Christian Examiner — Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor
Ballot amendment arguments My Voter Information Guide has arrived, complete with Attorney General Jerry Brown's “accuracy-enhanced” title and summary for Proposition 8. The title, “Eliminates right of same-sex couples to marry,” is his improvement on the original “Limit on Marriage.” The summary, which states, “Changes the California Constitution to eliminate the right ..,” fails to note the novelty of finding said “right” in that document. Brown could have given us, “Eliminates the ‘right,’ freshly minted by activist judges, of same-sex couples to marry,” if greater accuracy was the actual goal. “Reverses unwise judicial social engineering” would have been another fine option. But these run counter to the slant of Brown’s kind of “accuracy.” Let the prejudicial title given this proposition by an attorney general unwilling simply to perform his duties honestly and impartially serve as a reminder of the arrogant activism that made Proposition 8 necessary in the first place. Jim Abernathy Rancho Santa Margarita I am writing to express my support for a “NO” vote on Proposition 8. History has shown the folly of denying people their basic human rights in the form of stipulating who a person can and cannot marry. For example, 50 years ago blacks and whites were prohibited from marrying in some states of this union. We rightfully judge those legal restrictions of a bygone era to be what they were: shackles born of prejudice and small-minded hatred. We should be proud that our society has moved beyond such a shameful time in our history. We should not allow future generations to judge us in the same manner. I call on all of my fellow Californians to put themselves in their brother’s shoes for a moment and consider the wisdom of denying something so fundamental to our brothers and sisters in this state. While I try to understand and empathize with those who view homosexuality as destabilizing or sinful, I still feel it my duty to urge you to do the American thing and stand up for liberty and equal protection under the law. Ingraining this kind of human rights restriction into our California constitution is a mistake. I urge your “NO” vote on Prop 8. Jay Taylor El Cajon, Calif. Editor’s note: The issue of same-sex marriage cannot be equated with the basic civil rights of ethnicity or race, which is derived by birth. The push for same-sex marriage is an attempt to place special rights on a lifestyle choice. Thanks Just a note of thanks for the excellent articles, information and commentary on the Proposition 8 campaign. Dorothy Hatfield Orange, Calif. Undermining Christianity I am so thankful for the Christian Examiner. We pick it up at our church. I read about the Shelbyville, Tenn. plant that tried to switch out the Labor Day holiday for the Muslim holiday Ramadan. Is the U.S. inviting the enemy in to exchange their lies and unbelief in Jesus Christ in order to let them have their rights and destroy Christian ways and beliefs? What is happening in Washington, D.C.? It really is criminal and disgusting. Also, the ACLU is ungodly. They are not American and they are not civil. My constant prayer is, “God, Open the eyes and ears and lives of Christians to stand up, to fight and to be counted. If we call ourselves Christians, we need and should act like it.” Harriet Butterfield Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.		Government should stay out of abortion I totally agree with John McCain when he talked about abortion in his weekly radio address, saying that abortion should be decided by each state, not the federal government. I think it should one step farther. It shouldn’t depend in one state or another, and I think that it is the women’s decision to abort or not, government can’t tell you what to do with your body nor life. Carlo E. Batista Chula Vista, Calif. One of the key philosophical aspects of the Judeo-Christian worldview is that humans have rebelled against God and that all are flawed by sin. One of the clear manifestations of sin is greed, selfishness and self-deception. As we should expect, both parties have numerous flaws. For example, the Democrats are flawed with a pro-abortion stance and the Republicans with a no-regulation stance. We have now seen how this plays out in our political landscape. The Republican party has, from the time of Reagan, been the party of “let’s get the government off our backs,” and “The problem is the government.” The resulting deregulation allowed greed to play out its course. Every Christian should be aware that while the sin of abortion affects the individual who will give an account to his Creator, the financial meltdown affects all of us, not only in the U.S., but the world. As a minimum, it would seem that those who plundered the markets should be taxed. The Democrats clearly win this one. Additionally, I was troubled when McCain, responding to a question about the existence of evil, limited his answer to al-Qaida and the need to defeat and conquer the group. While true, it is also a naïve view of sin and contrasted sharply with Obama’s view that sin was internal, manifesting as selfishness and other personal shortcomings. While the Christian press stressed Obama’s short comings on the right-to-life issue, I failed to notice any criticism about McCain’s weak, and I think dangerous, view of sin. Fred Jappe La Mesa, Calif. Editor’s note: The issue of deregulation did not rest solely with the Republicans. As was widely published, both the Bush administration (2003) and John McCain (2005) called for additional regulations on Freddie Mac and Fanny Mae, citing the vulnerability of those programs. Also, the impact of abortion impacts more than the woman and her family. The widespread practice of abortion undermines a culture life. Bible reading during worship services Since the days of Joshua, faithful religious leaders read extensively from the Scriptures in the hearing of assembled believers. Jesus believed in and put into practice the public reading of Scripture. Church leaders now turn a deaf ear toward God’s Word and a blind eye toward sin, telling people what they want to hear instead of what they need to know. They do this in order not to offend adulterers, warmongers, the greedy, and the sexually immoral and other sinners who give them money on Sunday mornings. Competing Christians factions and divorce rates that are not much better than those of nonbelievers is shameful proof of systemic Bible illiteracy, failed teaching methods, bad leadership, and an urgent need for change. Advancements in printing technology and the resulting presence of Bibles in most homes does not alter nor nullify God’s commands concerning the public reading of Scripture, just as the existence of electronic media preachers does not excuse Christians from being active members of their local churches. It is unlikely that you will find pastors willing to devote more time to the public reading of Scripture. Most of them, like Judas, are more concerned about their own financial security than they are about the spiritual welfare of God’s people. What Jesus and his apostles have to say about adultery, war, greed and gluttony is offensive and alien to the financially wealthy, but spiritually bankrupt peoples of the United States of America and Western Europe. Thirty minutes each Sunday should be a minimum. Jorge M. Lahiff de Rogel San Francisco, Calif.