Letters to the editor

D.E. White needs to learn facts about what’s going on
Many thanks for the penetrating article by J. Charles Merrill (“Political right wing has seduced, silenced part of church,” July 22). He showed great vision and understanding of where America is today.
D.E. White (“Attack on right wing smacks of effort to engender hatred,” Sept. 9) may be a great guy, but he is so uninformed about what’s going on in our nation. He offers the typical Republican response of “hatred” and “class warfare” to Mr. Merrill’s attempt to solve problems.
Frankly, we already have class warfare in America. It’s the welfare state for the millionaires against the middle and lower socioeconomic classes. In the words of Episcopal Bishop John Bryson Chane, “We have gone from a war on poverty to a war on the poor.”
On economics Mr. White assumes anyone who wants a job can get one. Surveys show that is far from the truth. He is correct that certain specialized jobs are available, but many don’t have the education for them or don’t have the opportunity to learn the necessary skills.
Mr. White also forgets that Lyndon Johnson’s War on Poverty cut poverty about 25 percent.
I suspect Mr. White favored cutting the 2003 federal budget so the rich could get a rebate rather than spending money on educational programs or levees in New Orleans. If Mr. White would look at the real world, he might send Mr. Merrill an apology.
Camp Gilliam
Kingsville

UMC TV ad doesn’t call people to follow Christ
I have been a Methodist all of my life, as was my father, his father and his father, and as is my son and his son. We have been a Christ-based family with tolerance for some things “other” denominations have gone through that are not Christ-based.
Tonight I saw an ad on TV for the UMC that says to “follow your path to The United Methodist Church.” It doesn’t say to come to Christ in the church. It says follow your path  (New Age terminology?)!
We should be asking new people to come to Christ. Our churches are already full of people following their own paths.
If we are going to advertise, let’s have the right message to give, and that is “Come to Christ.”
Bobby Zirkel
Medina

Leviticus lists many sins besides homosexuality
J. David Trawick is so clear about the sin of homosexual acts (“We should offer Christ with love but not accept sin,” Aug. 26).
But equally sinful is eating meat from Brangus or other mixed breed animals. That’s in the same part of Leviticus. Leviticus says dozens of other actions are equally sinful—like wearing blended cloth.
Mr. Trawick had best check his meat and clothing and lots of other sins.
I have several gay or lesbian friends. They say that about the age that I began to act crazy about girls, they felt the same way about people of their own sex. Most of those who are lesbian married and had children because that was what they felt they were supposed to do.
But deep down they were miserable, until they divorced and discovered they preferred being with certain other women. Now most live in committed relationships with lesbians.
The gays I know similarly live in committed relationships.
That may make some feel uncomfortable, but can we accept reality? Even some mammals are homosexual.
In November we will vote on a constitutional amendment that will write discrimination into the Texas Constitution. I pray our Christian duty of care and concern for people of all persuasions leads us to vote against that amendment and talk to friends and neighbors about the dangers in that amendment.
John F. Yeaman
Austin