Obama’s church does not cater to exclusive race

Obama’s church does not cater to exclusive race

In his letter Tuesday, Harold Blackburn makes the convincing case that he is not racist and has no problem with an African-American candidate. But then in his last sentence he states that he is troubled by a “Muslim dedicated to Black Africa.”

Blackburn hasn’t got his facts straight. Obama has been a member of the Chicago Trinity United Church of Christ for many years.

Yes, I checked it out, it is a black church and promotes black culture and I doubt that Blackburn or I would feel comfortable there. We would not be turned away, however. In fact one of the video testimonies on their Web site is from a white woman.

Let’s keep our facts about the candidates straight and judge them by what they say and do.

Claude Moody
Auburn

Media has blatantly ignored one Republican presidential candidate

As a doctor of communication, I am well aware of the media’s agenda-setting power. In this Republican Presidential race, the media’s agenda is to anoint John McCain president. But let’s examine the facts.

Fact one: It requires over a 1,000 delegates to win, and so far McCain has 93. Yes, that’s all. Your vote in Alabama is still very important.

Fact two: The media are underreporting the records of McCain and Romney. John McCain served this country honorably and deserves our thanks. However, in 2006, he voted against the Federal

Marriage Amendment. His McCain-Kennedy bill favors illegal immigrants and his “Hispanic Outreach Coordinator” is Juan Hernandez, an advocate for an open U.S.-Mexican border.

The July 29, 2007, Boston Globe reported that Romney’s Massachusetts economy lagged behind the rest of the nation and experienced no growth in their labor force. The Dec. 16 and Dec. 17 Los Angeles Times reported that Romney pocketed high consulting fees from companies before they collapsed, some of them U.S. factories.

Fact three: The media’s ignored the third viable candidate in this election, and Mike Huckabee’s the one I’m voting for. It’s not because he’s a Baptist minister, but because he has a solid, 10-year record of excellent governance. When Huckabee came to Arkansas, they were $200 million in the hole. When he left, Arkansas had an $844 million surplus. Nothing speaks louder than results.

Huckabee’s pledged to build the Mexican border fence in 18 months. He supports the Fair Tax, which the media labels “impossible to pass.”

Are they experts on fiscal policy? I’ve actually read the Fair Tax and it would de-tax the poor, eliminate the IRS, grow our economy and get rid of the fees added to American-made goods sold overseas. It’s just the economic boost this country needs.

Dr. Steven Hamrick
Auburn

Americans shouldn’t make the mistake of voting for McCain

What a wonderful country we live in! With hundreds of millions of people who can vote and thereby have a say in their government. It is especially great when your favorite candidate wins and you realize that hundreds of millions of people think like you and have similar desires.

In 2001, I was happy to have President Bush in Washington. I thought that he would fix all of the problems we had. But, with the Democrats so well established in D.C., 9/11, and then the Iraq war, not much was done to fix our long-standing problems. So, we the people voted and put more Republicans in Washington!

But these Republicans for whom we had such high hopes, decided to “get along” instead of “get to work.” They didn’t cooperate or create or fix anything. They just doodled in the dirt. We the people have our wonderful opportunity to elect new leaders, and whom do you think the Republican leaders want us to choose for the Republican nominee? The head doodlebug, John McCain.

McCain was the main man “getting along” with the Democrats and making deals with them. We didn’t want deals with them! Why should we want him to be president? I can’t believe we the people fall for that. If he gets the Republican nomination, he will not win the presidency anyway! The Democrats and media are pushing McCain out there. They know that Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama can win over him.

He will probably make a deal before this summer to just let the Democratic nominee go ahead and have it. We have a chance to vote for someone else to be the Republican nominee. Gov. Mitt Romney or Gov. Mike Huckabee, either one, would be great.

Dixie Baker
Waverly

Obama’s church has no rules against non-black membership

I was a little disappointed to see the letter on Jan. 29 that raised questions about Barack Obama and his church. This basically is a regurgitated Web piece that has been proven false and a 30 second Web search would prove that to be so.

TUCC, as most churches are, is made up of the community in which they serve, so it is natural that this church be primarily black. They have no rules against non-black members. I suggest that if people want to find out what Obama believes then they should go to http://www.barackobama.com/index.php.

I don’t think religion, gender or ethnic background should be an issue in the campaign.

John W. Cochran
Auburn

Philpott was character, integrity that once made Auburn superior

Dr. Harry Philpott was more than just a president of Auburn. He was the character, integrity, and respectful substance that once made Auburn the superior college of the Southeast. President Philpott and Vice President Taylor Littleton made a superior educational team that was pointing us toward the excellence of Virginia, North Carolina and Rice.

Football was important, but it was far from the defining element of Auburn.

I had, as student, architect, and professor in Texas, New Jersey, and Mississippi, worked with college presidents and vice-presidents in a variety of tasks. In working with Drs. Philpott and Littleton on the restoration of the Campus Chapel, I found them to be superior to the very brightest and best of these.

But in a tragic miscarriage of government that set Auburn back 25 years and made us the laughing stock of education in the Southeast, the Philpott/Littleton team was kicked out by a rogue coalition of football fanatics who value football above all other collegiate activities and saw academic excellence only as an impediment to winning the Rose Bowl.

So with the death of Dr. Philpott, Auburn loses the greatest of all its educators. He was trampled underfoot by football madness.

We must thank God that for a few precious years Auburn had the privilege of his presence. May He grant us the good fortune to secure such leadership again, and the strength to defend it.

Nicholas D. Davis
Auburn

Johnson must experience penitence for being sorry for his actions

Roy Johnson has 15 felony counts charged against him: conspiracy to commit bribery, money laundering, obstruction of an official proceeding, conspiracy to commit fraud, criminal forfeiture and others.

Prosecutors have requested that Johnson forfeit more than $18 million, which allegedly went into his and his family’s pockets.

Several local governing leaders have spoken some kind words about Johnson. They certainly have a right to express themselves. However, we need to remember that not only is Johnson’s confessed felon status one that the courts will finally resolve, but his case also raises some theological issues, to wit.

The legal system will see that justice is done. Theology is also interested in judgment. The Old Testament is largely about our obedience to the Ten Commandments. We face God’s judgment when we fail to keep these commandments.

Theology in the New Testament is interested in judgment, but also in penitence, forgiveness and reconciliation with ourselves, our neighbors and our God. For Johnson to come to terms with his misconduct he must experience the penitence for being genuinely sorry for his actions. Hopefully, he will then experience forgiveness and reconciliation. The bad news is that he will experience this in prison. Society demands punishment for breaking the law.

Johnson would have done well if he had remembered the words of the 51st Psalm ... “A broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.”

Dr. James Ian Walter
Auburn