Letters, Apr. 18, 1977

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About the Americanization of immigrants, I am all for bilingual Americans. Let us put our youngsters into Spanish, Dutch, Czech, etc. classes. But let us not deprive the new American kids of the language of their future livelihood. If immigrants had not assimilated in the past, we would be in the same nationalistic mess as Europe: Illinois would be at war with Indiana, Florida would hate Georgia. I am quite content and happy simmering in the melting pot, transplanted from Czechoslovakia and firmly rooted in fine soil.

Vera Laska Weston, Mass.

Brainwashing v. Religion

I believe the Hare Krishna sect [March 28] is a threat to all of us who call ourselves Christians. They threaten our life-style because they take their scriptures literally and live them. We Christians would look and act just like the Hare Krishna people if we took the Bible at its word, which is God's word. But like it or not we are hypocrites. The Hare Krishna people do not use force, but the deprogrammers do. They are the ones guilty of using mind control and brainwashing.

My own son joined the Hare Krishna sect about three years ago, and after living in the temple for three months, left voluntarily. However, I believe he came out a much better person than when he went in.

(Mrs.) Margaret M. Knight Lansing, Mich.

It is intellectual chauvinism to invoke brainwashing as the only explanation of why others are persuaded of an outlook radically differing from one's own. It is intellectual cowardice to charge the Hare Krishna people with brainwashing instead of offering as an alternative a more persuasive world view and lifestyle. And it is an insult to the intelligence of the Hare Krishna converts to maintain that they were mentally coerced into assenting to these teachings instead of admitting that they, as responsible adults, were persuaded to accept them. God's truth should not be enforced or suppressed by Government statute.

Monty Ledford, Pastor

Kempton Mennonite Fellowship

Kemp ton, Pa.

The world is indeed fortunate that Mary did not hire a deprogrammer when her son Jesus left his family and a promising career as a carpenter to follow the dictates of his conscience.

Carol Mays

Director of Christian Education Blacksburg, Va.

In my opinion the strange ones are the frightened, narrow-minded little people like Prosecutor Schwed, and not the Hare Krishnas.

Kevin Cahill Mount Salem, N.J.

The real issue in the Hare Krishna case is not the choice of religion but the use of emotional control over innocent victims. The parents only want their loved ones to be mentally free to choose for themselves. We would like to see a full investigation by the Government of cult operations and new laws against cult indoctrination methods.

Joanne Roselle

Citizens Freedom Foundation

Utica, Mich.

Cadaver Diplomacy

We seem to be caught up in cadaver diplomacy with the North Vietnamese [March 28]. Any time they want the

U.S. to come to Hanoi, all they have to do is dig up a few more American bodies, which, sadly, they seem to have in abundance.

Charles Meredith Bossier City, La.

Cancer from Saccharin