Letters To The Editor
BELIEFS
Do-it-yourself not the Christian way
Beverly Vorpahl’s commentary of May 23 was both insightful and inciteful. Instantly, I knew that strong responses were sure to come fast, for she argued that since God is love, her Baptist group’s disapproval of homosexuality was dead wrong.
Well, I didn’t have to wait long. Just one week after Vorpahl bared her secular soul, articles by two pastors (one her own) joined four letters to the editor to oppose her contention that she should be able to believe what she wants and still stay connected to her Christian church.
Vorpahl has the idea that the Baptists in her group are “free to interpret the Bible as they believe - as they believe God leads them.” There is a sense in which she is right, for Baptists have traditionally encouraged each church member to encounter God directly through reading his word. However, that does not mean that people are free to superimpose their own ideas and wishes on the text and make it say what they want. No, their encounter with the Bible must be such that God is the teacher and readers are the learners.
The article by Pastor Ron Johnson documented God’s opposition to homosexual practice. What more does Vorpahl want? Apparently, she wants to downplay the clear Biblical message and substitute an amorphous divine love that permits anything. Is she not aware that Christianity is a revealed religion? Her do-it-yourself approach is a far cry from the historic Christian faith that was once and for all entrusted to the saints. Edwin A. Olson Spokane
Pastors’ response revealing, alas
I applaud the courage of Beverly Vorpahl in following her conscience. The vehemence of the response of her pastor and another on last Saturday’s Religion page shows the length many people will go to to try to force conformity to their opinions, under the guise that others’ opinions are un-Christian.
I am sad to think that she will now undergo, even if only for a short time, some measure of the anguish that people of this ilk inflict daily on anyone who lives an openly homosexual life. She will now learn that there are two types of Christians: those who believe that their duty is to love their neighbors as themselves, and to love God completely, and those who believe their duty is to use isolated passages of the Bible, taken out of context, to bash people. In other words, to use the word of God as a club.
However, in context, the passages cited condemn activities used to worship pagan gods and idols of the Near East prior to 300 A.D. We don’t have temples of Baal in Spokane (that I’m aware of), and sexual activities are not performed to further the worship of idols here, so we cannot even be sure that these passages have relevance for us. And any Bible which uses the word “homosexual” is a blatant mistranslation, since there are no equivalents for that term in biblical Greek, Latin or Hebrew.
If one is to recognize Christians by their love, then some might give some consideration as to how they will ever be recognized. Greg M. Presley Spokane
Column spoke for many of us
I want to speak up in support of Beverly Vorpahl, a brave lady with whom I sympathize. I thank her for a breath of fresh air! She has spoken for many of us who have wrestled with the problems she mentioned.
Her column expresses love, mercy and tolerance. Surely, these are Christ-like attributes. In contrast, the letters from the two pastors strike me as cold, dogmatic and inflexible. Not only that, they twist and misconstrue what she said, which is even worse.
Her pastor’s comments were unfair and unkind. And Pastor Ronald M. Johnson’s sneering remarks certainly do not make him look good. His stance that morality and ethics are the exclusive province of Christianity is not borne out by history, by mankind in general or even, sad to say, by many Christians.
But then, sitting in judgment has always been a favorite sport. I think that a substantial dose of humility wouldn’t hurt either of the reverends and might even make them more tolerable. Kathryn Hamshar Priest River, Idaho
Judgmentalism not what we need
I grew up in a Baptist church that thought it had an exclusive on Christianity and heaven. Now, I’m an Episcopalian because the Episcopal church accepts everyone and doesn’t sit in judgment of people, believing it is God’s exclusive right to judge, not ours.
This country is being torn apart by hatred and discrimination. The last thing we need are churches fostering more of it. Judith M. Jones Spokane
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
Goldwater got being right wing right
My favorite refrigerator magnet says, “Old Republicans never die. We just wish they would.” It’s meant as a good-natured jab at my Republican friends and family. May 29, an old Republican died and the joke didn’t seem so funny.
“Barry Goldwater for President” - the thought terrified me. I believed in everything he campaigned against and every cause he trumpeted seemed mean-spirited, shortsighted and dangerous.
But in 1991, Goldwater said of abortion, “It’s a woman’s decision. I don’t think we should legislate for it or against it. If a woman feels she’d be better off not having a baby, that’s her own damn business.”
And Goldwater argued, “You don’t have to be ‘straight’ to fight and die for your country, you just need to shoot straight.”
Barry Goldwater remained true to the American definition of “conservative.”
Today’s Republicans should remember theirs was heralded as the party of less government intrusion. Why do the likes of Pat Buchanan, D.F. Oliveria and Arianna Huffington feel they must intrude in our lives?
Barry Goldwater’s obituaries called him a torch bearer for today’s Republicans. But Goldwater himself said, “The radical right has nearly ruined our party. … Its members do not care about the Constitution and they are the ones making all the noise.”
It surprises me, but I will miss Barry Goldwater and his common sense. Deborah Lawrence Hale Greenacres
Un-elect Gorton and the rest
The letter written by Jess S. Brooks of Spokane was too short but on the right track (“Gorton no friend of disabled veterans” May 27).
Sen. Slade Gorton, along with the rest of this country’s senators, thought nothing about the disabled veterans. By trying to extract disability compensation from our country’s finest heroes and using it for what? Road repair and transportation projects? Road repair is nothing more than something people walk on, drive on, throw litter on or even spit on. So, what’s the problem? All our government officials are telling us disabled veterans is we are nothing but dirt to be used over and over again.
It is time for all veterans, disabled or not, to take a good look at the issues and stand up and tell our ignorant representatives that enough is enough. Sad to say, they were voted into office. It is time to vote them out. Daniel B. Boer Post Falls
Defense of unions just ‘misinformation’
Molly Ivins’ Proposition 226 editorial was mostly misinformation. Unions’ opposition to the payroll protection initiative admits that given choice, members won’t support its politics.
Ivins claims business outspends unions by 11 to 1. This comes from the CRP, which lumped everything not union into a “business community” category. This includes trial lawyers, the American Bar Association, American Medical Association and 630,000 individuals who “work for a business.” Eleven-to-1 is a calculated lie. Unions outspend every other entity except trial lawyers.
Requiring members to sign will be the death knell of unions? One letter to members of the hundreds they send each year? Come on, tell the truth! The real worry is that, given choice, members won’t support union bosses’ agenda. If union members have to approve political spending in writing then businesses need stockholders’ signatures, too? Nonsense! Stockholders can sell their stock and buy another if they don’t like a company’s politics. No such choice exists for union members. They either join the union and pay dues or quit the union and still have to pay. The union has a monopoly.
Everyone in a union doesn’t believe in the union bosses’ political agenda. Over 42 percent are Republicans but Democrats get 92 percent of union money. Many members decry how unions spend their money dues but they can do nothing about it.
We had a Proposition 226 in Washington state until our Democrat attorney general disemboweled it. Unions buy support with huge campaign contributions. Emile Paull Spokane
FIREARMS
Don’t believe lies about NRA
It’s too had the media refuse to print rebuttals and corrections by the National Rifle Association to the slander and libel by anti-gun organizations such as the Physicians for Social Responsibility, Centers for Disease Control (a government agency), Violence Policy Institute, Handgun Control and others, including our own leader, Emperor William I of Teflon, and Paul Valanoff (Letters, May 28).
The NRA does not advocate more guns or more violence as a means to end violent crime. It does not support, through Eddie Eagle or any other program, children handling and/or using firearms without adult supervision in a legal manner. The NRA does not advocate every citizen be armed with a firearm or multiple firearms.
The NRA says any law-abiding citizen who chooses to own a legal firearm for lawful purposes has that option unequivocally guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the federal Constitution.
The NRA implemented its Operation Crimestrike to fight felons getting spit out the revolving door of our liberal penal and court systems. Through this venue, the NRA tries to assist in ensuring felons are not able to possess firearms. The NRA has implemented its Refuse to be a Victim program for women, with facilitators presenting seminars throughout the nation.
Forget all the liberal dogma and open your mind. Call the NRA and find out the truth about its mission, the hunter safety, instructor and youth safety courses, the shooting events. I dare you! Brehon K. McFarland Colville, Wash.
Guns heavily used for sport
I went through the roof upon reading letters from David Buxton (uselessness of guns, April 29) and Roger Bogley (gun’s only function being to kill, May 3). The following bit of data may dispel some misinformation that Edward Ramotowski deplores in his May 12 letter.
Shooting competition began when ancient people learned to control fire and started forming an intelligible language. Edged weapons and the bow and arrow served hunting and defense needs. For honing archery skills, competition fields and range rules were established. Gun inventions came along from 1360 to 1515. About 1610, Marin LeBourgeois of France made the flintlock rifle. By 1650 it was the standard gun in Europe. By 1677, American colonists had adopted this gun and its popularity lasted through the American Revolution. Archers continued taking part in competitive shooting and ancient bowmen must be credited as today’s marksmanship originators.
Gun club members follow society’s usual occupations and professions, including military service and law enforcement. In official competition, some rifle categories are benchrest, muzzleloaders, small bore .22 caliber and big bore .30 caliber. Shotguns of different gauges are used for skeet and trapshooting for which clay disks are released skyward. Pistols of different calibers are used in handgun matches and include many categories.
Firearms are transported lawfully (unloaded) and used only on the firing line. The rangemaster’s word is law and follows the National Rifle Association’s accepted standard regulations. Total personal discipline is required and anyone interested in using firearms should first consult a professional instructor. Lillian O. Forster Spokane
VETERANS
Thank you and bless you all
The Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club would like to thank the people of Spokane for coming to the Wall. One person who works with the traveling wall said, “I’ve never seen so many people at this wall before.”
But it’s you, Spokane people, who care and showed it for all the vets. Young and old, friends and loved ones were there for each other. What amazed us most were the kids who went there, not knowing what it was really about, and asked us why it happened. The hardest part was that there wasn’t an answer. But seeing the wall gives us closure and gives us goodbyes for brothers and sisters lost. And maybe the wall seen by kids will help in the question of why. We hope the children will learn and hold this in their hearts, that we fought for this country even though we asked why. And remember, this wall is for you to remember, too.
We ask all to never forget any war. All vets made America what it is today. Bless you all. William “Buffalo Bill” Bisson Eastside Chapter, Vietnam Vets Motorcycle Club
Kindly embrace meant so much
Sometime slightly after midnight on Saturday, I visited The Wall That Heals. As if it were yesterday, I recalled what was happening in this country during that era.
To the black lady who took time to comfort and embrace me, a white man, as I wept openly, my most heartfelt thank you and God’s richest blessing to you and yours. R.D. “Curly” Rousseau Spokane
Thanks to companies, volunteers
As a Vietnam veteran, I thank all the companies and individuals who worked hard to bring The Wall That Heals to Spokane. I also thank all the volunteers who gave their time to help at the wall. I hope that all visitors and veterans who came to the wall left with a little less pain and more understanding of what the wall is about. Ray G. Howard Spokane
Arena money grab not appreciated
Recently, the people of Spokane and surrounding areas were invited to experience a memorable opportunity, The Wall That Heals. What a tremendous salute of recognition to the many heroes of this great country. And what a terrific chance, for people of all ages to reflect on those responsible for making our country so great.
However, the opportunity was shamefully tainted with the $3 “event” parking fee. I could not believe that the Veteran’s Memorial Arena would not eagerly and wholeheartedly invite anyone to drive onto the premises without forking over $3. The $3 could have instead been a decent contribution, by many, toward the expenses of the wall’s journey.
I know that several persons visiting the wall could have used the $3 elsewhere but were trapped due to their restricted abilities to walk great distances. In addition, the Arena officials’ poor taste forced people to walk several blocks to view the powerful presence of the Wall located south of a vast and mostly vacant parking lot.
Plain and simple, there are some times when money should not take precedence. Joe I. Leibrecht Spokane
Memorial Day attitude deplorable
I am shocked and appalled by Robert May’s June 2 letter stating that only those who died serving our country should be honored on Memorial Day. That is one of the days I remember my grandson the most.
When we are placing flowers on his grave, I walk around to see those who did die for our country and remember them and their families. Why can’t he feel the same for our loss? Shame on him. Kaye L. Croyle Spokane