Questioning ‘Faith’

Your article “A Test of Faith” (Mar. 29) is disturbing to me because children don’t run away from home unless they have a good reason. I realize your article points out the reason for this problem is the children are rejecting the faith of their parents, but this reason is not good enough for me. Most children disagree with a lot of things their parents believe as truth, but . . . they tolerate their parents’ beliefs and wait until they’re old enough to leave home before changing. Therefore, I can only conclude that the children running away in Montana are doing so for another reason, and that reason is for fear of their lives.

It is obvious that Elizabeth Clare Prophet’s Church Universal and Triumphant is a cult and not a religion. In spite of her claim to the contrary, no organized religion I know of stockpiles straitjackets, Valium and weapons--unless you happen to be another Jim Jones. Her stated intent of protecting her following from a nuclear holocaust is ludicrous. Her reputation centers on her prediction of the end of mankind occurring on April 23, 1990, and when that day comes and nothing happens, then what will she do? I believe the children running away from her church are doing so because they can sense tragedy about to happen, and they value their own lives way above any of her teachings.

CHRISTOPHER D. PASCAL, Hacienda Heights