October 2004 letters Archives of letters to the editor

Al Jazeerah 'commendation' of PCUSA a 'defining moment' October 29, 2004 The PCUSA leadership should view this "commendation" by Al Jazeerah as a "defining moment" of their achievements. How many denominations within the USA can boast receiving commendations from an internationally known terrorist media organization? Recently, the Iraqi government shut down broadcasts by Al Jazeerah into Iraq as a result of the network's history of inciting terrorist activities! This is another demonstration of the complete disconnect of the leadership not only from basic tenets of the Christian faith but also from tens of thousand of church members. Accountability and truth are fundamentally lacking in Louisville. There has been much written about the reaction of and concern of Jewish relationships as a result of this irresponsible action by PCUSA leadership, but there is little said about the damage to Arab believers who not only detest terrorism but have been the subject of persecution by terrorist groups. Arab believers have suffered for years at the hands of terrorists and to have an agency such as Al Jazeerah have any cause whatsoever to applaud the actions of an allegedly God-fearing church organization is devastating to the testimony of church. And it is questionable that credibility can ever be repaired. It must be equally devastating to any Christian worker living in the Middle East or the Islamic world. What will it take for members in this denomination to finally wake up and demand formidable changes within the leadership? There shouldn't be a concern about the divisions within the PCUSA, with this type of outrageous and now internationally broadcast activity. Organizational implosion should be in the not to distant future. Eleanor Soltau New Orleans, La. Washington Office's agenda doesn't fit classical tenets of the church October 29, 2004 The PCUSA needs to take control of the Washington Office. This group has an agenda that does not fit in with the classical tenets of this church. I have begun looking for a new church home primarily due to the actions of the Washington Office and the recent actions taken during the General Assembly. I am ashamed at this point to be called a Presbyterian. Ron Stewart University Presbyterian Church Rochester Hills, Mich. Per-capita issue needs better analogy than marbles game October 29, 2004 Let's suppose that the PCUSA was a marble game. The rules currently state that I can come to the game and keep my marbles in my pocket (not paying per capita). If I decide that I don't want to play the game at all and leave it, the rules say that I have to empty my pockets (give up the building and property) if I want to go. Give me a better analogy that would make me want to pay per capita to this denomination - nothing's working so far. John W. Groth Newark, Del. No hope for survival, unless church realizes the devil is real October 29, 2004 The article you wrote concerning the pagan rituals being practiced by the Episcopalian women (with a few eunuchs by worshipping the same goddesses right beside them) are nothing new for some of us. There are most likely a handful of others like me who were delivered out of our "New Age" paganistic past. Personally, I was a hopeless hippie girl searching for truth. I tried going to my priest in the Episcopal Church, believing that Jesus might have the answer I was searching for after all. Instead, he sent me on to another priest he felt might be more spiritually minded than himself because the man and his wife were having seances to contact their dead son's spirit and had stumbled upon a whole other dimension in the "spirit world." It's how I eventually ended up as an astrologer and working for the Association of Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach. Edgar Cayce, the "sleeping prophet" had started the work after he'd had visions of angels and a dead doctor's spirit came upon him as the "guide" who provided stories of Atlantis, how beings from outer space invaded our planet at one time and will come again, etc. You would have to be have been there, done that to understand. Wicca? Only the very worst among us got into "witchcraft" because we were even "wise" enough to understand that openly being a witch would have been offensive to a good God. Even we understood that much. The angels of light who had blinded us and misled us in our darkened condition as those who were searching for something more than this world to get hold of at least had sense enough to disguise themselves as followers of Jesus, not openly declaring themselves as the evil and dark side they were really part of as a kingdom opposing our Lord and his Christ. Until this church comes to realize that the Devil is as real as God is, realizes there is indeed a hell that is not intended for souls of men but for those deceiving and lying spirits behind what men do either unknowingly or knowingly, those Jesus said are "children of the Devil and love darkness rather than light," I don't see much hope for survival. It's like being on a ship of fools. The Captain who could have saved the ship whose name it bears stops striving with those who choose to commit mutiny instead and abandons them to their own ways. In every generation from the beginning of time it has come down to a simple choice. "Choose this day who you will serve" ... one side or the other. No man can serve two masters, bottom line. Karen Kolbinsky PCUSA has become a denomination without discipline October 27, 2004 It is good to read about Cliff Kirkpatrick's outrage over Elder Ronald Stone's comments praising Hezbollah, the anti-Jewish, anti-American terrorist group. While everyone is expressing their outrage and while others are scrambling to do damage control, we need to ask some hard questions. First, why were members of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy meeting with a group responsible for the murder of 270 American soldiers? Second, how are participants and leaders representing the PCUSA selected and what restrictions do we place upon them when speaking as part of a delegation which represents the denomination? Third, is anyone really surprised? During the last five years of Clifton Kirkpatrick's service as stated clerk it has become clear that liberals have free reign to do and say whatever they wish without fear of church discipline. Clifton Kirkpatrick has nurtured a culture of disobedience by allowing elders, clergy and governing bodies to disobey the mandates of God's Word, our confessions and our polity. We have become a denomination void of church discipline because our leadership has failed to practice church discipline. The damage is done! This damage will not be undone. It is time for Clifton Kirkpatrick to accept responsibility for creating a culture of disobedience within the PCUSA. It is time for Cliff to resign and for the General Assembly Council to appoint Bob Davis (the second highest vote-getter in the recent election for stated clerk) as our interim stated clerk. Until we clean house, our house will be a mess. Dr. Rus Howard Venetia, Pa. The writer ran unsuccessfully for election in 2004 to the office of General Assembly stated clerk. Stone, Harper comments should be condemned October 27, 2004 I'm writing you as the new executive director of the Presbyterian Forum, as a fellow Presbyterian who loves our denomination and as a follower of Jesus. In all these capacities, I'm deeply grieved, as I'm sure you are, too, about the latest scandal coming out of our church: The "fact-finding" mission of a delegation of the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy that led a group of Presbyterians to a visit with Hezbollah, a known terrorist organization in Lebanon. As if the mere meeting of a church-sponsored delegation with Hezbollah weren't questionable enough, the comments reportedly made during this meeting by Professor Ron Stone and Rev. Nile Harper are simply outrageous, and should be condemned in the most severe ways possible. Unfortunately, the official response by our stated clerk, moderator, and GA Council executive director has been rather tepid. While they do call the comments in question "reprehensible" and the visit itself "misguided, at best", I think they come across as tentative, and lacking in conviction. (For the larger story, go to www.layman.org) When statements publicized worldwide as "Presbyterian" need to be clearly rebutted – and men seen as representing the Presbyterian Church (USA) need to be publicly called on the carpet – a letter saying, instead, that the leaders of the church had merely tried to dissuade the group from this visit, but had failed in doing so, is going to fan the flames of outrage, rather than to quench them. And rightfully so, I might add. I am asking you for prayer for our "leaders," for our church, and for our nation, as all the issues of our day, from Palestine to Iraq, from denominational reform to the presidential election, are ever more tightly, ever more clearly interrelated and interdependent. And, secondly, I'm asking you for ideas how we might begin to make things right, make our voices heard, make the people's voices heard, make the truth be heard. Ask me for more information on the Forum's latest project, which works for just these ends. There is surely a place for you in this work. Katie Brandt The Presbyterian Forum PCUSA should dismiss Israel-bashing commissioners October 27, 2004 I agree with Gary Thomas's assertion: "Members of Advisory Committee should be dismissed." However, the letter writers to date are missing a major, major point. The 216th GA Commissioners gave approval to several Israel-bashing resolutions. One could say the ACSWP is but following orders from the General Assembly. Also, while it might be enjoyable watching Kirkpatrick, Detterick, Ufford-Chase and ACSWP squirm, they are not the ones who approved these anti-Israel resolutions. First, the national membership can sign the petition calling for the GA to return to special session and rescind the Israel Divestment Resolution. Second, the national membership, through each of their presbyteries, can begin the process of dismissing their current slate of 216th GA commissioners and replacing them with commissioners who will return to special session and rescind these Israel-bashing resolutions. I also agree with Mr. Thomas's closing line: "The national membership should not rest until this has happened." Larry Rued, elder First Presbyterian Church Bradenton, Fla. More Light announces campaign of 'warfare' October 27, 2004 The so-called More Light Presbyterians recently announced a "Victory 2006 Campaign." It should be obvious to anyone who reads the media release that this phrase is cast in the language of warfare. But as one reads the announcement, it is patently clear that the members of this organization are not concerned with warring against Satan – "the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient" (Eph. 2:2). Rather, they are declaring war against the Presbyterian Church (USA). Their goal, of course, is to remove all impediments to ordination for gay and lesbian homosexuals, bisexuals and transgendered persons. They say that they want to "make the PCUSA stronger by strengthening the denomination's commitment to equality." But surely they lie when they say this, because the PCUSA never has and never will equate unrepentant sin with righteousness. In addition, their claim that success in this project will "promote the peace, purity, and unity of the Church" must also be seen as a lie, since their intention to achieve "victory" through a "campaign" can in no wise be understood as "peaceful," and it would undoubtedly result in further divisiveness and corruption within the denomination. How can they be "non-hostile," as they say, when their goal is "victory" over those whom they apparently perceive as enemies? I see nothing of the Spirit of Jesus Christ in their actions toward the church. These people seem determined to secure domination of the PCUSA at any cost. Erin Swenson claims that the "campaign seeks victory for the entire Church," but that too is a lie – for if she and her colleagues "win," the Scriptural foundation of the church will be undermined. And, if she "wins," many thousands of Presbyterians such as I would "lose." Donna Riley claims that "for decades" their "calls for action have been met with inaction" by the church. But this also is a lie. In the past seven years, by ever-increasing margins, the denomination has thrice affirmed the Scriptural soundness of G-6.0106b. Those votes can scarcely be described as "inaction." (Oh! I get it! She is claiming as "inaction" anything that does not give her what she wants. Right?) Rather than "constructive dialogue" and "story sharing," Ms. Riley and Ms. Swenson could do the PCUSA a real service if they would explain concretely the Scriptural and confessional basis of their proposed attempt to attain "victory." In the words of Thomas Jefferson, "a decent respect to the opinions of mankind" should impel them to explain precisely – not in abstract terms such as "justice" and "love" – why the church should accept as proper the sexual aberrations and perversions by which they proudly identify themselves. Such an explanation might address, among other topics, why they apparently believe that none of their sexual values and goals are forbidden by any of the prohibitions listed in Confessions 7.249 (Larger Catechism Q. 139). The PCUSA has endured enough of the unrest fomented by the More Light Presbyterians, the Covenant Network, the Witherspoon Society, and their supporters in Louisville and elsewhere. How much longer must we shelter this cancerous growth that seeks to destroy the body? William R. Thurman Jr., elder First Presbyterian Church Thomaston, Ga. Bring your own marbles to the game October 27, 2004 In response to Mr. Rued, I did not say that paying per capita was mandatory for participating in governing bodies. What I did say was that as an individual church, you lose credibility with the rest of the churches who pay their fair share of per capita when you are trying to change something at a higher governing body in the church, and not willing to help foot the bill. Here is an analogy that I believe illustrates the point well. Suppose we are playing a game of marbles after school. Of our ten buddies, everyone brings their marbles to play except you, who doesn't want to lose your marbles. So instead of playing with your marbles you decide to keep them in your pocket. You demand that the rest of the nine of us take you seriously and let you play in our game, with the stipulation that WE provide the marbles so that you can play. Why should we let you play the game with us when you aren't willing to use your marbles to help start the game? The same goes for per capita. You want to participate in all governing bodies of the church to change the things you don't like, but you aren't willing to help foot the bill that allows that very process to happen. So when you do propose something, why should the rest of us care? So as with per capita, if you aren't willing to use your marbles, don't expect to be included in the game! Tyler Ward Members of Advisory Committee should be dismissed October 26, 2004 I have never written to you before, and have respectfully disagreed with many of the positions you have expressed in the past. I write to you now, out of great sadness, because I don't know of another way to post a message to other Presbyterians. I applaud the national leadership's condemnation of the unauthorized visit with the terrorist organization, Hezbollah, but I await further action. How can the participating members of that delegation be dismissed from the Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy, so that they can do no further damage to the denomination? Does the moderator have that authority? What about the stated clerk? The national membership should not rest until this has happened. Gary Thomas Chicago, Ill. Loving the enemy: Christ and law October 26, 2004 One could make a comment about witnessing to our enemies. When we love our enemies, it is with the love of God through Christ and his laws. It does not appear there was any mention by the ACSWP that terrorism happens to break a commandment. One could mention that the PCUSA's letter of response to the Jewish community did not accept any responsibility, promise to look into the situation or even label the ASCWP as wrong. Misguided is not wrong. One could even mention the letter referred to the necessary Israeli military action using the Palestinian preferred term "occupation." Of more importance is what the letter says concerning the depth of the PCUSA's problems. In an attempt to limit their exposure, the PCUSA joint response said of the ACSWP meeting, "once we learned of it we asked the group to drop this visit from their plans." With this quote, the PCUSA acknowledges they knew of the plans beforehand but were incapable of stopping them. This lack of control is quite shocking. Although the risks appear remote, there are practical considerations concerning out of control actions like this. Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Any individual or organization funding or conspiring to fund Hezbollah is acting illegally. The U.S. government does not make a distinction between the military and charity arms of Hezbollah regarding illegal funding. Doug Ramaker Indianapolis, Ind. You can withhold per-capita and vote, too October 26, 2004 Tyler Ward's arguments for paying per capita have no basis in fact. As a stewardship matter, our church stopped sending money to the General Assembly, the South Atlantic Synod and the Peace River Presbytery in 2003. The decision to stop sending money has had no impact on our ability to participate in denominational decision-making. In fact, an elder from First Presbyterian Bradenton is a Peace River Presbytery commissioner to the 216th GA. We also regularly vote at presbytery meetings. Larry Rued, elder First Presbyterian Church Bradenton, Fla. PCUSA has collaborated with enemy before October 25, 2004 It is stunning that church leadership engaged in this type of activity, one of dialogue with Hezbollah. First of all, this group, like their counterparts (Hamas, Jihad etc), is committed to the ethic "the end justifies the means," which has no place in any Christian theology or ethic. It's difficult to negotiate with people who believe that their highest achievement in life is to blow up themselves and others, including members of their own faith, to attain Paradise. But even more it is symptomatic of the complete faithlessness and lack of understanding of basic Christian principles demonstrated by the PCUSA church leadership. This shouldn't be surprising to anyone familiar with the history of the PCUSA. My grandfather, his brother and brother-in-law were all missionaries to Korea during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The Japanese occupational government insisted that Shinto shrines be built in mission churches and schools. The PCUSA Mission Board sent correspondence to its missionaries to cooperate with the Japanese and allow the building of shrines as well as feigning prayer to them to appease the Japanese occupational government while Korean believers were being tortured and executed for taking a stand against the Shinto worship. That was over 70 years ago. The correspondence and documentation of all of this is actually in the PCUSA historical records maintained by the Historical Society. This is not the first time the PCUSA leadership has collaborated with the enemy of Christendom. My grandfather and his contemporaries, Buswell, Machen, Campbell, etc., did not leave the denomination over trivial disagreements. In addition, my aunt, Dr. Eleanor Soltau, spent almost 50 years ministering to Muslims in the Middle East and I have no doubt her response to this absurdity would be to verify that her leaving the denomination years ago was one of the most theologically sound decisions she ever made! This encounter with Hezbollah shouldn't surprise anyone knowing the history of this denomination. As deplorable as it is, following a lengthy history of these kinds of decisions and activities, it will happen again another day with another venue. Eleanor Soltau New Orleans, La. Change the system we are up against October 25, 2004 I am not a member of the local Presbyterian church and will not join under the circumstances of the current state of affairs at national headquarters. This allows me to attend and donate and yet the Easley, S.C., Presbyterian Church is not assessed any per capita for my membership. If everyone in the churches would remove their "membership," the liberal "big" boys of Louisville would no longer dictate the misuse of their power and funds and would have to find other employment. I don't think they could handle such a major loss of "membership" income and the Presbyterian churches could serve the Lord as we must. Does this make sense? Bob Bossert Democracy must not survive among Muslim neighbors because it may be contagious October 25, 2004 This message is for all those involved in promoting or approving the General Assembly resolution that called for corporate divestment in Israel, a punitive action based on ignorance and anti-Semitism. In 1976, I led a team of U.S. military officers to Israel to discuss counterterrorism and how they recovered hostages from Entebbe Airport during a daring raid on July 4, 1976. Upon entering the Israeli Military Headquarters, I was struck by three huge murals in the lobby. The mural on the left showed swords being used as weapons of war. The mural in the center showed the swords being melted down in a fiery furnace. The mural on the right showed the molten metal being cast into plowshares. To see this message of peace in the headquarters of a fighting force was awesome. For those of you who don't see the Biblical connection, Isaiah 2:4 reads: "He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, nor will they train for war anymore." During our visit, we were shown a wall monument built near the Dead Sea that contained the names of the thousands of innocent Israeli citizens who had been murdered by Palestinian terrorists. This was 1976. How many have been added since? We were also shown the miles and miles of sensors which had been placed on the Golan Heights to warn of terrorist intrusions. We were informed of the huge national effort required to keep Israel on a constant war footing resulting from the Arab initiated wars in 1967 and 1973. It was explained why buffer zones were necessary to defend against future attacks. We were told that had it not been for help from the United States, Israel would have been destroyed and its people annihilated. A democratic country such as Israel must not survive among Muslim neighbors because democracy might be contagious. It is a threat to their religion and their ideology. This is precisely why the Muslim countries throughout the world hate the United States and are bent on destroying us, as well as Israel. When Presbyterians, of whatever stripe, give aid and comfort to the likes of the Palestinian Hezbollah and Hamas, and find no fault with Yassir Arafat's failure to reach a peace accord, then this denomination comes down as pro-Palestinian and anti-Israel. It confirms the desires of terrorists bent on Israel's destruction. The "swords into plowshares" is meaningless to them. The action of the General Assembly has brought a firestorm of negative publicity down on the PCUSA. Unfortunately, our leadership in Louisville has been a dismal failure. Instead of a willingness to reconsider the resolution passed by the General Assembly, they have dug in their heels and strongly support it. Jack Vanderbleek Col. U.S. Army (Ret) Elder, Northeast Presbyterian Church St. Petersburg, Fla. Who's paying the tab for Presbyterian delegation? October 25, 2004 Thanks for posting the earlier Pittsburgh Tribune Review article on the meeting that our Presbyterian delegation had with the terrorist group Hezbollah. Below is a link to a follow up article in the Tribune Review which appeared this morning (Saturday, 10-23). http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/tribune-review/trib/pittsburgh/s_265066.html I'm can't help but to wonder, is our undesignated mission giving helping to finance this trip? Jim Powers Valencia, Pa. The 24-member delegation's trip to the Mideast is being financed through per-capita contributions remitted by local congregations for the work of the national denomination. The editors PCUSA leaders can't do anything about ASCWP October 25, 2004 We are told the leaders at Louisville are livid. They renounce the words and some of the work of the delegation. They abased themselves in a letter to Jewish organizations. Nonsense. The ACSWP is doing this trip. This reflects the ACSWP's view. There is nothing Detterick, Kirkpatrick or the moderator can do about it. The ACSWP will do their usual thing on the submissions to the next GA and it will look an awful lot like the stuff we see them doing today. There's nothing anybody can do about it. And the GA will pass it with the usual large margin. And it will be PCUSA gospel. In my opinion, Louisville's big shooters are upset that this trip let the cat out of the bag 'way too early. Dumping Israel is on the docket. The letter to the Jewish organizations talks about finding ways to pressure the terrorists to stop. As if they can't figure out a way. How about UN money? How hard is it to think of that? Or EU money? Just a thought, guys. If you're interested. Richard A. Aubrey, Jr. Jesus, not negotiations, is answer to peace October 25, 2004 I cannot believe that we even assembled a committee to discuss matters of peace. Don't they understand that without Jesus peace cannot be achieved. What I cannot understand is if you have truly accepted Jesus into your heart, as the Apostle Paul tells us, you will be set aside from the world and then you will realize peace with secular killers cannot be achieved. It is our job not to negotiate, but to carry the light into the world. John Perry, elder Ridgedale Presbyterian Church South Bend, Ind. How was trip to Mideast financed? October 25, 2004 Do you know how the trip to the Mideast was financed? Did the PCUSA pay for the trip out of tithes and offerings? When the members of the trip were "urged" not be meet with terrorists, did the members of that group agree to pay for their trip? Robin Rauch Colusa, Calif. As far as we can determine, the trip was fully paid by tithes and offerings from Presbyterians in the pews and none of the 24 Presbyterians had to pay for food, lodging or travel. The Editors Editing out the word 'Christian' October 25, 2004 Currently I am doing research for my second doctorate. This one involves studying the history of the Presbyterians here in Malawi. Yesterday, I was talking to the chief executive of that denomination, Rev. Y.A. Chienda, general secretary of the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian. Here there is an association of denominations and organizations; it used to be called the Christian Council of Malawi. It has changed its name to the Malawi Council of Churches. Why the name change? Because, Chienda explained, they "came under the influence" of the World Council of Churches and the WCC doesn't like the word "Christian" in anything. So they "influenced" the Christian Council of Malawi to change their name to one the WCC liked. Hmmmm. And oh, by the way, who's the largest single supporter of the WCC? Why, it's the PCUSA, of course. Just thought you'd find that interesting. Rev. Dr. Larry Brown African Bible College Lilongwe, Malawi Jesus didn't qualify commandment to love enemies October 25, 2004 Politically I agree with Mr. Wilken. I'm sure President Roosevelt, whom I admire greatly, prayed for the enemies as he decided to start the Manhattan project which resulted in the atomic bomb. At times, for the sake of our civilization, political leaders must do what they believe necessary for self-preservation. I understand that, and have seen that it has been usefully historically. Where Mr. Wilken and I depart is our priority of Biblical text. Jesus doesn't try to qualify which enemies to love. He explicitly says "But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those that abuse you." (Luke 6:27-28) How can ANYONE deny what Christ says here? In my last letter, soon after I found out that we had a delegation who had done this, I was trying to see the positive side of things. When looking at the whole picture, I think it was a major mistake to meet with Hizbollah. Knowing of our tense relations with the Jewish community, and knowing that Hizbollah is listed by our State department as a terrorist organization, and not heeding the advice of PCUSA leaders not to visit, it angers me that ACSWP went ahead and did so anyway. As for the criticism of "Louisville," as a Kentuckian, I don't appreciate it. Nile Harper, chair of ACSWP, is from Michigan, and Ron Stone is from Pennsylvania. Neither of these have anything to do with Louisville. The statement by Kirkpatrick, Ufford-Chase and Dettrick, I believe, shows that it was not the will of the leaders of the denomination for this group to go. Part of the problem, I believe, is that ACSWP isn't accountable to the GAC, the stated clerk or anyone else in "Louisville" for that matter. They report directly to the assembly. In between assemblies, there is no one to hold them accountable; this is problematic. As for the trip to the Middle East, the trip was authorized by the 216th General Assembly. Plan of action for those who see this action as out of line: 1. Send an overture to the General Assembly to disassemble ACSWP (We are fortunate enough to be in a church where the form of government allows us to change things instead of just complaining about them) 2. Pay your per capita (Just reading #2 may have turned some people off, but let me explicate why I say this. It is per capita that goes about making it possible to change things in the church. It pays for the General Assembly, synods and presbyteries. These places are where the decisions are made. If you don't like them and want them changed, use our form of government and change it. When churches refuse to remit per capita as protest, they lose some credibility in the rest of the church when it comes to their willingness to foot the bill for the very place and process to go about changing those things which they don't like.) Withholding per capita isn't the answer! Paying your per capita, taking part in the system to try to go about changing it if you wish -- this is what being Presbyterian is all about, not sitting on the fringes and whining about something, but using our church government to enact those changes which you want to see. Praying for enemies, working for faithfulness in the church, and loving Jesus Christ! Tyler Ward Every Presbyterian has power to make changes October 25, 2004 The Rev. Jim Yearsley in response to Elder Purdom notes: "The truth is that in our current atmosphere of apostasy at the highest levels of church leadership, the PCUSA chooses not to enforce standards. It is not an inability to behave in a Scripturally faithful manner, it is a failure of moral courage." Perhaps he is right in his point of view. But then the PCUSA is us, not just them that are the leadership. I am reminded of Christ removing the money changers from the temple. That was real action by an individual, not the leadership, and I think is what Christ calls all of us to do. I think this applies to anyone on the spectrum whether they are liberal, middle or conservative. I think the important teaching from Christ on this was we each have to power and responsibility to effect change and not wait upon leadership or complain about the leadership to do something. So as a gay man in the PCUSA, I do have this observation to share. I likewise don't always like what the leadership in Louisville does on certain matters. But I do know if I have enough passion about it I can as an individual Presbyterian and Christian make a difference. That is the gift and freedom that Christ gave us to assert our God-given right to express our thoughts as the Holy Spirit leads us. Likewise anyone else in the PCUSA has this power and responsibility whether I agree completely on certain issues. And I encourage them to do so rather than sitting back and placing blame or relying on others to take action since history proves over and over again that doesn't work. Earl C. Apel, member Mount Auburn Presbyterian Church Cincinnati, Ohio

October 2004 letters, page 2 Home · News · PLC Publications · The Layman Online Reviews · Archives· History of the Lay Committee · Feedback · Links