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Abuse of power and

Pew Religion Survey

I read the Pew Religion Survey and found it very fascinating and revealing.

I was not surprised that agnostics and atheists knew more about religion than church goers, because I came to the realization, a long time ago, about how congregations are given (by their ministers, bishops and pastors) knowledge about religion, instead of people acquiring knowledge from many sources other than just their churches and the Bible ā€“ ā€œKnowledge is power.ā€

And religious leaders persuade their flock to believe they have all the knowledge.

When the missionaries first went to Africa, they had the Bible and we had the land. When they left, we had the Bible and they had the land. Many times, the congregation is so traumatized by the revelation they do nothing, but want to keep believing.

And sadly enough, some of us enjoy knowing religious leaders have this power. It pleases some of us to see them living and enjoying the good life ā€“ expensive cars, jewelry, designer wardrobes, private planes and several homes. Of course, there are many religious leaders who would choose not to have such a lavish lifestyle.

I have concluded that the reason the atheists and agnostics did so well on this Pew survey, is because of their body of knowledge. People are not raised to be atheists and agnostics, but they choose to be after many years of research, experience and formal education. Knowledge was definitely an important factor, to scoring well on this survey.

Carol Evans Conley

Street life not worth it

Dear young brothers and sisters,

No matter how hard your life is, you can make it. Remember that dreams are free, but not following our dreams is one of the most costly things in life.

I was once bound by guilt, shame, greed, fear, and pride. Growing up, I had no respect for my parents, other authority figures, the norms and laws of society, myself, or human life. In 2002, that way of thinking, being and doing landed me on Death Row when I was 23 years old. Three years later, I was re-sentenced to serve the rest of my life in prison without the possibility of parole.

I made the choice to be a prisoner of other peopleā€™s negative expectations at an early age when I dropped out of school and started living a life of crime. Iā€™ve hurt a lot of people in the past and Iā€™ve lost a lot of family and friends to drugs, alcohol and senseless violence.

Gangs, drugs, alcohol and senseless violence wonā€™t solve any of your problems. They will only create new problems and make your existing problems even worse. If you want to be successful, then you have to make better choices than the ones that I made while you still have a life, while you still have your freedom.

Donā€™t be afraid or ashamed to ask for help and always remember, there is no right way to do the wrong thing. An early grave or a prison cell is no place for you to be. The street life is not worth it. All the work that you put in wonā€™t pay off for you in the end.

The risks, the consequences and the heartbreak outweigh the money and the street fame. All of that is just an illusion. You are more than your bodies, the color of your skin, the things you have or donā€™t have.

You have the power to make a difference because you matter. Use your beautiful minds, all of your energy and urge to belong and direct it towards something positive, like bringing peace back to our communities. The choice is yours. Stop the violence. Increase the peace.

Phillip Stroud

Wabash Valley Correctional Center

Carlisle

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