Published: November 26, 2009 09:31 pm         

Reader's Forum: Nov. 27, 2009

Christians, Muslims have differences, but much in common



I normally do not write letters to the editor, but this time I feel my words have some healing to offer. I have followed the dialogue about the Bible Baptist signage and the 13-year-old girl’s critique. Here is my contribution to the dialogue.

I taught in a Jesuit Catholic High School in Cairo, Egypt. Half the student body was Christian and half was Muslim, intentionally constituted 50/50 for dialogue among students and their parents. I also lived for three years in the Sahara Region of Africa while serving in the Peace Corps. Both experiences allowed friendships to develop between me and my Muslim co-workers and neighbors. As you can imagine, after we got to know each other well, any hours of religious discussions took place well into the night. I would enjoy recounting those discussions but this space doesn’t permit it. Let me just provide the insight that resulted.

The question that the Bible Baptist pastor posed is valid for Christians trying to understand Islam in a sincere interfaith dialogue. However, the venue was not well chosen because the apparent response that the sign suggested is that Jesus did something immense (He died, rose and lives … a valid Christian creedal statement.), but Allah did nothing like that.

Let me offer some insight: Jews, Christians and Muslims acknowledge the same ONE GOD. The Jewish tradition acknowledges “The One” by not speaking the sacred tetragram (YHWH) or by using ADONAI (The Lord) as well as other names. The Christian tradition acknowledges “The One” by the same Jewish usages or through the Gospel designation ABBA (Loving Father). Muslims acknowledge “The One” by the Arabic name Allah (The Holy One, the Compassionate, The Merciful … three of 99 beautiful names of God). Adonai, Abba, Allah are simply different names out of different cultures and religious traditions for the ONE GOD.

Now the pastor’s question: “What did Allah do?” I will answer his question out of our Christian tradition. ALLAH (Adonai, Abba) chose to become human, take on human flesh (incarnate) and we know him as Jesus who died and rose again to life and now lives. Obviously this part of our Christian creed in not the faith of our Jewish friends or our Muslim friends. But from our Christian perspective, “What did Allah do?” He did an immensely wonderful and loving thing. He became one of us (the Christmas Mystery which we are about to celebrate). He became human to reveal himself to us.

As the Sunday editorial of the Tribune-Star suggests, can we try to understand each other through sensitive, friendly dialogue? We do have differences, but we share so much in common.

— Fr. Ron Ashmore, Terre Haute



Thanks for support at Volleyball for the Small event



Union Hospital Foundation would like to extend its sincere thanks to everyone that was involved with the recent Volleyball for the Small project that provided $8,200 to our foundation’s Neonatal Intensive Care Family Assistance Fund. In addition to providing much-needed funds to the families that have babies in the Union Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the project helped the young women of the Terre Haute North and Terre Haute South volleyball teams realize what a difference they can make in the lives of others. What an impressive group of young women!

Over 1,500 fans packed the gym of Terre Haute South Vigo High School on Sept. 25 to watch the “intensive battle for intensive care” volleyball match between the Patriots and Braves. The combination of the crosstown rivalry and the fact that the young women were playing for a wonderful cause created a memorable chemistry in the gym that evening.

I also want to thank all of the NICU “graduates” and their families for attending the volleyball match. Prior to being involved in charitable fundraising, I was a collegiate volleyball coach, and I must say that I have never seen so many babies at a volleyball match and it was great. The NICU families added a very special touch to the evening, especially when they took the court to be honored between games one and two.

This special project could not have been possible without the incredible cooperation of the Vigo County School Corp., including Superintendent Dan Tanoos, Executive Director of Secondary Schools Mick Newport, principals Stacy Mason and Chris Mauk, athletic directors Tony Brewer and Ron Clinkenbeard and coaches Steve Beeler and Kris Painter.

We also owe a special thank you to all of our corporate sponsors and donors, including TABCO, Duke Energy, WTWO, Tribune-Star, Time Warner Cable, T-Shirt One, West-Central Indiana Neonatal Group, Lafayette Neonatal Association, Deryse Dellmo Family, Robinson Police Department, Sackrider & Company and Miller White.

I would be remiss if I didn’t thank the many people that helped to make the project a success including Drs. Russel and Kathy Coutinho, Dan DeBard, Dr. Joanne Goldbort, Tammy Lalouche, Mike Telezyn, Lori Moon, Melissa O’Dell, Sally and Charles Rubey, Kris Bilyeu, Scott Boerner, Irene Christophers, Brian Miller, Jill Coleman, Susan Duncan, B.J. Riley, Tim Sturgess and Jeremiah Turner.

Thanks to everyone involved, we created an outstanding event that will impact many lives in our community.

— James A. Bertoli , Executive Director , Union Hospital Foundation



Veterans Day had special meaning at Chauncey Rose



Chauncey Rose Middle School students and staff experienced the true meaning of Veterans Day this year. On Nov. 9, we were honored to express our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude to the family of Sgt. Dale Griffin as the motorcade carrying Sgt. Griffin passed our school. Our students and staff stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the curbside displaying flags in respectful and solemn silence as Terre Haute’s fallen hero passed. Our thoughts and prayers were with the Griffin family that day and will remain so in the future as we remember our witness to Sgt. Griffin’s ultimate sacrifice.

As a result, our Veterans Day program took on an even more special meaning on Tuesday as we saluted all Veterans. In memory and honor, a beautiful musical program was performed by the choir, under the direction of Mr. Paul Ellison, and the band and orchestra, under the direction of Mr. Eric Schatz. Mr. Danny Dixon shared a personal story and read “In Flanders Fields,” and Tech Sgt. Teri Winegar, a member of the 181st, spoke of her personal reflections on what being a veteran really means. We were honored to see some former Royal students from Terre Haute North Vigo High School as Col. Con McDonald brought a group of ROTC students to present the colors and explain the meaning of a flag folding ceremony.

Our Chauncey Rose family received a special gift when a flag, carried in a combat operation with LTC William Latta, Task Force Cyclone Executive Officer, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, was presented. Our love and thanks go to LTC Latta and the William Latta family, who were instrumental in providing such an awe-inspiring treasure. It was another powerful and thought-provoking symbol of the cost of war and the freedom we hold dear.

To all of the families of our American heroes, present and past, but especially to those who have directly touched our lives this year — the Griffin, Latta and Plasse families — God Bless You and God Bless America.

— Claire A. Marchese, Principal, Chauncey Rose Middle School



Church sign’s message was not intolerant



It is natural to feel offended when a religion, particularly if it is your own or that of a friend, is questioned in a public manner. Such an approach always seems unfair, due in part to the fact that such a question is inherently rhetorical; most people who see the sign will not have the opportunity to respond, highlighting what they believe Allah (and the Prophet) has done. I felt offended when I first heard of the “You don’t need God to be good” ad campaign going on, initially in Washington, D.C., for the very same reason; it’s unlikely I’ll ever have the chance to engage the group behind the campaign, asking them questions like “what do you mean by ‘good?’”

However, I feel that the content of this article, and this letter, do warrant a similar note for the sake of clarification.

First, though a person has the right in our country to practice their religion in whatever way they see fit, so long as in doing so they do not violate the rights of someone else, a person does not have the right to never have their beliefs called into question by another individual. If this were the case, questioning the content of the Church sign (would Jesus have wanted that sign posted? etc.) would equally be a violation of this Church’s right to practice their faith without question. In essence, it would create an unavoidable round-robin of violations.

Second, the content of this sign was clearly not “intolerant” in any sense of the word; nor was it, specifically speaking, an attack. In order to qualify for either category, it would need to be a slanderous message directed towards either Islam itself or Muslims in general. Otherwise, it’s merely a question posed in a (debatably) rude manner.

Thirdly, and somewhat less importantly, I think the statements of Sister Denise Wilkinson ought to be addressed, even if only for their implications. Her statements seem to imply that she believes her own religion, the Catholic faith, is pluralistic in its approach to God. This is certainly not the case according to the official teachings of the Catholic Church. They clearly hold to the belief that they are the “One, True Faith,” and that any other religion lacks the “fullness of grace” found therein. The Catholic Church, as far as I understand it as a Protestant, believes that while God’s love may extend beyond the boundaries of the Catholic Church, true doctrine does not. Perhaps I am wrong, though, about the message Sister Denise intended to convey.

— Scott Smith, Terre Haute



Intolerance exists on both sides of issue



The letter written by the 13-year-old girl regarding the Bible Baptist Church’s sign “Jesus died and rose. And he lives for you. What did Allah do?” and subsequent letters and an editorial in the Sunday “Tribune-Star” have generated a lot of interest. I would like to offer my thoughts on her letter and the reactions to it. First, congratulations to the young lady for her ability to express herself in such a powerful, heartfelt way.

However, I hope she will consider what those people responsible for the sign, which was up for just one week, might have been thinking. Perhaps they were remembering the lives lost in the 9/11 terror attacks, or the recent attack at Fort Hood, in which Major Hasan took 13 lives and injured several others. He allegedly yelled “Allahu Akbar!” (God is Great) as he opened fire. Other terrorist plots against the United States have, thankfully, been discovered and prevented. Unfortunately, incidents of honor killings have been reported right here in America.

The letter writer mentions in her letter that she has several Muslim friends. I hope she will acknowledge that intolerance also exists in the Muslim world and encourage her friends to speak out against acts of hatred and intolerance on the part of Muslim extremists, such as mentioned in the above paragraph, just as she spoke out in her letter. Their condemnation of terrorism and violence on the part of those Muslims would go a long way toward persuading others that most Muslims want to live in peace.

I also strongly recommend that she read “Infidel,” the autobiography of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who was born a Muslim in Somali and grew up under Sharia law. She eventually fled to the Netherlands to avoid a forced marriage. There she became such a powerful voice against torture and honor killings of Muslim women that she feared for her own safety and is now living in America. She should also read Bridgette Gabriel’s book “Because They Hate.” Gabriel, who was born in Lebanon of Christian parents, described how she and her parents had to hide in an underground bomb shelter for seven years and had to dodge Muslim snipers when they ventured out to get water and endure other suffering.

The young letter writer states that she “had never seen such direct, vicious hatred” as that expressed on the Bible Baptist Church’s sign. If she reads the books by Ali and Gabriel, she will discover that those women were exposed to far more direct, vicious forms of hatred.

The Tribune-Star Sunday editorial reflects on the power of words. It is unlikely that the words posted on the Bible Baptist Church’s sign will inspire any congregation members to go on a killing spree. Judging from the actions of some Muslims that this country has recently witnessed, many individuals might think of another old saying, “Actions speak louder than words.”

The letter writer expresses herself so beautifully and passionately, I hope she will speak out just as strongly to condemn acts of intolerance and terrorism on the part of Muslims in this country.

— Judith Francis, Terre Haute



Forget greening, stick with sanity of fossil fuels



Why has the mainstream media ignored the work of Dr. Richard Lindzen, MIT professor of meteorology, that puts a dagger right through the heart of the alarm about Anthropogenic (manmade) Global Warming (AGW)? Based on a new analysis of 15 years of satellite data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment, Dr. Lindzen and his colleagues have shown that the climate models used to predict future earth temperatures by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (the UN agency responsible for most of the hysteria) overstate the relevance of CO2 by a factor of six or more.

Global Warming theory is strongly dependent on a factor called “climate sensitivity.” If this factor is strongly positive, climate models predict catastrophe for the world. If it is negative or even less positive, man-made global warming is immeasurably small and has no effect on climate.

All the models used by the alarmists assume that sensitivity is highly positive even though the IPCC admits that “a set of model metrics that might be used to narrow the range of plausible climate change feedbacks and CLIMATE SENSITIVITY HAS YET TO BE DEVELOPED” [emphasis mine]. In other words, all of the predictions of catastrophe have been based on an assumption of climate sensitivity that fits the alarmist agenda and have never been tested or confirmed. This is what Al Gore calls “settled science.”

In June of this year, Dr. Linden released the results of his study of climate sensitivity that proves that this all-important factor is NEGATIVE. These results have now been favorably reviewed by at least four other major climate science groups. This irrefutably shows the theory of AGW to be false.

Another prominent climate scientist, Dr. Roy Spencer, Principal Research Scientist at the University of Alabama in Huntsville, has shown that previous observations of cloud behavior had potentially large errors that led to the illusion of a sensitive climate system when proper interpretation of our best satellite observations indicates an IN-sensitive system. His conclusion is that the extra CO2 due to mankind is not enough to have caused the warming over the past 100 years and that some natural mechanism is responsible.

The UN/IPCC have been using the results of their models to tell the nations of the world that they must reduce and cap CO2 emissions or the earth will warm drastically. As a result the U.S. House of Representatives and a number of European governments have passed carbon tax legislation. Fortunately for the USA, only billions, not trillions, have been spent here on the greening of everything. In Europe several countries have actually implemented cap and trade laws and have seen a marked reduction in their standard of living.

Policy makers in Washington and other world capitals should immediately stop all activities aimed at reducing C02 and return to the sanity of burning fossil fuels. But first we have to get the mainstream media to recognize this dramatic story and inform the world.

Finally, after we have time to determine whether the world has been the victim of very bad science or if faulty science has been deliberately used to push an agenda, we can decide whether people like Al Gore are criminally liable or just monumentally stupid.

— Thomas B. Tucker, Terre Haute



What if the Bible replaced cell phones?



I wonder what would happen if you treated your “Bible” like you treat your cell phone. What if you carried it around in your purses or pockets. What if you turned back around to go get it when you forgot it. What if you would flip through it several times a day. What if you used it to receive messages from the text. What if you treated it like you couldn’t live without it. What if you gave it to kids as a gift. What if you used it in case of emergency.

I hope I got you thinking and hope you get touched by the Holy Spirit as you are reading this and it makes you say, “Where is my Bible?” Instead of reaching for the cell phone. It sure would make the world a much better place.

—Charlie Barth, Terre Haute



Treat all Hoosier taxpayers equally



The 2010 Indiana General Assembly will be considering language amending the State Constitution’s section on assessment and taxation. The legislature passed language in 2008 that would enshrine property tax caps into the Constitution to limit property tax liability on a property’s assessed value. The language must pass two consecutively elected legislatures before it can be put on the ballot to be ratified by a majority of the state’s voters.

In the political deal-making that was part of the legislative process, Lake and St. Joseph counties were excluded from some of the provisions of the property tax caps until 2020. The taxpayers in the other 90 Indiana counties, as described by the legislation, are provided limits on their property tax liabilities beginning with property taxes due and payable in 2012. This provision treats property taxpayers in Lake and St. Joseph counties differently than other Indiana taxpayers. This is simply not fair and it is no doubt unconstitutional.

The State Constitution has a Bill of Rights listed in Article 1 that includes:

The General Assembly shall not grant to any citizen, or class of citizens, privileges or immunities, which, upon the same terms, shall not equally belong to all citizens.

Indiana State Constitution,

Article 1, Bill of Rights,

Section 23

The language proposing to amend property tax caps into the Constitution grants to a certain class of citizens immunity from property taxes for which they would otherwise be liable. The amendment also treats taxpayers in 90 Indiana counties differently than it treats those in the other two counties. Both of these provisions appear to be clear violations of the Indiana Constitution’s Bill of Rights and should be thoughtfully revisited by the General Assembly during its upcoming session.

— Don Villwock, Indiana Farm Bureau