Blog on Demand

Here is the letter alluded to by Huttonian, a local author, former diplomat and fellow bloggee.

SIR, - While on holiday this summer I at last found time to read the fiction of 'The Da Vinci Code'. Last Saturday evening I happened by chance on a two hour Channel 4 documentary 'The Doomsday Code' presented by Tony Robinson. The difference was that the latter contained video evidence to demonstrate it was based on fact.

Tony took viewers to meet 'end timers' in the US, Israel and Uganda. Viewers heard an American 'end timer' preaching "The answer is not economics, the answer is not politics, the answer is getting back to the Bible".

Seems reasonable but American 'end timer' evangelists in Uganda were shown encouraging people to pray for the end of the world rather than helping them to improve the quality of their lives.

'End timers' believe in 'The Rapture'. From a website called 'Rapture Christ' I quote "The major bible prophecy yet to be fulfilled is the rescue of Abraham's children from this Earth. Some people call this event 'The Rapture'. God will rescue/rapture us before people are forced to accept an implant referred in the Bible as 'the mark of the beast'."

'End timers' believe the end of the world is near, when everyone will go either to heaven or to hell. From a web search on 'End timers' here is one quote "America has blundered into a needless and dangerous war, and fully half of the country's population is enthusiastic. Many Christians think that war in the Middle East signals "end times" and that they are about to be wafted up to heaven."

The most disturbing claim in the programme was from a leading 'end timer' who said that Bush’s advisers were coming to them for advice.
That may or may not be true but 'end timers' welcome global warming and Bush has resolutely refused to lead any US action on global warming.

As 'end timers' wish for the early destruction of the planet they encourage greater pollution. They are as much extremists as those in al-Qaeda, the difference being that they believe in Christ and their base is America.

www.channel4.com/believe is a website which enables anyone to find out more but as I have indicated Channel 4 is not alone in making these claims.

One American website claims "End Timers Now Control Government - The Rapture Now Steers The Ship Of State".

It is time to end our 'special relationship' with the US because America appears to be on a Crusade.

It follows that it is time for Tony Blair to go since he has aligned himself with Bush. He should not be granted the dignity of choosing his time but should be forced out.

COUNCILLOR JOHN ELLIOT,
2 Duns Law,
Duns.

More than one thing struck me odd about this letter - It seems to serve no apparent purpose on the surface other than jumping on the coat tails of the campaign to get Tony Blair to resign - but in all probability Tony Blair doesn't read the Berwickshire News....

Having a recollection of a previous letter from the same councillor just in the last week or two (Sept 7th or 14th issue) I'm left wondering if the "point" is to get Councillor Elliot's name in to the minds of the wider Mid-Berwickshire electorate ahead of the new superward council elections next spring - in which the use of single transferrable vote PR must be a concern for the non-affiliated "independent" councillors (many of whom are currently in the administration of SBC in coalition with the Conservatives). Above all the use of the word "while" in the first sentence when the correct construction would be "whilst" in that context, this from a retired teacher of many years standing (hopefully next to the blackboard or whatever we have to refer to them as these days).

You can read more about the Councillor himself here. A rather natty waistcoat he's sporting in the photo if I may say so.

Now I'm left wondering why Huttonian wanted to draw wider world attention to the megalomania of local councillors.....