DIALOGUE

Thanks for the article. I avoided reading it this morning in the Times, as I thought it was pretty much what we are hearing and true. I'm not sure you can equate radical muslims to what happened with the Irish or any we discriminated against. The level of violence simply didn't exist. I don't care one way or another about the Mosque, other than they are damn insensitive. It is like a Jews for Jesus building next to the synagogue. Even that, however, in this enlighten world, they wouldn't be trying to kill the Jews. Conversion but not anything else. And, let's face it, you and others can make the argument anytime you want of our intolerance but the facts exist: 9-11; those who are trying to zap us now aren't named John, Bill, and Mary.

OK, that BS aside here is something to really hang your hat on, taken from the Old Testament, Ecclesiastes 12:1; and this is not somebody trying to zap us but the reason why we hang out at the gym, exercise, have plenty of sex, etc.-I am not sending this to Andy before his trip as it is too encouraging. LOL.

Don't let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and no longer enjoy living. It will be too late then to remember him, when the light of sun and moon and stars is dim to your old eyes, and there is no silver lining left among the clouds. Your limbs will tremble with age, and your strong legs will grow weak. Your teeth will be too few to do their work, and you will be blind, too. And, when your teeth are gone, keep your lips tightly closed when you eat! Even the chirping of birds will wake you up. But you yourself will be deaf and tuneless, with a quavering voice. You will be afraid of heights and of falling, white hair and withered, dragging along toward any death's door. And as you near your everlasting home, the mourners will walk along the streets.Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don't wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.