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Churches working together can build a better world

Re: Spiritual symbiosis, Oct. 30.

In these troubled times of religious strife and intolerance in many places around the world, not to mention jihad and outright terrorism carried out in the name of religion, Robert Farley's article is a breath of fresh air. Here is a positive example of religious tolerance, friendship and a cooperative alliance between two churches to improve the lives of children in our community.

Pastor Charles Kennedy is to be commended for his willingness to seek out effective programs to help his parishioners, without the insular considerations that blind the more intolerant among us. Improving morality and reducing crime, illiteracy and drug use are worthy goals that any religious group would embrace. Initiative, firm purpose and cooperation are key to achieving these goals, and this article is a splendid illustration of these principles in action. I hope these programs enjoy roaring success!

Chasing after other gods

I was very disappointed after reading your recent article talking about the Glorious Church of God in Christ receiving classes, handouts and instructions from the Church of Scientology. I could not believe what I was reading. As a pastor in the Church of God in Christ, and member of the Body of Christ, knowing that a group of believers would be going out to be taught by this group just left me perplexed. It just appears that the church has lost its way.

We are reaching out to any and all groups to do our jobs for us, not just the Glorious Church, but the Christian movement as a whole. Nationally, we have the Christian right trying through political muscle to control the government and the courts like Middle Eastern mullahs, the kind we bemoan in Iran, to advance our moral mandates. Now we have the Glorious Church reaching out to the Scientologists!? What's next? Sunday school with Mao Tse-tung?

What happened to the infallible Gospel of Jesus Christ? Don't we preach it as perfect and complete? If we would spend more time in ministry we would not need to control the government or join ourselves to any movement for its perceived worldly benefits. We should not need Scientologists to show us how to learn (Matthew 11:29) (Isaiah 1:18) any more than we should need the Supreme Court to make the case against abortion for us. These should be done and made through our ministries.

The 2,000-year-old Gospel of Jesus Christ needs the assistance and illumination of L. Ron Hubbard? I guess what I am calling for is clerical restraint not so much judicial restraint. When will the people of God finally stop chasing after other gods? I guess what saddens me the most is what otherwise good men and women of God are still willing to do for a few pieces of silver.

A sign of hope for society

Re: Spiritual symbiosis.

I have always been tolerant of others' religious views. I have often wondered why religious people didn't work together to solve the problems of the world that plague everybody, like drug abuse, crime and illiteracy.

Now I see that people of goodwill, of differing religions, can work together and make this world a better place.

I'm going to sleep better tonight knowing that there is some hope for this society after all.

Tampa churches should be warned

Re: A curious alliance, editorial, Nov. 9.

These two Tampa churches need to come to their senses. Somebody needs to talk to them about the perils of dealing with Scientology. They are ignorant of what they are getting into. Needy communities don't need cult programs that will take what little money they have. Let alone the damage they will do to children and their families.

These churches could find approved, affordable programs to help their communities without the consequences that dealing with the cult would bring. The cult is in it for recruiting, infiltrating, expanding their base, and receiving taxpayer money to do it is just wrong.

They need to be more responsible to their own parish and community. They are doing them great harm if they stay associated with the cult. Someone please inform them of this or they may lose their own membership.

Be open to new ideas

Re: Spiritual symbiosis.

As a minister, I work very hard to help others improve their lives.

I think that all churches should be open to new ideas and be willing to accept whatever real help is available. Churches could work together and solve the problems that plague our communities. I think that God has provided the tools and we all need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.

A cross in the wrong context

Re: Don Wright's editorial cartoon, Nov. 9.

Don Wright's editorial cartoon attempted to make a political statement using the symbol of the cross.

For me the cross represents a very powerful symbol that does "work" because it means God loved me enough to send his son Jesus Christ to die on it to take away my sin. When I see a cross I remember that God's work of my salvation is finished and complete.

Wright was trying to say that Bush was using his faith or his relationship with people of a certain faith to become more popular. But his cartoon did not communicate that to me. It communicated to me that he does not think too much of the cross of Jesus. He should have drawn it differently.

We don't need socialized medicine

Re: Pride and prejudice are preventing health care reform, Nov. 9.

I would like to know where Paul Krugman gets his facts. What he calls national health care is nothing more than socialized medicine. Socialized medicine has never worked. Britain, Russia, Norway and Canada have tried it and it simply doesn't work.

Doctors in Canada are moving to the United States because they can't make a decent living and they are tired of giving inferior treatment to their patients due to heavy workloads. Your paper recently published an article stating that Canada is having a serious problem meeting the health demands of its citizens. They are considering raising taxes to an all-time high to pay for it.

All health care systems have problems. All have corruption, but to say that the government can run anything better than a private organization makes me think Krugman is smoking something funny.

One of the main reasons we have a high percentage of uninsured among our young is that they choose not to have coverage. Most are healthy and consider the cost something they don't need.

We do not need socialized medicine in this country. Our present system may not be the greatest, but it's a long way from the worst.

Tort reform needs to be part of it

Re: Pride and prejudice are preventing health care reform.

As a Canadian physician, who now only does hospice work and who has been here more than 20 years, I am often demoralized and frustrated when I encounter relatively young patients who I know would have had better care back home, because here they lack proper health insurance.

To be sure the issues are legion, but based on my experience in both spheres, I would allude to one comparison that Krugman neglected.

Any politician who voices support for universal health care without at the same time making it contingent on serious and tangible tort reform in my estimation knows absolutely nothing about the issue.

Remember "safe-haven' law

Re: Newborn boy found dead, Oct. 29.

Why is it that so many young pregnant women find it necessary to dispose of or murder their newborns? Not wanting to keep your newborn is fine, as long as the baby is given to the proper authorities. Many women are unaware that they can leave their newborns at any hospital, doctor's office, fire station or ambulance station. A woman can do this without even saying who she is and not be punished by the law. I feel that many women aren't aware of this option, thus, they try to dispose of their babies in unethical ways.

It was important that the St. Petersburg Times published Florida's "safe haven" law in this article. Now, many more women have been made aware of what their options are when they have an unwanted baby at full term. With the option of leaving a baby at a local hospital or fire/ambulance station, the mother will not face criminal charges. Her unwanted child will go to a home that wants a newborn. The pregnant mother has nothing to lose with the "safe haven" law, and her baby has everything to gain.

Keep focus on Thornton case

Re: Tragedy and travesty, Nov. 7.

Hooray to the St. Petersburg Times for your timely editorial concerning the apparent unjustly harsh (30 years) sentence given William Thorton IV, especially in view of the light sentence given Jennifer Porter. I won't go into the similarities and/or differences in the two cases. That's for lawyers and judges to decide, although I question their competence at times. Suffice it to say both accidents left two innocent people dead.

I hope the Times will continue to put pressure on Gov. Jeb Bush and the state clemency board to review Thorton's sentence and possible bias on the part of the presiding judge.

I used to think it was crazy when I heard people say that justice in Florida has two colors. Now I'm not so sure.

It looks like racial bias

Re: Tragedy and travesty.

I followed the story of Jennifer Porter's sentencing. In the outcome, the African-American community suggested the possibility of racial bias. All involved, including attorney Barry Cohen, said "No way."

Then I read in this editorial that a 17-year-old black male who did not leave the scene of an accident that resulted in the death of two persons received 30 years in prison. No alcohol was involved and he just ran a stop sign as our president's wife did when she was a teen.

I am white and I can clearly see why the African-American community smells a rat here. Racial harmony will never be achieved in this country with courts making these kinds of atrocious decisions.

Drivers need an age limit

Re: Elderly drivers.

To my fellow Florida motorists: Please get together and try to convince your octogenarian great grandmother to give up the car keys. The politicians in our great state are afraid of the AARP and the strong voting block they produce. It is no coincidence that we see stories like the one about an elderly man driving for miles with the body of a pedestrian he hit lodged in his windshield or about a sweet little old gal driving through the front doors of a neighborhood supermarket.

Eighty years old should end your driving privileges, except for special circumstances. The state will never do it though, because the pols pander for votes and the general public is more at risk. I remember my grandfather in Dunedin when he was alive wanted to drive his sweet little Toyota, but it took our family to convince him driving was not an option.

I know it is tough to lose the freedom and independence of driving, but it is a lot tougher on the accident victims.

Mr. Governor, do the right thing before you leave office: Put an age limit on driving in our great state.

Many drivers seem to have eye trouble

On the matter of senior drivers having eye exams to renew their drivers' licenses, I would like to know if all other drivers have eye problems. I see drivers running red lights constantly. Are there that many color-blind people? I see them ignoring the speed-limit signs; evidently they need glasses to read them. I see them on cell phones and some with dogs in their laps, between them and the steering wheel. I see them cut others off in traffic. Can't they see the white lines?

I agree that some elderly drivers should not be driving, but I am 75 years old and obey the traffic laws. I have driven for many years and have a clean driving record.

So tell me, who really needs eye tests to get their driver's license? I am tired of finger-pointing at only the elderly driver. Evidently if you are young, you can get by with only a slap on the wrist, even when you kill two children.

Proud of their soldier sons

This article was written about a young man who made the decision to go AWOL from the Army when he was supposed to be deployed to Iraq. In the article a young man was mentioned going to the recruiter's office with Jimmy Amsden. This young man is our son, Andrew. Andy, 24, has been deployed to Baghdad. He is a member of the 10th Mountain Division, stationed at Fort Drum, N.Y., with his wife, Stephanie. We have another son, Bryan, 21, who has been deployed to Baqubah. Bryan is a member of the 3rd Infantry Division and is stationed at Fort Benning, Ga.

Do we want our sons fighting in Iraq? No, but they joined the Army knowing it was wartime. They knew they would be deployed somewhere overseas. It was their choice! Both of our sons went through basic training at Fort Benning. Basic training was tough! The drill sergeants were mean, the discipline was tough, and the Army had total control of them. But through it all, that training prepared them for what they are doing now. Our sons graduated from basic training and are better men for it!

We have always told our sons, "Make out of life what you want out of life." Andy is thinking of re-enlisting and Bryan is seriously thinking of Airborne school and Rangers. We are glad Andy didn't listen to Jimmy about joining the Army. We are extremely proud, as well as Andy's and Bryan's extended families and friends, of what they have accomplished and what they doing for their country. They are "American Soldiers." God bless them.

We are getting in deeper

Re: Board suggests U.S. repay millions to Iraq, Nov. 5.

In the event you missed this article (it appeared on Page 12A), the United Nations has recommended the United States repay as much as $208-million to the Iraqi government for contracting work performed by Kellogg, Brown & Root, a subsidiary of the Halliburton Co.

It appears the more our country gets involved, the more trouble we can expect. The billions spent and the lives lost are unconscionable. Some people think the United States invaded Iraq to control its oil resources. I am inclined to agree.

Remember when, as a child, you had to learn your ABCs? The new version today is HCB (Halliburton, Cheney, Bush). Just follow the chain of command.

With so much turmoil around the world today, I wonder if we will ever again be in total harmony.

Sure, I support our troops. Bring 'em home. Remember, after 50 years we still have troops in South Korea. I know - I have been there. May God bless America. We desperately need it.

Sadness and hope

Re: In West Bank, "gesture of love" after violent death, Nov. 8.

I was filled with sadness by the senseless death of the Palestinian boy, and by hope at the unselfish act of his parents. The world seems filled with political, religious and economic violence and its resulting paranoia and misunderstandings. How beautifully peaceful and reconciliatory that Ahmed's organs have been donated to others regardless of their standing in any of these deadly disputes.

Lifesaving lessons

Re: She knew the tsunami was coming, Nov. 4.

Kudos to 10-year-old Tilly Smith for paying attention in class and learning about tsunamis.

Kudos to her father Colin Smith for listening to his daughter and believing in her when she called the alarm.

And kudos to Tilly's teacher for presenting a lesson that was well learned.

Together they saved lives.

[Last modified November 12, 2005, 00:54:17]