This is Viewpoints for Friday, June 10, 2016

Boggles the mind

This years’ National Memorial Day Concert, which is performed annually in the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and televised by PBS, was another rousing success this year. As I watched the telecast Sunday evening, I speculated out loud as to the identity of the soprano performer who sang a solo during the event. She had a good voice but was not particularly impressive.

Then comes a picture in The Telegraph last week of Betty Cantrell doing a photo- op with the concert celebrity co-hosts at the concert site. I’m not sure exactly when the picture was made, but then it hit me. How is it possible that Cantrell, currently serving as Miss America and possessor of an award-winning singing talent was not cast as the featured soprano performer at this most patriotic concert?

I sure would like to hear the answer to that question. Can you guys help find that answer? It boggles the mind trying to figure out how the producers blew that one. She didn’t look sick in the picture.

Miss America Betty Cantrell performed at the National Memorial Day Parade and was not scheduled to perform at the National Memorial Day Concert.

To Gov. Deal

The article titled “Huckaby charged with treating black and white institutions differently,” by Otha Kincy et al, which appeared in the June 5 issue of The Telegraph, is troubling on many fronts. It presents some startling facts about disparate treatment that has no place in our system of higher education. Accordingly, it does not reflect well on your administration, our state, and will adversely impact personnel and athletic recruitment.

You may recall that as a UGA graduate student I did a nine months placement under you when you were judge of Hall County Juvenile Court. I also worked with you when you were a state representative. I know you to be a person of high moral character and compelled to do the right thing. Though it has been some time since we communicated, the actions I have observed under your tenure as governor suggest you have not changed.

Based upon the foregoing I humbly ask the activist community, i.e., NAACP, SCLC, to name a few, to be patient and give you an opportunity to address the serious allegations that have been put forth.

Reasons to smile

Gene Estep of Centerville penned a lovely stream of consciousness for your readers (Loves Comics, 6/6). It was a refreshing read after George Will’s column. Will, that champion of the pedantic, is often so full of himself with his obscure references and his pretentious erudition on full display, the point of his current treatise is often lost. His major point always seems to closely align with that of Mike Smith, among others of your readers: Tarzan good — liberals bad.

Too close on the heels of Estep’s letter on your Letters page was that from the ubiquitous gad-fly Frank Gadbois. He may be a true believer in big government, or, may I say it in polite company, a “liberal.” (Funny, years ago the “L” word you never said was lesbian, now it’s liberal.) Maybe he is, maybe he is not. Perhaps, and this is my guess, he is just bored out of his mind. As his letters litter the street and sidewalks of our mental thoroughfares, it appears he wants company in his quixotic jousts, however imaginary the horsemen in the opposite chute.

Other than a cartoon depicting the PGA pulling a tournament from The Doral, not a word on Trump on the Letters page. That alone is reason to smile.

Get over it

Oh good grief! Titi Pierce has never had her name made fun of before? If she is actually due compensation for this, then I want millions of dollars for a lifetime of wisecracks and prank phone calls because my last name is Screws. And I never posted signs along the road with my name and number listed. Some people like sophomoric humor. Be an adult and get over it.

Light dispels darkness

There was much more light shining upon America during its early Judeo-Christian foundation. Christianity started the Ivy League universities and colleges in New England in the 17th and 18th centuries. Harvard University, the oldest in America, founded in 1638, is named after the Reverend John Harvard who founded it to train ministers of the gospel of Christ.

Much of the attack on Christianity today is found in educational institutions that are anchored in liberal, secular humanist beliefs, proclamations and lifestyles. Even some theological seminaries are eliminating many traditional biblical values and truths America was founded upon.

How can the darkness that is rampaging America and the world today become dispelled? Jesus claims to be light of the world. In John 3:19-21 He says, “This is the verdict. Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

The “Allegory Of The Cave” reveals the truth that light dispels darkness: The Cave said to the Sun, “What is light?” The Sun said “Come and see.” And so the Cave ventured into the light. All it could see was brilliance everywhere. Later the Sun said to the Cave, “What is darkness?” The Cave replied, “Come and see.” So the Sun ventured into the Cave, and there was no darkness.

The greatest heresy and darkness America is facing today is stripping Jesus from his cross. Gen. William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army said, “I consider the greatest dangers of the 20th century to be:

1. Religion without the Holy Spirit

2. Christianity without Christ

3. Forgiveness without regeneration

4. Morality without God

5. Heaven without hell

Truth must be proclaimed and lived if light is to dispel darkness.

This story was originally published June 9, 2016 at 9:00 PM with the headline "This is Viewpoints for Friday, June 10, 2016."