Welcome change in religious beliefs

Ted Turner, the billionaire founder of TV channel CNN, once called Christianity "a religion for losers" and "Jesus freaks."

According to Louis Carbonneau of Reuters news agency, Turner has announced that his U. N Foundation, which he set up in 1998 with a gift of $1 billion, is now partnering with Lutheran World Relief and United Methodist Church to raise $200 million to fight malaria starting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Turner, 69, was attending a debate on the slow progress being made by the U.N. in meeting its goal of halving poverty by 2015.

"Stopping malaria will go a long way toward giving people new hope and confidence that we can succeed in the fight against poverty," Turner said.

President Bush has allocated federal funds for the elimination of malaria in Africa. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given generously also. Both Turner and Gates have found that it is best to work with Christian missionaries as they are the most trustworthy to effectively accomplish their foundation's goals and to wisely get medicine and education to the people intended.

Turner was asked why he was teaming up with the very people he once called "losers" and "Jesus freaks".

"I don't know," he said. "As I get older...I get, you know, more tolerant."

This admission must have been hard for Mr. Turner but the world thanks him for his generosity and benevolence and for his new found admission that Christian morality is the basis for honesty and for caring for the world's suffering millions.

Priscilla Weese

Wheaton