OpinionJanuary 31, 1999
SPEAKOUT
MY FAMILY has been greatly disturbed by the "unfriendliness" of the Cape area churches. We moved here recently and needed a church home. We have visited congregations where not one person other than the pastor or his wife even spoke to us. We have sat in pews where often a deacon or lay person came along and shook hands with only those they knew, passing us by without a nod or a welcome smile. ...
Advice on church friendliness
MY FAMILY has been greatly disturbed by the "unfriendliness" of the Cape area churches. We moved here recently and needed a church home. We have visited congregations where not one person other than the pastor or his wife even spoke to us. We have sat in pews where often a deacon or lay person came along and shook hands with only those they knew, passing us by without a nod or a welcome smile. We have observed this same behavior where there were other visitors like us who were looking for a church home. Now I want to go ahead and say they don't have to welcome us. That is OK, for we are oldsters who have been born-again believers for more decades than we can count on one hand. But please, do not pass by that teen-age visitor or that young couple with young children. We came from a congregation where for every service there were greeters stationed at each entrance, eagerly waiting to welcome members and visitors alike and to guide those who needed help to a Sunday school class. If each Cape church were to enact a sensitive greeting program, you would soon fill empty pews in every one of your churches.
Other important people
THERE ARE more important people in our lives than Bill Clinton, Ken Starr or Henry Hyde, people like our bosses, our friends, our colleagues and the people that share our houses. There are more important matters in our lives than impeachments and book deals. Whether or not the angry white men in Congress finish the lynching they've begun, it won't help you take care of a kid who's sick with something. An HMO won't cover a old mom who can't live alone and won't live in a nursing home. It won't help you to keep a job after downsizing or outsourcing or give up smoking or pay off your plastic or save your marriage or do anything else that's important. Every once in a while, the people we elect to the best jobs in America are supposed to help us with schools for our children, health care for our parents and pensions for ourselves. But you angry white men who've lately been sent to Washington won't do what we need done for us. Let's fire them. Meanwhile, the polls indicate the people are the only people who have it right. The fact is that the president's sympathy isn't very important to the lives of most Americans most of the time. Neither are the senators, the congressmen or the famous media people whose names we can't quite recall. Say, whatever became of Bryant Gumbel and Rush Limbaugh? I don't need their opinions either. We've got other problems.
Hail is a reminder
IN ONE of his newscasts concerning all the tornadoes and destruction, Dan Rather said in a very alarmed voice, "What is causing all of this and why is all of this happening?" My answer: It's God's wrath being pour down on the sinful nation. The size of hailstones that fell in Arkansas were the size of baseball and grapefruits. Immediately I thought of the hailstones recorded in Revelations 16:21, "And there fell upon them, great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent and men blessing God because of the plague of the hail for the plague thereof was exceeding great." I have been told a talent weighs 58 pounds. Imagine each one weighing 58 pounds. With all this violent weather and the Y2K problem coming up, it is time to repent and turn to God.
Fools need to band together
I READ with great interest the other day the comment of the resident of Scott City who took offense at the member of the Scott City council referring to certain members of the community as fools in a disparaging matter. I previously came from a town of fewer than 300, and there I served for five years as the village idiot. I too am a fool, and I can't believe that a city councilman would say something like this about a fool in his community. By the end of the day, I was standing out in the rain, not having the sense to come in out of it, accepting wooden nickels from passers-by and spitting into the wind. I thought, "My God, if my city councilman can't support me, then I need to gather up a bunch of fools to vote, to get out and vote for a city councilman." So, using that idea, I thought let fools rush in. That would be my cry to get the voters out to elect more fools to the Scott City council.
No repercussions
I GUARANTEE that if Bill Clinton is kicked out of office head first as he should be, not one person in the entire United States of America will commit suicide or suffer because of it.
Politics or religion
WE HEARD Billy Graham Monday night, and I think the Democrats and Clinton should have heard him and realized whether they are going to be Christians or Democrats for Clinton.
Limits for TV ministries
APPARENTLY TELEVISION ministry is becoming very big business. They used to ask for $20 a month. Now they're wanting you to turn over stock certificates, $200,000 to $300,000 at a time, and send in. They urge you not to pay your monthly house payment but send the money to them, and God will provide. I say take care of yourself first, and I think it's time the FCC should pass some rules where these ministries cannot receive money, real estate or stocks from their viewers. Then we'll see how much they believe in God.
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
Uphold decency and respect
THERE IS no more critical or important business in this country than removing this licentious president. If we are to uphold the decency and respect of our highest office, Clinton must go. We as a country need to be able to hold our heads up high to the rest of the world. Corruption, when allowed to go unpunished, will reap the wild wind, and our country will suffer as a result.
Tired of congregating kids
I THINK congratulations go out to the people who finally called to get the kids hauled off the parking lots on Broadway. I think it's a great idea. I'm tired of seeing kids congregate everywhere. That's considered loitering. It gets to where you can't even go to the mall on weekends. I think this is a big problem. Mommy and daddy need to keep their kids at home and let the law take over. These kids need to be dealt with as adults, not as children, and their mommy and daddy can't protect them forever.
It all depends
TWO DEMOCRATIC representatives were being interviewed on Larry King and said that Mr. Clinton had a flawed character and he did some unforgivable acts but that he's a good president. Do you mean if the economy is good, character and unforgivable acts are OK? But if the economy is bad, he should be impeached for such character and unforgivable acts?
Someone was watching over you
THANKS TO all of the AmerenUE workers who had to get out in the recent storm to restore power to homes in the area. I'd like you all to know someone was praying for you.
Thanks for returning check
MY DAD lost a church check. We don't know who found it and returned it, but he'd like to say thanks.
Rebuilding our faith
I LIVE in Marble Hill. I was in St. Louis visiting my daughter. It just so happens that the Pope was also in St. Louis. I heard about nothing on major television networks for a solid week except the pope's visit to St. Louis. In passing, a mere mention was made about Bill and Hillary Clinton also being here today. Bet that's a blow to their egos. But nobody cares about them or anyone else from Washington. I saw a young man from Cape Girardeau on television being interviewed. It made me so proud of him. I've never seen so much excitement or so many clean-cut kids in my entire life. It is encouraging. Bill Clinton tore down our faith, but the pope and all the good kids built it right back up.
Commitment to children
KUDOS TO Andrew Weisner's views in his Jan. 26 letter to the editor. The only thing I would add is this: Be sure when you marry whether you want to have it all or have children. Parents must take a more responsible attitude toward the biggest decision they will ever make. Your child does not come with a lifetime guarantee. No return, no trade-in, no deciding later it was a bad idea. Raise them well. They won't disappoint you or society.
Story Tags
Advertisement
Connect with the Southeast Missourian Newsroom:
For corrections to this story or other insights for the editor, click here. To submit a letter to the editor, click here. To learn about the Southeast Missourian’s AI Policy, click here.
Related
Advertisement
Receive Daily Headlines FREESign up today!
