Opinion: Catholics are due an apology for prejudiced ad

I am both offended and dismayed at the full-page propaganda you allowed to run in your paper. This "anything for a buck" mentality has degraded your paper's credibility, especially in the promotion of proper ethical standards. The Seventh-day Adventists are a known anti-Catholic sect specializing in rhetoric and polemics.

Why is it that anti-Catholicism is the last vestige of acceptable prejudice and bigotry? Why is it that your paper is supporting this bigotry? Will you allow the neo-Nazis to advertise against the Jewish faith? Will you allow the KKK to advertise against African-Americans? Hopefully and probably not, yet you allow this blatant stab, which is both ignorant and malicious, at a faith of more than 1-billion. Any theological scholar or layperson worth a grain of salt will tell you of the fallacy and extreme misinterpretations of the Seventh-day Adventists.

I think you owe your Catholic readers a apology. In fact, we demand one.
-- Derek Sarsfield, Indian Rocks Beach

Catholic bashing seems in fashion

I can't believe that on the day before St. Patrick's Day (a day so dear to Catholics, especially Irish ones), you would allow such anti-Catholic trash to appear in your newspaper.

I know it's an advertisement that you probably don't agree with, but it is highly offensive to the practicing Catholics who love God, their church and, yes, good Pope John Paul II.

Among these Catholics, many, like myself, read the Times, but after today, I think I'll refrain from purchasing your newspaper.

It seems as though Catholic bashing is very much "a la mode" nowadays !
-- Manuel Perez, Tampa

Keep to a positive approach

Re: The ad put in by the Seventh-day Adventists.

I know that the Times put the words "paid advertisement" in large letters, but I can't help thinking other papers refused this ad. I wonder if the Times would accept an ad attacking African-Americans, Jews or Muslims.

I would respect the Seventh-day Adventists if they taught what they believe in a positive manner.

I'm sure there is no conspiracy, but in recent years the Catholic Church has been attacked in newspapers, TV, movies, magazines and manuals used in Christian schools. There must be something to this church if so many attack it. Why not just ignore what it teaches?

Maybe so many are attacking my church because they fear getting close, learning what the Catholic Church really is and what it teaches. They fear becoming Catholics.

So if you believe something, teach it positively, without attacking another church or group.
-- Edward Swierzbinski, Pinellas Park

What lies

Re: Earth's final warning.

As a Catholic I say, Wow! What lies! I don't have to be a history buff to prove the lies. The pope is the anti-Christ? Give me a break. The pope is a man in poor health and not a god. To suggest he thinks he is a god is just asinine.

To say there is only God's law is wrong. We have the laws of the land, etc. Catholic Church laws are not God's laws. These laws are made by the church as a form of discipline to try to help us get closer to God. These so-called religious writers are worried about us getting the wrong day for the Sabbath. They should worry more about the commandment of "Thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor." They claim to represent a Christian religion, but I don't think so.

Regarding forgiveness of sin and confession, John 20:23, Matthew 16:19 and 18:18 gave St. Peter and the Apostles the authority to forgive sins. Peter was the first pope. Non-Catholics may not believe this, but this is what most Catholics believe.

To say the Catholic Church has deleted the second commandment and imply that we worship idols is another ridiculous lie. We worship only God. We honor the mother of God and the saints just as I honor my own deceased mother.

To say someone wrote "the church is above the Bible" does not make it true. It is just another lie. I could go on and on, but I've said enough.
-- Larry McGovern, Tampa

An unbelievable affront

I am incensed at the direct slam you saw fit to print in the March 16 Times, directed at the Catholic Church from a church in Tennessee.

I was further amazed that there was nothing in rebuttal from our local church hierarchy, priests or bishop the very next day.

All through its diatribe, this church slams the pope, as well as all the church hierarchy, for changing the day of the Sabbath. It also slams Protestants for worshiping on the Sabbath as a final tribute to the pope. Unbelievable!

If I chose to espouse the same rhetoric in the guise of overthrowing the U.S. government, such pap would not have found an outlet in print. Yet a slam by another church against the Catholic Church is tolerated, accepted and printed. I find that incredible, as well as unacceptable.

I wish my recently paid subscription to the Times be canceled immediately. It has nothing to do with disagreeing with what you espouse but with what you choose to print in the disguise of free speech. Ad revenue has a priority over truth!
-- David F. Becker Sr., deputy grand knight, All Saints Council No. 6954, Knights Of Columbus, Homosassa

Catholics seem to be fair game

Was it in the interest of free speech (not to mention revenue) that you ran the full page Catholic-bashing ad on March 16th? Do you realize how offensive it was to a large percentage of your subscribers?

Would you accept hate ads by the KKK or Neo-Nazis? Would you print a diatribe against Jews? Baptists? Muslims? Hindus? Buddhists? I think not. But the Catholic Church appears to be fair game.
-- K.C. Techler, Pinellas Park

Police chief should stay out of politics

Re: Davis confronts Ford during mayoral forum, March 14.

It was troubling to read your report of St. Petersburg police Chief Goliath Davis challenging mayoral candidate Kathleen Ford at a public political forum. This must be another of the sorry results of a strong-mayor form of government. The police chief has made himself an issue in the race and all but guaranteed that Kathleen Ford will replace him if she is elected. He should have corrected any candidates' inaccuracies through a corrective official statement. By speaking out at a political forum, Davis has made himself a political player whose tenure depends on his candidate winning. This is unfortunate.

Kathleen Ford does seem to be strangely hostile in her challenges to city employees, yet her response to the question of Davis' continued tenure seems more appropriate than Rick Baker's. Ford says she will evaluate all city department heads before deciding who stays and who goes, a common and reasonable response. Baker has said he will keep Davis as chief throughout his term as mayor. Such a commitment is unwise. City employees deserve some sense of job security if they perform well, but a before-the-fact pledge of employment for a four-year term puts the police chief on the same sacred footing J. Edgar Hoover had throughout so many federal administrations. And we all know how guaranteed tenure turned him into a tyrant.

Chief Davis would do well to do his job successfully, which he seems to be doing, and stay out of the political campaign.
-- Jeffrey Harper, St. Petersburg

There are not enough police

Re: Chief was right in dispute with Ford, by Bryan Gilmer, March 15.

Whether it's authorized strength or actual strength, who cares? The bottom line is the St. Petersburg Police Department has for many years been behind the eight-ball when it comes to getting anywhere close to the council-approved authorized strength of 538 police officers, and we are understaffed on the street.

Why does your reporter not ask more detailed questions of the chief like: Of the current 524 full-fledged police officers, how many hold the rank of sergeant and above, whose primary job description is administrative in nature? How many holding the rank of police officer are assigned to administrative and not street duties? How many (new police officers) are currently in the 14-week field training program (that is, if they make it through the first time) and are of no real use until able to handle a solo assignment? How many police officers are on light duty (not working the street) or out of work under the Family Medical Leave Act for various reasons? How many police officers are assigned to detective and school resource duties? How many are assigned as community police officers and are not, as a part of their normal duties, responsible for responding to calls for service?

After deducting these numbers, how many police officers do we actually have for a population of 250,000? Answer: not nearly enough! These are the kinds of questions Kathleen Ford has the intelligence and fortitude to ask. She has the ability to clearly see through the smoke-and-mirror games played. Unfortunately, not only has the Times editorial board made attempts to spread poison about this election throughout the community, but now the poison has seeped down to the Times city desk.
-- J.W. "Jack" Soule, president, Pinellas County Police Benevolent Association Inc.

Coverage too biased

Re: Mayoral race is contrast in candidates, March 13.

You abuse your forum with biased articles such as this one. Your intent to discredit Kathleen Ford is patently obvious. I suggest you examine your own ethics instead of Ford's. Indeed, she was elected to the St. Petersburg City Council because she will ask the hard questions without regard for popularity.

The "get along" road is not always the right road. Harry Truman said, "Do the right thing. You will astonish some folks and please the others."
-- Jean D. Chubaty, St. Petersburg

A voter with no choice

For the first time in more than 20 years, I have decided to sit out the St. Petersburg city election on March 27. As a liberal Democrat, I have no choice. I voted in the primary, and my candidate did not make first or second place. I cannot in good conscience vote for Kathleen Ford because of her anti-African-American bias. And I cannot vote for Rick Baker because of his ties to Jeb Bush.

I am truly sorry about not voting, because the right to do so is crucial in a democracy and because women had to fight long and hard for the right that was denied them for so long. But I have no choice.
-- Alice Graves, St. Petersburg

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