Mountain Views
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peacably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.” —United States Constitution, Amendment One
■ The Mountain Press ■ Page A7 ■ Tuesday, March 9, 2010
commentary
Traditional Christianity under attack New legislation now being proposed in the Massachusetts state legislature to ban circumcision of any male children, including Jewish children, comes very close to saying, “Yes, it should be a crime.” Circumcision of infant males has been a requirement of Jewish faith and identity since the time of Abraham. Meanwhile, just a year ago this week, two very powerful state legislators in Connecticut proposed a bill that would have had the government take over the finances of the Catholic Church. (It took a rally drawing thousands of folks to the state capitol to persuade them to withdraw the measure.) How did we reach the point where powerful people seriously consider such outrageous intrusions on religious liberty? These “shots across the bow” are skirmishes in a larger war between a newly triumphant liberalism and older American values, including pluralism, conscience protection and respect for religious liberty. If the right to religious liberty — a right clearly and explicitly established in our U.S. Constitution — were being supported and enforced equally with other First Amendment rights, traditional faith communities would not be as worried as they are about the coming attempts to misuse government power. Secular liberals are showing a powerful desire to use the power of government to repress faith communities that disagree with their views. They have been enabled by a Supreme Court (led, ironically, by Justice Antonin Scalia) that has thrown up its hands at the difficulties of enforcing religious liberty and ruled that government intrusions imposed on all people are acceptable, even if they substantially interfere with religious practice. How else can we explain what just happened in the District of Columbia, the nation’s capital? The Washington, D.C., city council chose to pass a gay marriage bill, and then chose to try to block the right of ordinary D.C. citizens to exercise their charter-given right to put actions of the city council to a vote. But that’s not the worst of self-righteous zealotry among entrenched local politicians. The Catholic Church is an outsize provider of social services in D.C., with a well-deserved reputation as a valuable partner in providing a vast array of caring services to the most vulnerable citizens of the district. When the D.C. politicians passed gay marriage without serious conscience protections, the Catholic Church became aware that it would seriously interfere with the church’s ability to help the government care for poor people in D.C. Catholic organizations, especially those that accepted government money, would now be required by the government to recognize gay marriages, regardless of their faith commitments. As a result of this senseless government pressure, Catholic Charities was forced to close its adoption and foster care services, needlessly reducing the number of caring and competent services available to poor and abandoned children. And the diocese just announced it would, henceforth, cease offering spousal benefits at all, in order to protect Catholic organizations from being forced by the government to recognize gay marriages. What was the point of these kinds of government impositions on Christian institutions? The Catholic Church’s position on gay sex and gay marriage are well-known, or should be. Surely it should come as no shock to a potential employee to discover that a Catholic organization is not the right place to pursue their career if they want gay marital benefits? What gay person in D.C. is practically better off as a result of this mean-spirited and successful attempt to drive the Catholic Church out of the public square in key ways? If this were left up to ordinary gay people, I’m betting it would all turn out very different. Live and let live is the American impulse across ideological and moral disagreements. But in today’s world, Donald Wuerl, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., is both a brave and a kind man. He went to the city council and asked for permission to continue helping poor and vulnerable people in partnership with the city. The city council spurned his request. Its members were not interested in helping mute the conflicts between gay marriage and religious liberty. They want the right to use government to brand traditional Christianity as bigoted and discriminatory. Shame on them. Shame on them. They will only fuel Americans’ legitimate fears about what the real motivations behind gay marriage are. And Americans of good will clearly have to come together over the heads of politicians to find a better solution. — Maggie Gallagher, president of the National Organization for Marriage, is known for her conservative social policy analysis of social trends and conditions. (C)2009 Maggie Gallagher. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate.
Editorial
Toss sweep Local officials right to launch an offensive against littering When you invite someone into your home, you want your home to look good for them. Each year we invited more than 12 million people into our home of Sevier County. We don’t always do a good job of making our place look good for them. Discarded trash litters too many of our roadways. Thoughtless, inconsiderate people think nothing of tossing from their vehicles anything they don’t want. Cigarette butts are everywhere except where they should be. And our visitors see this and wonder just what we locals think of this beautiful country we treasure and which draws tourists every year. Now we are seeing local officials fight back. Law enforcement has declared war on littering, and those who
litter could face as much as a year in prison and a fine up to $2,500. New legislation aimed at allowing local communities to be tougher on those who litter is about to be enforced here. Common sense and pride in community haven’t worked. It’s time to let the law be a deterrent. The biggest offenses, officials say, are litter and trash dumps, junk cars in yards and cigarette butts along area roads, A county that thrives on tourism includes a lot of people who aren’t very thoughtful when it comes to keeping the area as clean as they try to keep their homes. Yes, some of the worst offenders are our visitors. Not helping matters is that law enforcement officers sometimes just don’t want to spend much time on litter
law violations, when there are so many other offenses to be investigated. Some judges with crowded dockets often don’t want to enforce laws against littering because the fines are so stiff. Larry Potter, the environmental judge of Shelby County who wrote the new state litter laws, admits that there are worse crimes than littering, but adds, “If you don’t clean up your nest, bigger problems can develop. It’s about much more than trash. It’s about cleaning up our communities. This is the same way (Mayor Rudolph) Giuliani cleaned up New York.” Law enforcement agencies and judges recognize the problem littering and roadside trash have become. A crackdown using the strength of the new state law is the right thing to do.
Public forum Church should redirect energy to preserving meeting prayer
Editor: Shame, shame, Jonathan Hatcher, Conner Heights Baptist Church pastor. Faith is so very important to all of us to lead us on our journey. During this Lenten season it is a wonderful time to reflect on how well we work for peace and justice by our love of God and love of others. We are called to prepare for Easter by engaging more deliberately in prayer, almsgiving, to right the wrongs we selfishly take part in and heal the unbelief we often harbor. A wise suggestion to you: Channel your actions in more meaningful ways. An example: circulate pamphlets asking how you and your followers can help the County Commission and County Mayor Larry Waters. A Washingtonbased legal group might be suing them to stop opening its meetings with the Lord’s Prayer and to take down the picture depicting the Ten Commandments. A citizen complaint was received about these issues. Christ calls us to live the Commandments. Inquire how you can help and dig in against this demand. There is power in numbers. I urge you to visit your neighboring churches and witness for yourself the many, close similarities and the wonderful, new people you’d meet with their same, shared denominations — the belief in God. I did just the same thing and was completely overwhelmed. The lesson learned, we are all God’s children. In clarification, the Greek letters found on vestments used in Catholic Churches do not stand for Egyptian gods. In addition, the Holy Father, the Pope, is a pious man not directed by the devil. The truest measure of a life is not its length but the spirituality in which it is lived. Junie Bordelon Sevierville
It’s time for Christians to unite, stop pointing fingers
Editor: On the issue of the Eucharist: By my notions, religion is the study of your faith. Given this concept, Christians are Christians. In other words, we believe in God is the almighty, with Jesus as our savior, and the Holy Spirit guides us to our state of grace. We are to follow one rule: The Golden Rule. There are 10 laws — The Ten Commandments — for us to follow. If one is to compare Christian religions (which can include Baptists, Catholics, Lutherans, Methodists, etc.), not faiths (which could include Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, etc.) which do not believe Jesus is our savior, one will find several variations of different beliefs within given churches (or religions. We do this head butting on a daily routine in the political arena, which is to the detriment of us all. I think it’s time we unite as Christians, instead
of pointing fingers.
was a check for just over $100. I don’t underFloyd “Gene” Broseus stand. Sevierville Just know this. If the same bank could treat us locals good when it’s good, and bad when it’s bad, then I would rather not see one of No religious organization their reps at my family member’s funeral ever again. My husband and I waited for 17 years has all of the answers to have our own home and had little choice Editor: about leaving it. While not a full-time resident of Sevier Milisa Cole Huskey County, I have been wintering there for the last Sevierville couple of months, making a few trips home as needed. Right now, my intent is to probably be here for a few more months before I return home again for the warmer months. Literary festival in Sevierville While residing here, reading The Mountain delightfully interesting and fun Press on occasion has been something that I look forward to. But as I read the front page on Editor: March 3, I saw an article that I felt was very disCongratulations to everyone who made turbing about divisions among Christian institu- the Rose Glen Literary Festival a first-class tions that have differences of opinions on what event. It was delightfully interesting and fun. or who is correct in their view in serving God. The workshops, speakers, exhibits, lunIt is my opinion that no one particular mancheon, signed pottery bowl and handwritten made institution can see the total picture. Each recipe for the succulent pineapple cake were sees a particular piece of the total package. No all great. Getting to meet Reece Ripatti and one organization has all of the answers. spend a whole day with the authors and their These organizations all have some good points books was a candy factory. And thank you to as well as some bad points. It is not through The Mountain Press for the communication any of these organizations that we are saved, or essential to identifying community needs because of any of these organizations that we are and opportunities. lost. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, May technology enhance, not replace, the sacrifice He made for us, our acceptance books and local newspapers. of that fact and our personal relationship with Carolyn M. Henderson Him, that dictates our final destination after this Sevierville life. So if, in the interim period here on this earth, Be careful: New gun law we feel more comfortable fellowshipping with, worshipping, or praising God in a Catholic, sure to unleash shootings Baptist, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Editor: Pentecostal or other denomination, then so be it. Careful folks. Effective Feb. 22, people who Dave Merrill have permits to carry loaded handguns for By His Hand Ministries self-protection will be carrying their dreadClarksburg, W.V. ed guns into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I heard that the park service has hired an Hometown bank turned on ambulance service to transport the wounded them when times got tough and extra rangers to cut down on the people Editor: who will be shooting the wildlife with their Five years ago, my husband and I had pistols. three different accounts with our homeThese are the same people who have been town bank. While we had these accounts carrying handguns for self-protection for we were treated like decent, hard working many years, the ones who took the carry local people, and so we opened a savings course, became qualified and paid the state account also. fee for their permit. The same people, who, We built a home and encouraged our chil- unknown to you since they carry concealed, dren to open accounts there too, although we carry their guns nearly everywhere else in didn’t like the way our mortgage was handled. Tennessee, around town, in the mall and so Since the economy took a downturn, we had on. to open a home equity line of credit with Well, look out now because they are going them. Times got so rough, neither my hus- to be transformed into a bunch of madmen. band nor I could find a job. Now that they can carry in the national park Last year we lost our home and were paid a they will no longer be “law abiding citizens,” check to leave by a certain date. We stopped they will be shooting the robins, the squirrels at the bank and those same people treated us and probably the small children in the camplike beggars. grounds. My oldest two children still have accounts What will they think of next? Of course, the there and I recently found a job. My son let criminals who always carried their guns will me use his accounts to cash my checks, until continue to do so; they never did care about the last check I got. This friendly bank turned the law. me away again. Charles Thoms Does this sound like a caring bank? This Seymour
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State Legislators:
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◆ Jana Thomasson, Publisher ◆ Stan Voit, Editor ◆ Bob Mayes, Managing Editor ◆ Gail Crutchfield, Community News Editor
◆ Rep. Richard Montgomery
◆ U.S. Sen. Bob Corker
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◆ Rep. Joe McCord
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◆ U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander
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◆ U.S. Rep. Phil Roe
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◆ U.S. Rep. John J. Duncan Jr.
◆ Sen. Doug Overbey
(202) 225-6356; 419 Cannon House Office, Washington, D.C. 20515 (202) 225-5435; 2267 Rayburn Office Bldg., Washington, D.C. 20515