Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, December 17, 1993 TAG: 9312200315
SECTION: EDITORIAL PAGE: A22 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE:
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
I'm also delighted to learn that ``most'' of these scholars are ``Christians'' (whatever that means in this context I have no idea). Ignoring the fact that the New Testament itself is a ``historical document'' is a clever beginning to their ``research,'' and even more ingenious is their extrasensory ability to decide now what Jesus did and didn't say.
Nearly 2,000 years of faith is in error, and innumerable believers must be wrong in accepting Jesus Christ as savior, redeemer and king. The church fathers who agonized over the New Testament canon were hopeless idiots to think not only that God is able to give us the written Word as a reliable guide to eternal life, but that he gives the unlearned ability to discern truth from error. That was before all of this modern intellectual might was spawned, indeed ``a massive step in our understanding of Jesus,'' a massive step backward.
KARLEEN E. WICKHAM
SHAWSVILLE
Plenty more where that came from
THERE'S been sufficient time since the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement to realize that wasn't a ``great sucking sound'' we heard, but rather some of the air escaping from Ross Perot's ego.
JOHN E. HUSTED
ROANOKE
Killers don't deserve a trial
I CANNOT understand America, its government or its so-called laws.
All these poor children who are getting kidnapped, raped and murdered had no chance in life because of their murderers. Why waste time for a trial and use of the taxpayers' hard-earned money? Why not put them to death right away and not waste time? They know what they're doing when they commit these acts.
Virginians should petition for quicker use of the death penalty. Our stupid government isn't about to do anything but waste time and money on these no-good pigs who don't deserve anything for what they've done to those precious little girls, much less a trial.
BONNIE KEITH
ROANOKE
Citizens armed can deter crime
WE HAVE a president who capitalizes on the horrible New York commuter-train shooting of Dec. 7 to push the misguided anti-gun agenda.
But do you think the police were around when the perpetrator on the train began his shooting spree? Not hardly. The police can't predict the future; therefore, they were not ready and waiting for Colin Ferguson when he boarded the 5:33 to Hicksville.
The only crime deterrent that would have possibly prevented the mayhem that occurred is for a properly trained and armed citizen to have stopped Ferguson with a bullet. But this would have been highly unlikely due to the fact that an honest citizen in New York City is generally denied the right to purchase or possess a firearm for self-defense.
ROBERT K. SNEAD
FERRUM
A wake-up call for sex education
BETH Macy's amazing discovery of teen pregnancy has struck a nerve (Nov. 18 news article, ``Pregnant and proud''). Teen-agers are getting pregnant? When did that start happening? Angry? Well, wake up, it's been happening for decades. Look how many letters to the editor that have been written about it. Are we doing anything about it, or are we just ticked off cause we have to pay? Big talkers, little doers!
If you're so ticked off, then encourage sex education in schools! It can't start in sixth grade either. Sexual activity starts much younger! These same angry people don't want sex education, because it might awaken thoughts in their children. They don't want birth control given to teen-agers. That would encourage sexual behavior. But they want to jump on the bandwagon and persecute Ms. Macy and the teens for this story.
Get up off your duffs and take action. Educate your children at home, and become active in your school's sex-education program. Preaching abstinence is a wonderful pipe dream, yet teen-age hormones unfortunately control the situation.
Be knowledgeable parents and sit down with your children, explain f+isafe sexo and make birth control available if necessary. AIDS leads the list of diseases affecting teens in the '90s. You won't be advocating sexual activity, just acknowledging responsibility and life. Practice what you preach, too!
Parents rebuke against abortion, until it's their child facing the problem. Nip it in the bud before it happens to you. Be educated, responsible parents and you'll raise educated, responsible children.
Ms. Macy's news article did what it was supposed to do - wake you up!
BARBARA MABERRY
Volunteer
Roanoke AIDS Project
ROANOKE
Customers in awe of traffic system
IT'S SATURDAY night and pouring rain. We've been in the Valley View Mall parking lot for an hour now and are only halfway out. A few questions need to be addressed.
Why does the mall have only one way out and two ways in? Is this to discourage egress or just pure stupidity?
Why is there no one directing traffic? Tanglewood Mall provides this service, and it was bordering on a pleasant experience leaving that establishment.
Why do people lose their ability to be considerate while operating a motor vehicle? No one is moving anyway, so what's wrong with allowing a car to move into the long, unmoving line?
On the lighter side, my husband got a part-time job at Burger King while we waited in line. He worked a full shift, too.
And, by and by, I hope the engineers who designed the entry/exit for this mall have absolutely nothing to do with the so-called smart road.
KATE GLASS
BOB EICH
PILOT
by CNB