth installs along the streets, white crosses with an American Flag attached; and the name of a Veteran is stenciled on each cross.  We don’t call them crosses though, out of fear of ACLU lawsuits. We call them “markers.”  People come from all around to see this beautiful site.

Phobia: From the Greek phobos, meaning fear. noun. An abnormal intense and irrational fear of a given situation, organism or object. Synonyms: aversion, hatred.

Have you ever had a phobia; maybe flying, heights, bridges, germs or just leaving home?  Many do and often try to keep the fear to themselves.  They don’t share their embarrassment and discomfort with others, often even their friends and family don’t know.  Sometimes they don’t even know they are phobic at all.

Howard Hughes was phobic of germs and other unseen critters.  Toward the end of his life, he would sleep naked in a dark, hotel room in what he called a germ-free zone.  Why did this happen?  Some researchers believe Howard’s mother may have instilled his fear of germs,mysophobia, because of her concern with the polio epidemic at the time.  She was constantly trying to keep him germ free.

Last week another news story appeared about an ever-increasing phobia, and paranoia, a fear that I have coined as Godophobia: The fear, hatred and aversion to God and symbols of appreciation or reverence for Him.

Karen Mendoza, the widow of one of the Marines killed who erected the Cross Memorial at Camp Pendleton, had this to say in the Fox News interview:

“It's not a religious spot at all, it's a place for the Marines to grieve and to grow to let go of their burdens of what they had in their soul, so they can go back down that hill and back into battle and put their own lives on the line.” 

Isn’t it amazing that in this politically correct world of today, we are fearful to let a memorial be areligious memorial?  We might get sued, mocked or worse.

The Camp Pendleton memorial has become controversial.  Since the location of the memorial was posted in a newspaper, the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, or MAAF, wants the crosses moved to a church or private land.  They would be replaced with flags or some other symbol used instead to mark the site.  Any symbol that has nothing to do with God that is.

Jason Torpy, the Association President, is quoted in the article, as follows:

"These Christian crosses need to go to a private Christian installation, and we need to stick to things that honor everyone equally and maintains neutrality towards government." 

Though the memorial has stood for ten years without complaint, the Marines, a few good men, will ultimately lose this battle to a very few bad men.  It is the way of the world.

Jason Torpy apparently claims he doesn’t want to cause problems, but at the same time he lobbies for atheist chaplains in the military.  An atheist chaplain?  Jason’s hatred and aversion, his phobia of God, is clearly evident.

Now to Mount Soledad, California. Mount Soledad is topped by a large concrete Latin cross, first built in 1913, and has been rebuilt twice.  There were never any challenges or problems with the Mount Soledad Cross until challenged by atheists in the 1980s.  Because of that challenge, that aversion, the Cross was designated a Korean War Memorial.  The controversy was heard ‘round the world, and the “progressives” were aghast at the lack of sensitivities for the two atheists.  You can see the most recent poll of supporters and aversionists.  Basically, 80% want the memorial, 20% don’t.  The 20%, or less, always seem to win these “separation” battles.  I doubt the Founding Fathers had that in mind, considering how much most of them spoke of God and the Creator.

“ ...we conclude that the Memorial, presently configured and as a whole, primarily conveys a message of government endorsement of religion that violates the Establishment Clause. This result does not mean that the Memorial could not be modified to pass constitutional muster nor does it mean that no cross can be part of this veterans’ memorial. We take no position on those issues."  Judge McKeown, opinion for the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

So the Mount Soledad case goes on, the aversionists not satisfied until it’s their way or the highway.  A lot of religions are like that too, unfortunately, all or none.

What about Barrow County, Georgia?  A few years ago, the Barrow County Courthouse had a small display of the Ten Commandments hanging on the wall.  The plaque had been hanging in the courthouse for several decades, no problem.  It was however a problem with a single complainant, who remains anonymous.

The ACLU jumped on this like stink on a skunk, sued the county and made sure the one (uno) complainant would remain anonymous, for his/her well-being.  Of course, there were no well-being concerns for all the citizens who received comfort from the display of the Ten Commandments, the basis of Western Law.

I can be a little compulsive at times and was told more than once by Mom that I have a one-track mind.  I had a bunch of Ten Commandment lapel pins made, one with Roman Numerals and one with Hebrew numbers, and started on a campaign of awareness.  My daughter made us a standupforgod-webpage, and I contacted Jody Hice, the Senior Pastor at Bethlehem First Baptist Church.  Jody, who now has his own radio program, Let Freedon Ring, led the battle against the ACLU.  As a result, Barrow County still removed the Ten Commandments but only had to pay the $ 150,000 court ordered fine and not the ACLU legal fees.  Jody Hice was incremental in helping raise the $ 150,000.

And so it goes.  A single person, one person, can sue the “establishment” because something is religiously offensive; and their track records of success is phenomenal.  The ACLU and other groups, usually made up of “volunteer” attorneys, sue and usually win by running their opponents (Barrow County) out of money.  The plaintiffs file their suits, and the defendants cut their losses.

I have been blessed with many friends in my life from all sorts of religious persuasions, and some with no religious beliefs at all.  The friends who I have made in my life who don’t believe in God are not phobic.  They do not have an irrational fear of anything God, could care less about the Soledad Cross, the Camp Pendleton Memorial or the Ten Commandments in the courthouse.

Every atheist is not phobic about God; it is the minority of unbelievers who are.  But like always, the squeaky wheel gets the grease.  These are the Godophobes; and while they win over and over, we snooze and hope things will change.  Hope and Change.  We got it.

If someone doesn’t “like” something, a belief or a lifestyle, they are only phobic if they have anirrational fear or aversion.

For Jason Torpy and those of his ilk, I have this question for you: Do you have a fear of God?  You better!

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” (Proverbs 9:10 NIV)