A proud Rosicrucian

Editor: Having family near the Lodi area, I read The Lodi News-Sentinel article: “Unique Northern California museums offer intriguing options for day trips” (Feb. 16 issue). Beside the article was a photograph of Rosicrucian Park featuring architecture of ancient Egypt. In many ways, I commend those who built the park and whose efforts bring a taste of ancient Egypt to convenient visitation by Northern California tourists.

A centerpiece of the park is the Society of the Rose and Cross (commonly called “Rosicrucianism"). I can reassure readers that genuine Rosicrucianism isn’t a spooky religion. In fact, it’s not a religion at all. It is a philosophical and scholarly society. If anything, it has fortified my Christian beliefs. Yet, it has also reminded me to be civil, polite and tolerant of other faiths.

I greatly value America’s Judeo-Christian heritage. It was built upon a great deal of holy scripture, both Old Testament and New Testament tenets, as well as “The Ten Commandments” and “The Golden Rule.”

I myself am interested in academic and historical scholarship. In the early, early years, the Society’s founder, Christian Rosenkreutz (1378-1484) was a Catholic monk. He lived to the ripe old age of 106 years. That longevity is possible, although still a rarity in today’s world of the year 2020; yet in President George Washington’s time, the average life-expectancy was only 38 years of age.

Back then, inadequate medicine, poor sanitation, the spread of infectious diseases, and general medical care was lacking. A large mission of Father Christian Rosenkreutz (as a monk) was much like the Franciscans or Dominicans — he wanted to create a mendicant-society, which is essentially a corps of medieval medics who fanned-out in pairs of members, two-by-two, observing what they could, learning what they could, and yes, medically treating what they could.

Lives were saved health-wise and the educational level of ordinarily villagers from The Holy Land westward to Europe — especially Germany and Bohemia — was enhanced. That, is why I am proud to be a modern Rosicrucian. JAMES MARPLES Longview, Texas

Proud to support President Trump

Editor: A recent Los Angeles Times article in the Lodi News-Sentinel gave a negative take on President Trump’s State of the Union speech. I thought it was a great presentation of all 1the progress made in 3 ⁄2 years.

On a Fox program, Republican Lindsay Graham challenged Nancy Pelosi to disprove any of the claims made by President Trump.

I’d like to know how much taxpayers have paid for 31⁄2 years of continuous Democratic investigations, trials, etc., and what has the Democratic Party contributed to the betterment of the American people and the country.

Obama claimed he inherited a recession from Bush and in eight years in office, left a $20 trillion debt. He also gave Iran $1.3 billion and later sent an additional $400 million in cash. Iran is a sworn enemy of the U.S., supports terrorism, burns the U.S. flag and chants “death to America.”

In another recent LA Times article, President Trump “exacted vengeance” on two administration officials. Again, what fool would want anyone in the White House that was not supportive?

In the same paper, an article from Bloomberg News states “jobs top estimates with 225,000 gain as wages accelerate.

I think I’ll stick with the deplorabes and continue shopping at Walmart.

BETTY PFEIFLE Lodi

Does your conscience bother you?

Editor: The most eyeopening result of Trump’s presidency, for me, was discovering how inherently racist so many I called friends are. These friends would claim a “fiscally conservative but socially liberal” stance. They can’t honestly still claim to be a Trump supporter, as under his presidency our deficit is at its worst in history due the greedy tax cuts to the top 1%.

Trickledown economics didn’t work the first time or this time. What I’ve seen that most excites my conservative friends was making political correctness (aka “PC”), a dirty word. It is now OK to be rude to anyone you disagree with and openly racist to brown people. I find it disgusting, vile and depressing. Those I used to attend church with spout biblical verses defending their beliefs yet the one thing they cannot find is any verse from Jesus’ own mouth that can defend these actions.

These people were “outraged” by President Clinton’s consensual indiscretion while in the White House, yet they are okay with the President’s multiple historical marital indiscretions, profanitylaced tweets, attacks on heroic congressmen, senators and government workers who spent entire careers defending our nation.

The history books will show these same people as the enablers of the destruction of common human decency and democracy as our nation has known up to the day Trump was inaugurated.

The only consolation is that these Trump supporters’ grandchildren will ask “Why would you support such a despicable, lying, vile, human being?” They’ll answer, “It’s our right to be vile and rude to those we disagree with, especially brown people.”

When they ask, “How can you destroy wildlife and forests and leave earth uninhabitable for us?” They’ll say, “There’s no such thing as climate change, the environment is always changing.”

They’ll ask, “Why have you left our country in such debt?” They’ll answer, “The rich people need the money to create more jobs, we just need to keep the brown people from stealing them.”

Finally, they’ll ask, “But how can you cage innocent children?” They’ll respond, “Don’t worry, we only cage the brown ones.”

SUZI BRANBY Lodi