Our Focus Book – A Racist Diatribe???

[johnkarls]

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George Kunath proposed our focus book.

[Though each focus book is voted upon by the attendees of the previous month’s meeting, except Yours Truly does NOT vote except to break ties which was not the case for “When Race Trumps Merit.”]

Yesterday afternoon was George and my weekly multi-hour gabfest which has been happening since January 1988 when I joined the firm in which George was already a NYC partner.

Yesterday, George protested long and hard about this month’s Short Quiz (viewtopic.php?f=752&t=2379&sid=47c4dcee ... 7f915bccd8).

In particular, he objected vociferously to –

(1) The Short Quiz’s Section B – “America’s Permanent 30% Under-Caste and Addressing The Cause Of Racism (vs. A Mere Symptom)” and

(2) The Short Quiz’s Section C – “REDUX: America’s Permanent 30% Under-Caste and Addressing The Cause Of Racism (vs. A Mere Symptom).”

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George is invited to correct me if I misinterpreted him.

But my understanding is that he believes that the “documentation” of “When Race Trumps Merit” that Blacks are under-represented (in proportion to the general population) in medicine, the arts, etc., due to allegedly-deficient qualifications should be the SOLE/NARROW focus of our consideration.

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My position that putting race-horse blinders on our eyes is racist.

Yes, “When Race Trumps Merit” MAY be accurate in some of its accusations of deficient qualifications.

BUT IT IS RACIST TO IGNORE WHAT CAUSED ANY DEFICIENCY IN QUALIFICATIONS.

After all, we have studied on many occasions that “Identical Twin Studies” consistently show that when inner-city identical twins are orphaned before their first birthday and one twin is adopted by another inner-city family while the other identical twin is adopted by a suburban family, the twins adopted by another inner-city family develop by adulthood an average MEASURED I.Q. equal to the average inner-city MEASURED I.Q., while their identical twins adopted by suburban families develop by adulthood an average MEASURED I.Q. equal to the average suburban MEASURED I.Q.

So in “Christian America” it is legitimate to inquire what, assuming arguendo that “When Race Trumps Merit” is accurate, produced this situation!!!

[solutions]

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---------------------------- Original Message -----------------------------
Subject: Your “Christian America” Reference
From: Solutions
Date: Tue, August 1, 2023 11:51 pm PDT
To: ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com
Attachment:
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Dear John,

Your website posting this morning entitled “Our Focus Book – A Racist Diatribe???” concluded with –

“So in ‘Christian America’ it is legitimate to inquire what, assuming arguendo that ‘When Race Trumps Merit’ is accurate, produced this situation!!!”

Why did you call the United States “Christian America”?

Why do you think America’s religion is relevant?

Your friend,

Solutions


---------------------------- Original Message -----------------------------
Subject: Re: Your “Christian America” Reference
From: ReadingLiberally-SaltLake@johnkarls.com
Date: Wed, August 2, 2023 4:45 pm MDT
To: Solutions
Attachment:
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Dear Solutions,

Thank you very much for your inquiries.


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Re “Christian America” –

Decades ago, the U.S. was commonly called “Christian America.”

Per the CIA’s World Factbook (https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/ ... nd-society), the religions of America’s 339.7 million population are –

Protestant – 46.5%
Roman Catholic – 20.8%
Jewish – 1.9%
Mormon – 1.6%
Other Christian – 0.9%
Muslim – 0.9%
Jehovah’s Witness – 0.8%
Buddhist – 0.7%
Hindu – 0.7%
Other – 1.8%
Unaffiliated – 22.8%
Don’t know/refused – 0.6%


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The Relevance of America’s Religion

Judaic Law (“The Old Covenant”) comprises the 613 Commandments of The Torah (Genesis – Exodus – Leviticus – Numbers – Deuteronomy).

Christianity’s “New Covenant” is contained in Luke 10:25-28 where CHRIST says that “in order to inherit eternal life” one must –

(1) Love God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind, and
(2) Love your neighbor as yourself.

Whereupon CHRIST immediately (Luke 10:29-37) defines “neighbor” with the Story of the Good Samaritan.

[Much has been written about Christ’s selection of a Samaritan to illustrate “neighbor” because Samaritans in the time of Christ were viewed by Jews as the lowest of the low – the last people on earth a Jew would consider to be a “neighbor.”]

BTW, I have often been asked why Christ didn’t phrase the SECOND of His TWO Commandments for “inheriting eternal life” as –

(2) Love your neighbor with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.

My answer???

Christ knew that human beings are too easy in grading themselves –

Do I love my neighbor with all my heart??? -- Of course!!!
Do I love my neighbor with all my soul??? -- Of course!!!
Do I love my neighbor with all my strength??? -- Of course!!!
Do I love my neighbor with all my mind??? -- Of course!!!

BUT, do I love my neighbor as myself??? -- Hmmm….!!!

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So bottom line???

If 67.3% of Americans are Protestant or Roman Catholic and therefore believe that UNLESS CHRIST WAS LYING, they must in order “to inherit eternal life” love EVERYONE as themselves, THEN HOW COULD “CHRISTIAN AMERICA” HAVE REACHED SUCH DEPTHS THAT BLACKS WERE TREATED SO ABYSMALLY THAT THEY ARE AS DESCRIBED (WHETHER THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE TRUE OR FALSE) BY “WHEN RACE TRUMPS MERIT???!!!


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Thank you again for your e-mail.

Since you asked, I trust you don’t mind my being so blunt.

Your friend,

John K.