Letters to the Editor 05-05-1997
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By -
- Weather - Midwives Day - Trees - Teachers Week - Catholicism
Weather
Editor, Times-Union:We all talk about the weather, so how about this?
"The year without a summer." In 1816, there was no summer across northern Europe and the eastern U.S. daytime temperatures rarely reached 50 degrees. A June 6 blizzard dumped 10 inches of snow on parts of New England. And it was all because of a volcano on the other side of the world.
On April 5, 1815, one of history's greatest volcanic eruptions rocked Sumbawa, in what is now Indonesia. The uppermost 4,000 feet of Mt. Tambora exploded, ripping a 7-mile-wide crater in the peak and killing 12,000. The blast was 13 times stronger than the Mount St. Helens eruption. A massive cloud of volcanic dust worked its way around the world and by the following summer lay suspended over the Northern Hemisphere, deflecting the sun's radiation. At night the mercury often dipped below freezing.
On July 4, the high temperature in normally sultry Savannah, Ga., was 46 degrees. Frost, snow, sleet and ice caused crop failures as far west as Illinois.
Many people died of wintertime illnesses. It was one summer when the living was not easy.
J. Clingenpeel Warsaw
Midwives Day
Editor, Times-Union:May 5 is International Midwives Day and in many areas of the world, people are taking a moment to reflect on the births of their children and appreciate the skill, time and energy midwives brought to those special life events.
I am one of those people. Three of my four children were born at home with the assistance of a wonderful and special midwife and today, like many other days, I thank her for sharing her knowledge and education with my family and our new babies.
I will celebrate the day by taking extra time to appreciate each of my children and the woman who helped me bring them into the world. Happy Midwives Day!
Tamra B. Orr Warsaw
Trees
Editor, Times-Union:I wanted to be sure I got your attention on an urgent matter.
As part of the "Beautification" of downtown, I have it on good authority that the trees are to be all cut down. Wonder! We'll have nice brick crosswalks, new lighting and refurbished park benches, but no trees. They're too much trouble.
This obviously would give a sterile appearance that the public does not want.
The so-called reason behind this is that it is too much trouble to take care of the trees. I'm sure the downtown merchants and many citizens of Warsaw would volunteer their services to save the trees.
To see what you'd be missing, just take a look outside the Methodist Church right now.
Call Kim Leake now and tell him what you think of this absurd situation.
Bob Brilliandt Warsaw
Teachers Week
Editor, Times-Union:Teacher Appreciation Week is this week (May 4-10) and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 6. Sometimes it's good to think back or think to the present and remember the teachers who made a difference in our lives. This year's national theme is:
One Teacher Can Shape A Child One Child Can Shape The World Here how I envision this theme:
One teacher can shape a child ...
to learn to share and to play.
One teacher can show him that reading
opens the dors along the way.
One teacher can build self-esteem
by praising and listening with a caring heart,
To guide a child to becoming an integral part.
One teacher can set an example of good citizenship
and the rewards of giving,
So that a child can see his part in the community
in which he may be living.
One teacher can spark that interest in math, history,
science or whatever it may be,
To guide that child to a whole world of opportunity.
One child can shape the world ...
to be kind and not to fight.
One child can study and learn to become what's
good and right.
One child who feels a part of this world
as big or small as it may seem,
will aim to make it a better place with his own self-esteem.
After math, history, science and even algebraics,
a child will learn not to repeat the previous decades of mistakes.
For a teacher made a difference in this child's growing years,
and now this child becomes our future despite his natural fears.
Sheila Gillett, Teacher and Whitko Classroom Teachers Association Secretary
Catholicism
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in response to the Rev. Glen Mitchell's letter (April 25), about Catholics and Mary.
First, I must say I agree 100 percent with everything he said. Official Roman Catholic teachings are in agreement with the Rev. Mitchell's letter. But I think he might be suggesting that Catholics worship Mary and maybe even that devout Catholics are not Christians, since he feels he needs to share his faith with Catholics.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am very close to the Catholic church and its teachings. We both hold tradition and scripture as the deposit of faith (II Thessalonians 2:15). There is a difference between capital "T" tradition and small "t" tradition.
We believe the church is guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth (I Timothy 3:15). This includes the selection and canonization of the New Testament. Therefore, holy tradition and holy Scripture cannot and do not contradict each other. In order to see this, you need to study Catholic doctrine and not some Jack chick tract.
Anyway, Catholics don't worship Mary, and to say they do is to bear false witness. Mary is called the Mother of God because Jesus is God and Mary is his mother (Luke 1:43).
You cannot separate the divinity and humanity of Jesus, any more than you can separate your father and mother from yourself. Mary is part of the communion of saints mentioned in Hebrews 12:22-24. Notice where we as Christians have come, and who is there. God is the God of the living and not the dead (Matthew 22:32). Catholics believe Mary is in God's presence and can pray for us, just as a fellow Christian in a prayer group can pray for you. There is no division in God's kingdom. There are not dead Christians and alive Christians. All are alive in Christ and can offer prayers for us (Revelation 5:8 and 8:3). And who better than Mary (James 5:16)?
I would suggest the following books to Rev. Mitchell and anyone else who wants to know the true teachings of the Catholic church: "Cathechism of the Catholic Church" and "Catholocism and Fundamentalism" by Karl Keating, Ignatius Press ISBN 0-89870-177-S. This book is hard on fundamentalists, but it does explain Catholic beliefs. Check the Cathechism for the church's official position on ecumenism. It is one calling for love, not bitterness.
Also, Knights of Columbus has a free home study course, P.O. Box 1971, New Haven, CT 06521.
As Christians, we should be striving for unity. Striving should consist of understanding and understanding comes through study.
Mark Crettol Warsaw
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- Weather - Midwives Day - Trees - Teachers Week - Catholicism
Weather
Editor, Times-Union:We all talk about the weather, so how about this?
"The year without a summer." In 1816, there was no summer across northern Europe and the eastern U.S. daytime temperatures rarely reached 50 degrees. A June 6 blizzard dumped 10 inches of snow on parts of New England. And it was all because of a volcano on the other side of the world.
On April 5, 1815, one of history's greatest volcanic eruptions rocked Sumbawa, in what is now Indonesia. The uppermost 4,000 feet of Mt. Tambora exploded, ripping a 7-mile-wide crater in the peak and killing 12,000. The blast was 13 times stronger than the Mount St. Helens eruption. A massive cloud of volcanic dust worked its way around the world and by the following summer lay suspended over the Northern Hemisphere, deflecting the sun's radiation. At night the mercury often dipped below freezing.
On July 4, the high temperature in normally sultry Savannah, Ga., was 46 degrees. Frost, snow, sleet and ice caused crop failures as far west as Illinois.
Many people died of wintertime illnesses. It was one summer when the living was not easy.
J. Clingenpeel Warsaw
Midwives Day
Editor, Times-Union:May 5 is International Midwives Day and in many areas of the world, people are taking a moment to reflect on the births of their children and appreciate the skill, time and energy midwives brought to those special life events.
I am one of those people. Three of my four children were born at home with the assistance of a wonderful and special midwife and today, like many other days, I thank her for sharing her knowledge and education with my family and our new babies.
I will celebrate the day by taking extra time to appreciate each of my children and the woman who helped me bring them into the world. Happy Midwives Day!
Tamra B. Orr Warsaw
Trees
Editor, Times-Union:I wanted to be sure I got your attention on an urgent matter.
As part of the "Beautification" of downtown, I have it on good authority that the trees are to be all cut down. Wonder! We'll have nice brick crosswalks, new lighting and refurbished park benches, but no trees. They're too much trouble.
This obviously would give a sterile appearance that the public does not want.
The so-called reason behind this is that it is too much trouble to take care of the trees. I'm sure the downtown merchants and many citizens of Warsaw would volunteer their services to save the trees.
To see what you'd be missing, just take a look outside the Methodist Church right now.
Call Kim Leake now and tell him what you think of this absurd situation.
Bob Brilliandt Warsaw
Teachers Week
Editor, Times-Union:Teacher Appreciation Week is this week (May 4-10) and National Teacher Day is Tuesday, May 6. Sometimes it's good to think back or think to the present and remember the teachers who made a difference in our lives. This year's national theme is:
One Teacher Can Shape A Child One Child Can Shape The World Here how I envision this theme:
One teacher can shape a child ...
to learn to share and to play.
One teacher can show him that reading
opens the dors along the way.
One teacher can build self-esteem
by praising and listening with a caring heart,
To guide a child to becoming an integral part.
One teacher can set an example of good citizenship
and the rewards of giving,
So that a child can see his part in the community
in which he may be living.
One teacher can spark that interest in math, history,
science or whatever it may be,
To guide that child to a whole world of opportunity.
One child can shape the world ...
to be kind and not to fight.
One child can study and learn to become what's
good and right.
One child who feels a part of this world
as big or small as it may seem,
will aim to make it a better place with his own self-esteem.
After math, history, science and even algebraics,
a child will learn not to repeat the previous decades of mistakes.
For a teacher made a difference in this child's growing years,
and now this child becomes our future despite his natural fears.
Sheila Gillett, Teacher and Whitko Classroom Teachers Association Secretary
Catholicism
Editor, Times-Union:I am writing in response to the Rev. Glen Mitchell's letter (April 25), about Catholics and Mary.
First, I must say I agree 100 percent with everything he said. Official Roman Catholic teachings are in agreement with the Rev. Mitchell's letter. But I think he might be suggesting that Catholics worship Mary and maybe even that devout Catholics are not Christians, since he feels he needs to share his faith with Catholics.
As an Eastern Orthodox Christian, I am very close to the Catholic church and its teachings. We both hold tradition and scripture as the deposit of faith (II Thessalonians 2:15). There is a difference between capital "T" tradition and small "t" tradition.
We believe the church is guided by the Holy Spirit into all truth (I Timothy 3:15). This includes the selection and canonization of the New Testament. Therefore, holy tradition and holy Scripture cannot and do not contradict each other. In order to see this, you need to study Catholic doctrine and not some Jack chick tract.
Anyway, Catholics don't worship Mary, and to say they do is to bear false witness. Mary is called the Mother of God because Jesus is God and Mary is his mother (Luke 1:43).
You cannot separate the divinity and humanity of Jesus, any more than you can separate your father and mother from yourself. Mary is part of the communion of saints mentioned in Hebrews 12:22-24. Notice where we as Christians have come, and who is there. God is the God of the living and not the dead (Matthew 22:32). Catholics believe Mary is in God's presence and can pray for us, just as a fellow Christian in a prayer group can pray for you. There is no division in God's kingdom. There are not dead Christians and alive Christians. All are alive in Christ and can offer prayers for us (Revelation 5:8 and 8:3). And who better than Mary (James 5:16)?
I would suggest the following books to Rev. Mitchell and anyone else who wants to know the true teachings of the Catholic church: "Cathechism of the Catholic Church" and "Catholocism and Fundamentalism" by Karl Keating, Ignatius Press ISBN 0-89870-177-S. This book is hard on fundamentalists, but it does explain Catholic beliefs. Check the Cathechism for the church's official position on ecumenism. It is one calling for love, not bitterness.
Also, Knights of Columbus has a free home study course, P.O. Box 1971, New Haven, CT 06521.
As Christians, we should be striving for unity. Striving should consist of understanding and understanding comes through study.
Mark Crettol Warsaw
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