This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Bleeding out

I read with sadness, an old sense of resignation, and a burgeoning feeling of utter disgust about the cold-blooded murder of the restaurant worker Thursday night. I read stories like this over and over, yet there was something about this one that screamed “enough.”

I grew up in Macon. I left home but eventually came back and raised a family here. Unfortunately, if someone were to ask me about moving to our fair city, my advice would be “hit Interstate 475 and floor it.” I want to be proud of my hometown. However, I cannot. My two daughters are recent college graduates. They intend to do something important with their degrees: Get out of Macon. Their friends feel the same. We are losing the best and the brightest because our city has sunk into a cesspool of crime, low expectations and complacency.

I realize that change begins at home but for heaven’s sake, people, what will it take for our leaders to wake up and stop glad-handing and grinning and face the cold hard reality that while all other large Georgia cities are thriving, ours is bleeding out, just like that poor man on Thursday night. And unlike Pontius Pilate, this is blood that we can’t wash away.

Blasphemy?

In the Letters to the Editor (Aug. 23) John Edwards says he was “appalled” by a cartoon of “The Donald” that appeared in the Sunday edition of The Telegraph. I was wondering if he was ever appalled by any of the many scurrilous cartoons of President Obama that were all over the internet during an eight-year period? Probably not, I would guess.

He goes on to say, “Publication of this cartoon in The Telegraph is nothing short of blasphemy against our duly elected president and the paper should apologize.”

Blasphemy? Really? I question the word choice. No matter what Edwards or “The Donald” believe, he is not a God nor anything sacred.

Must see movie

Steve Armour, youngest son of Mary Anne and Rollin Armour has written a book that has been made into a movie that is now showing at the movie theater on Zebulon Road. Rollin was Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Mercer University and Mary Anne was professor in the School of Medicine.

“The movie is an inspirational film about a corporate salesman who gave it all up to follow God’s calling to become a preacher, a tiny church with 12 members and a group of refugees from Burma who all come together to try to save a dying church in Smyrna, Tennessee” (Debbie Lord)

Steve Armour said “I hope I’ll have other movies made before I’m through, but I doubt any will feel as just plain good as this one.” Please take the time to see this movie — it will warm your heart and lift your spirits.

Too close

One of your regular contributors to the opinion section is a gentleman by the name of Daniel E. Lee. I must admit that he usually makes a great deal of sense. However, I implore you to please stop publishing his letters. His name is entirely too similar to that of Civil War Gen. Robert E. Lee and I fear some folks might be offended.

A personal response

Bill Cummings made some insightful points in his Aug. 20 column, “In praise of women.” In my view this comes as no surprise – most would agree, whether sympathetic toward his opinions or not, that he is very perceptive and does a fine job formulating and sharing his views. Cummings was responding to my Aug. 17 letter, of which he early on pointed out some shortcomings.

I state that in history, Christianity promotes women in society. Cummings is right; the Matt. 15 narrative I quote is alone an insufficient basis for this. More applicable is a study of the Code of Justinian in sixth century Byzantine, or later the chivalric code in Medieval Europe, or the haven that 16th century Geneva provided to women.

Cummings is aware his weekly column gives him latitude that Letters to the Editor contributors do not have. Only so much can be said in a letter.

Cummings alleges a dichotomy between Jesus and Paul (opposing Luke’s testimony, Acts 19:15) and takes no issue with the woman’s elevation in Matt. 15. However, the narrative demonstrates other points in discord with his views. Two contrasts are seen. First, an example of non-Jewish recognition of Jesus as king and messiah (15:22) in contrast to Cummings’ theory of Jesus as only a Jewish humanitarian. Second, the historical Jesus including in his value system a type and object of faith (15:28 and preceding context) absent in Cummings’ value system he discussed on July 23 (Beliefs and values).

Granted, scripture is not authoritative in Cummings’ eyes. That is unless, as on Aug. 20, he spins a text (1 Cor. 14:34) that does contain inherent challenges while neglecting the violence that doing so inflicts on other texts. Clearly, Paul gives equal worth and value to men and women (Gal. 3:28). From a broader context in 1 Corinthians, Paul is seen to be anti-disorder, not anti-woman. He has already assumed (1 Cor. 11:5) a proper role of women speaking during religious worship. Further, Paul admonishes others (not only women) to keep silent when appropriate (14:28, 30). This dear man loved these Corinthians, contending with the notorious culture surrounding them. Cummings may disdain Paul for valuing organized religion, but only via faulty presuppositions does he theorize that Christianity is the evolution of an ancient Pauline cult.

What’s next?

I see in The Telegraph that a member of the Congressional Black Caucus is trying to get the Pentagon to change the names of any military installation which is named after a Confederate general. There goes Fort Lee, Virginia and Fort Bragg North Carolina, among others. Where does it end? George Washington along with most of the signers of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were slave owners. This is so silly and so divisive. I even saw on TV that someone famous is proposing that the Jefferson Memorial be defunded. What next?

This story was originally published August 28, 2017 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Tuesday, August 29, 2017."