|
|
|
To the Editor: Democrats can be Christians too |
|
|
|
|
Written by Jack Taylor - Bowling Green |
|
Saturday, 25 October 2008
Sentinel-Tribune Newspaper (Bowling Green,OH)
|
|
Last
week, I received a letter from a fellow Christian, who noticed an Obama/Biden sign in my yard. He informed me that he was
"shocked" to find out that I supported Senator Obama for President. He wanted to know why I, a Christian, supported Obama
because, in his opinion, Obama doesn't support those family values that are dear to Christians.
My reasons are:
First,
I am an advocate of pro choice, particularly in instances of rape, incest and when giving birth jeopardizes the life of the
mother. In arriving at this decision, I had to consider the dilemma of those enslaved African women who decided to abort
their babies rather than watch in agony their child endure the hardships of slavery.
Second, I know what the Bible says
about homosexuality; however, I refuse to condemn my lesbian and gay friends to hell. I will love them with the love of the
Lord and let God be their and my judge.
Third, Jesus taught that "Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called
sons of God" and that "when our enemy thirsts we should give him water and when he is hungry we should feed him." I
believe that Obama is more likely than McCain to pursue a diplomatic rather than a military solution to protect our national
interests.
Fourth, I believe Obama is more likely than McCain to fund educational programs for inner city and rural youth,
to increase spending for services to veterans, to increase grants for college students and other programs which are not currently
funded or are being cut back because we are spending $10 billion per month on an unjust war in Iraq.
Fifth,
there are those who say that America is
on the road to hell because of those left-wing liberals such as Obama, who is being labeled a terrorist and socialist. But
I would like to remind Christians of those Jewish leaders who asked Samuel to give them a king so they could be like the nations
around them. After warning them about what would happen, they still wanted a king, so God gave them Saul. Fast forward to
the present, Christians got their king: President Bush.
So what is the current situation in America? We watched our national debt grow from $5 trillion to over $10 trillion
today. We watched our paychecks lose over $2,000 in spending power. We watched Americans lose their jobs and homes, and we
watched more families turn to food pantries.
Lastly, Jesus did not come to set up a theocracy on earth. He told Pilate
that "my kingdom is not of this world."
I will vote for Barack Obama because I believe that he has the character, values,
leadership skills, thoughtful judgment, and vision for America
that we need in a president at this moment in our history.
Again, God will be the final judge and may God bless America.
|
|
 To the Editor: Cops for Christ leader responds to Christian Democrat's letter
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Mark Hanson |
|
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Sentinel-Tribune Newspaper (Bowling Green, OH)
|
|
In
response to Jack Taylor's "Democrats can be Christians, too," Mr. Taylor as a Christian you stated you advocate the "pro-choice"
position on abortion. I believe you have placed yourself at odds with the God of the Bible. "The fear of the Lord is to hate
evil." (Proverbs 9:13). Abortion is murder, plain and simple. Abortion in America has become a socially accepted
form of birth control - 93 percent occur due to inconvenience. This is an abomination in the eyes of the God of the Bible.
Abortion is a blatant violation of the sixth commandment regardless of how the child was conceived or how arduous their future
looks. The Bible says, "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerer, idolaters, and all
liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." (Revelation 21:8)
As
for your stance on homosexuality, you said you know what the Bible says about it. However, you refuse to condemn your gay
and lesbian friends to hell. Well, only God can condemn someone to hell, but God has clearly warned us: He hates sin and is
angry with the wicked every day. (Psalm 7:11). If you truly love your friends, you will direct them to Jesus Christ
who can heal their sin-sick soul. The Bible says, "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. Do not be deceived.
Neither
fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you
were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)
We all stand condemned
as enemies of God until we repent and are born again. Jesus Christ paid an incredible price to redeem us. The blood of Jesus
can make the vilest sinner clean.
Mr. Taylor you remarked that Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world." His kingdom
is indeed a spiritual rule in the hearts of people and God commands everyone including Republicans and Democrats alike to
repent for there is an appointed day coming when He will judge this world of righteousness.
Mark Hanson, President
Cops for Christ,
Wood County Chapter
Bowling Green
|
|
To the Editor: Personal views do not reflect law enforcement
practices |
|
|
|
|
Written by Sandy Rowland
|
|
Wednesday, 26 November 2008
|
|
At a recent Human Relations Commission meeting visitors, including a number of students
and an educator from a Bowling Green State University
class, expressed concerns regarding recent letters to the editor of the Sentinel-Tribune. The concerns expressed had to do
with the members of the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual, transgendered community and their allies' potential feelings of apprehension
to call law enforcement based on comments made in a letter authored by the President of the Wood County Chapter of Cops for
Christ.
The members of the City of Bowling Green's Human
Relations Commission very strongly embrace our stated goal to "promote respect for diversity through education and advocacy."
We
strongly uphold the First Amendment right to free speech and respect the personal views of individuals regarding their interpretations
of the Bible and other religious materials. We recognize that an individual's affiliation with a group does not necessarily
represent the thoughts or actions of the individuals.
We support law enforcement agencies in Wood
County in their work of enforcing the law. We expect our law enforcement
personnel to treat all citizens with respect through non-discriminatory practices. We encourage those who feel that their
treatment has not met these standards to contact chief executive of the appropriate law enforcement agency.
The commission
recognizes the efforts of the City of Bowling Green Police Division
in providing for fair and equitable treatment of persons that its members serve. We have been assured that appropriate systems
are in place for oversight, supervision and application of the law enforcement processes, as evidenced by inquiries made of
the chief of police and the city safety services director in the matter brought before the commission.
The Humans Relations
Commission meets at 8 a.m. on the first Friday of each month in the council chambers of the City Administration Building,
304 N. Church St. All meetings are open to the public.
Public input is always welcome.
Sandy Rowland
Chair
City of Bowling
Green
Human Relations Commission
|
|
To the Editor: Jesus taught us to love our fellow men, not
demonize them |
|
|
|
|
Written by David Fleitz |
|
Wednesday, 17 December 2008 |
|
Mark
Hanson, president of a local organization called "Cops for Christ," displays an incredibly un-Christian attitude in his venomous
denunciations of gays.
In a letter to the editor earlier this year, he explained his position with a phrase from the Old
Testament book of Leviticus, which states: "If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed
an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)
However, these "Cops
for Christ" do not appear to be so interested in following these other commands set forth in Leviticus:
"Do not cut the
hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)
"...and the swine, though it divides
the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)
"...do not plant your field
with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)
"Whatever in the water
does not have fins or scales; that shall be an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:12)
So, if you believe that gay people,
by their very existence, are an "abomination" and surely headed to hell, what about you? Do you eat pork? How about shellfish?
If you're a farmer, do you plant more than one kind a seed in a field? Is your shirt made of two different kinds of cloth?
Do you have a beard?
This selective interpretation of Leviticus (which also lays out rules for purchasing slaves) reveals
the letter-writer as merely a homophobe who uses the Old Testament to justify his bigotry.
Jesus Christ taught us to love
our fellow men, not to demonize them. A true Christian would pay more attention to the teachings of Jesus, and less to the
standards of conduct and personal hygiene that were codified for a desert-based religious community more than 3,000 years
ago.
David Fleitz
Royal
Oak, Mich.
Formerly
of Bowling Green |
|
