Personal Interests and Beliefs
Ivins was a Roman Catholic. The Frederick News-Post has made public several letters to the editor written by Ivins dealing with his religious views. These were cited in the Department of Justice summary of the case against Ivins as suggesting that he may have harbored a grudge against pro-choice Catholic senators Daschle and Leahy, recipients of anthrax mailings. In a letter expressing his belief that Jews were God's chosen people, Ivins stated, "By blood and faith, Jews are God's chosen, and have no need for 'dialogue' with any gentile." Ivins praised a rabbi for refusing a dialogue with a Muslim cleric.
His pastimes included playing keyboard at his local church, Saint John the Evangelist; he was a member of the American Red Cross; he was an avid juggler and founder of the Frederick Jugglers. He played keyboards in a Celtic band and would often compose and play songs for coworkers who were moving to new jobs.
Read more about this topic: Bruce Edwards Ivins
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