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Letter to the Editor: Mark Imel


By Mark Imel

April 26, 2023

Dear Kiowa County Independent,

I want to thank Betsy Barnett for bringing to our attention a very concerning development in our state with the article about the after-school Satan club in Paonia, Colorado.

While reading about some of the basic directions for the Satanic Temple I wonder what things will look like if God is completely rejected and people follow the ideals of Satanism. One of the fundamental tenants of the Satanic Temple mentioned is “Acting within reason.”

Let me ask who decides what is acting within reason?”

Years ago I heard a Bible College Professor from Kansas tell how his own daughter was attending K-State in Manhattan, Kansas. The Young lady had a professor that was not a friend of Christianity and his standard response to Christian ideals was, “while you believe that is right, that does not necessarily mean it is right for me.”

The girl’s Dad told her that the next time she wrote a paper for that class to purposely misspell words and make other mistakes. When the Teacher would give her a bad grade, she was to tell him, “while you believe that is right, that does not necessarily mean it is right for me.”

Acting within reason might sound good but who decides what is in reason?

The second area for the Satanic Temple states, “struggle for justice should prevail over laws.” Does this mean that if someone does not like a law they can overlook it and do what they want to do? Where would a thought pattern like that lead to?

The next tenants of the Satanic Temple stated, “ One’s body is subject to one’s own will.” We have laws against drunk driving. While people may choose to drink and get drunk, if they decide to drive a vehicle on the road because that is their will, doesn’t that affect the people they meet on the roads?

In America we are free to believe what we choose. However, it is important to consider where those beliefs can lead to. We can carefully look at the other tenants of the Satanic Temple and see other alarming concerns.

Minister Bob Russell has commented that even if the Bible did not say there is a devil and hell we could understand that there is on by the things that have happened. Every invention that has been made for the good eventually has been corrupted to do harm. The printing press first printed the Bible. Many fine publications have been made. But the printing presses have also developed pornography.

Airplanes have been developed that have helped missionaries travel to the far corners of the world. But people have also used airplanes to drop bombs on people to kill them.

So it is important to think these issues out. I believe it is important to consider the really good life that Jesus Christ offers us. Christ offers a life with stability and help for all situations. While life without the Lord Jesus will end up in disaster.

It is alarming that an after school club promoting Satan has been started and that it is in our State. Once again, I thank Betsy Barnett for bringing this matter to our attention.

Mark Imel

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