To the Editor, The New York Times:

               Understanding Pedophilic Behavior

In the Times article,"  Bishop in Sexual Abuse Case Prompts New Outrage in Belgium",  (The Times, April 16 2011, Page A1)  it is reported that Bishop Vangeluwe,  having been accused of molesting his own nephews, described the incidents as follows: "It was a certain intimacy that took place, the nephews slept with me. It began as a game with the boys, and the abuse was restricted to a touching of the genitals---I never felt the slightest sexual attraction". He showed little guilt or contrition about it, or awareness of its effect on the boys. Then we read of Bishop Bernard Law of Boston,who would write in the  records of priests found to be sexually molesting young boys,'"He fools around with kids"---Hardly an accurate description of felonious sexual assault. Apparently he also saw such behavior as harmless , innocent behavior that young boys do all the time. This would explain why the Catholic Clergy failed to identify such behavior as  pathological and failed  do anything about the widespread pedophilia in the clergy. As one accused Bishop stated regarding his pedophilic behavior 25 years earlier,, " In those days we didn't know it was a condition, We just thought, make a good confession and sin no more." And Jerry Sandusky, during an interview with Tom Costas was slow to respond to a question regarding his alleged sexual attraction to young boys, as if he didn't see it as sexual at all. Sandusky doesn't show the slightest sign of remorse or guilt one would expect from a  mature, revered football coach who had sexually  assaulted children. One can perhaps understand these phenomena if one thinks that  pedophiles may not actually feel overt sexual arousal in this activity, because their main psychological identity is that of the age of the boys they molest. The alleged encounters are more like two young boys innocently exploring their own sexuality ---foollng around--- as many young boys do with each other  as a part of their becoming curious about their sexuality, not  that of a middle aged man with a young boy.  Their predominant emotional identity remains fixated at an early level, even though they appear to be and act in many ways like mature adults.  This the only way one could understand how a mature man who is dedicated to educating and coaching young men could not feel the revulsion and overwhelming guilt one would expect..  It  is why associates, friends, and university officials find it almost incomprehensible that  Jerry Sandusky could be  guilty of such evil, damaging, felonious behavior.

To the Editor, The New York Time:

Mitt Romney and God


In the article, "Romney's Faith, Silent and Deep" ( The Times, Sunday,May 20, Page 1) it is reported that a friend said, " He just needs to know what God wants him to do and how he can get it done". Later on we read, " Mr Romney prays before taking action on a decision for divine reassurance, a feeling that he is "united with the powers above".In other words, M Romney feels he can know what God wants him to do.  And later, Mrs Romney is quoted as saying that his run for the United States senate was part of God's plan. The article also mentions that " when a college student faced serious penalties for extra-marital sex, Mr Romney put him on probation instead, ( Of excomminication?) But he carried out excommunications faithfully." Reinhold Niebuhr, perhaps the most prominent and respected theologian of the 20th century, is quoted in a Times article in 2005 in paraphrasing Niebuhr, , " there is no greater human presumption than to read the mind of the Almighty , and no  more dangerous individual than the one who has convinced himself that he is executing God's will." Apparently Mormons feels they do  have a special relationship with God. Apparently,if elected Mitt Romney plans to do whatever he thinks God wants him to do. In other words, this election is really  between Obama and God.!!!!!

To the Editor, The New York Times:

Has Jesus Changed His Mind?

In the article, "Race and Religion Rear Their Heads," ( The Times, Saturday, May 19,  Page A13) it is reported  that Mitt Romney was quoted by reporters  as saying, that Obama wanted to male America into " a less Christian nation. " to which Romney replied that he stood by that comment.. Well, the fact is, America is already a less Christian nation, but conservative Christians don't want to admit that they, themselves,  have done it . With all the discussion and controversy about sexual mores in the current  campaign rhetoric, especially by conservative evangelical groups and their position on gay rights  and  same-sex marriage, to the extent that constitutional amendments have been suggested prohibiting it, it would behoove these groups to read what Jesus, himself, said about heterosexual marriage.  In Matt 5/32 he said, " But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced hath committed adultery"..And in Mark 10/11 Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her and in Mark 10/12  "And if a woman shall put away her husband and become married to another, she committeth adultery. The fact is, more than half of marriages in this country end in divorce and in many cases, followed by remarriage. In fact. the divorce rate is higher in the so-called Bible Belt states than in the more secular ones. Is this still a Christian country, or has Jesus changed his mind?

To the Editor, t\The New York Times:

           It's Already A Less Christian Nation.

In the article, "Race and Religion Rear Their Heads," ( The Times, Saturday, May 19,  Page A13) it is reported  that Mitt Romney was quoted by reporters  as saying, that Obama wanted to male America into " a less Christian nation. " to which Romney replied that he stood by that comment.. Well, the fact is, America is already a less Christian nation, but conservative Christians don't want to admit that they, themselves,  have done it .  According to the New Testament,, ( Jesus, himself)  all remarried divorcees are committing adultery, (The 7th Commandment ) and all extra-marital sexual activity is fornication. ( As St Paul said to single women and widows, regarding sex, "it's better to marry than to burn." These two groups--adulterers and fornicators make up almost the entire population of this country. (It has been noted that the divorce rate  is higher in the co-called Bible belt states than in the more secular states.)

To the Editor, The Record:

Another way of Looking at Pedophilic Behavior

      If one looks at a grown man sexually molesting a young boy as really two young boys "horsing around", one might get a better understanding of this repulsive and damaging activity. Recently in the New York Times article, " Bishop Sexual abuse Case Prompts New Outrage in Belgium", it is reported that Bishop Vangeluwe,  having been accused of molesting his own nephews, described the incidents as follows: "It was a certain intimacy that took place, the nephews slept with me. It began as a game with the boys, and the abuse was restricted to a touching of the genitals---I never felt the slightest sexual attraction". He showed little guilt or contrition about it, or awareness of its effect on the boys. Then we read of Bishop Bernard Law of Boston,who would write in the  records of priests found to be sexually molesting young boys,'"He fools around with kids"---Hardly an accurate description of felonious sexual assault. Apparently he also saw such behavior as harmless , innocent behavior that young boys do all the time. This would explain why the Catholic Clergy failed to identify such behavior as  pathological and failed  do anything about the widespread pedophilia in the clergy. As one accused Bishop stated regarding his pedophilic behavior 25 years earlier,, " In those days we didn't know it was a condition, We just thought, make a good confession and sin no more. It wasn't in our manuals ", as if it was quite normal sexual behavior--only sinful, like adultery,etc.   And Jerry Sandusky, during an interview with Bob Costas  on TV was slow to respond to a question regarding  sexual attraction to young boys, ---which he denied ---as if he didn't see it as sexual at all. He said h just liked being with kids. Sandusky doesn't show the slightest sign of remorse or guilt one would expect from a  mature, revered football coach who had sexually  assaulted children. Frankly,  on TV he appears to be unaware of what is really happening to him and why.  One can perhaps understand these phenomena if one thinks that  pedophiles may not actually feel  normal overt sexual arousal in this activity, because their main psychological identity is that of the age of the boys they molest. The alleged encounters are more like two young boys innocently exploring their own sexuality ---foollng around--- as many young boys do as a part of their becoming curious about their sexuality, not  that of a middle aged man with a young boy.  Their predominant developmental and emotional identity remains fixated at an early level, even though they appear to be and  in many ways act  like mature adults.  This the only way one could understand how a mature man who is dedicated to educating and coaching young men could not feel the revulsion and overwhelming guilt one would expect.  It  is why associates, friends, and university officials find it almost incomprehensible that  Jerry Sandusky could be  guilty of such awful, damaging, felonious behavior.

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To the Editor, The New York Time:

Mitt Romney and God


In the article, "Romney's Faith, Silent and Deep" ( The Times, Sunday,May 20, Page 1) it is reported that a friend said, " He just needs to know what God wants him to do and how he can get it done". Later on we read, " Mr Romney prays before taking action on a decision for divine reassurance, a feeling that he is "united with the powers above".In other words, M Romney feels he can know what God wants him to do.  And later, Mrs Romney is quoted as saying that his run for the United States senate was part of God's plan. The article also mentions that " when a college student faced serious penalties for extra-marital sex, Mr Romney put him on probation instead, ( Of excomminication?) But he carried out excommunications faithfully." Reinhold Niebuhr, perhaps the most prominent and respected theologian of the 20th century, is quoted in a Times article in 2005 in paraphrasing Niebuhr, , " there is no greater human presumption than to read the mind of the Almighty , and no  more dangerous individual than the one who has convinced himself that he is executing God's will." Apparently Mormons feels they do  have a special relationship with God. Apparently,if elected Mitt Romney plans to do whatever he thinks God wants him to do. In other words, this election is really  between Obama and God.!!!!!

To the Editor, The New York Times:

Has Jesus Changed His Mind?

In the article, "Race and Religion Rear Their Heads," ( The Times, Saturday, May 19, Page A13) it is reported that Mitt Romney was quoted by reporters as saying, that Obama wanted to male America into " a less Christian nation. " to which Romney replied that he stood by that comment.. Well, the fact is, America is already a less Christian nation, but conservative Christians don't want to admit that they, themselves, have done it . With all the discussion and controversy about sexual mores in the current campaign rhetoric, especially by conservative evangelical groups and their position on gay rights and same-sex marriage, to the extent that constitutional amendments have been suggested prohibiting it, it would behoove these groups to read what Jesus, himself, said about heterosexual marriage. In Matt 5/32 he said, " But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife save for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced hath committed adultery"..And in Mark 10/11 Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her and in Mark 10/12 "And if a woman shall put away her husband and become married to another, she committeth adultery. The fact is, more than half of marriages in this country end in divorce and in many cases, followed by remarriage. In fact. the divorce rate is higher in the so-called Bible Belt states than in the more secular ones. Is this still a Christian country, or has Jesus changed his mind?

To the Editor, t\The New York Times:

It's Already A Less Christian Nation.

In the article, "Race and Religion Rear Their Heads," ( The Times, Saturday, May 19, Page A13) it is reported that Mitt Romney was quoted by reporters as saying, that Obama wanted to male America into " a less Christian nation. " to which Romney replied that he stood by that comment.. Well, the fact is, America is already a less Christian nation, but conservative Christians don't want to admit that they, themselves, have done it . According to the New Testament,, ( Jesus, himself) all remarried divorcees are committing adultery, (The 7th Commandment ) and all extra-marital sexual activity is fornication. ( As St Paul said to single women and widows, regarding sex, "it's better to marry than to burn." These two groups--adulterers and fornicators make up almost the entire population of this country. (It has been noted that the divorce rate is higher in the co-called Bible belt states than in the more secular states.)

Conservative Leaders Selective Out-rage

To the Editor, The New York Times:

In response to President Obama's dramatic revelation of his approval of same-sex marriage, ( The Times, Thursday, May 10, Front Page), one reads and hears of the out-rage of conservative religious leader's, both political and clerical including New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan. However, one doesn't hear of outrage over the fact that over half of marriages in the US end in divorce, usually followed by re-marriage. Jesus , himself, says that " if a man puts his wife out in divorce except for fornication, he makes her an adulteress, and if a man marries a divorced woman, he is committing adultery." And regarding extra-marital sexual activity, i.e. fornication, St Paul, addressing single women and widows, admonishes them "if they cannot contain, It is better to marry than burn." Most likely if outrage was expressed in these areas, followers would change allegences and church pews would empty. What about a constitutional amendment out-lawing divorce? And laws forbidding any extra-marital sexual behavior.. How would that go over these days!