Kudos for TWU in face of critics

Regarding the article ‘TWU stands its ground in face of censure’ (March):

FTWU president Jonathan Raymond.

If an academic institution like Trinity Western University receives an independent report of the highest ranking in scholastic achievements (Maclean’s magazine, February 22), then that alone should speak well for TWU.

What ‘right’ does CAUT have to dictate to TWU how this institution should behave and operate?

If I were to seek a place to earn an academic degree, it would most certainly be a place like Trinity Western University.

Fred Ursel, Abbotsford

Tent city was protesters’ soapbox

With the Winter Olympics now over, it is appropriate to address a related phenomenon: the ‘tent city’ which existed on Hastings Street for a few weeks.  

People demanding an end to homelessness – as well as cures for a panoply of other social ills – used the Games as an attention-grabber. The tent city was one such soapbox.

Some of the protesters self-identified as Christians. One protest leader actually stated that because rich and powerful people benefitted (as he saw it) from the Olympics, Christians should not have had anything to do with the Olympics – because rich and powerful people killed Jesus.  

This ignores the fact that (a) Jesus gave his life willingly; and (b) we’re all responsible for nailing him to the cross.  

Scripture does not tell us that God’s will can be achieved by invading other people’s property, committing violent acts and taunting the authorities. The apostle Paul said we must submit to authority – and said it while he was being imprisoned and tortured by Nero.

When the disciples preached in defiance of the authorities, they knew they would be beaten and jailed, and accepted this. They also kept their faces uncovered.  

Something else that is not scriptural was a recurring theme in the protesters’ demands: whatever they wanted, they appeared to expect someone else do it.

“Pure religion, and undefiled before God      . . . is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep [oneself] unspotted from the world.” (James 1:27)  

In other words, no amount of rhetoric about ‘what must be done’ can substitute for actually doing something; and rather than rail against The Man, we should be finding out what God expects us as individuals to do – and then do that with our whole hearts.  

We all have an active role to play – and I don’t consider chanting Orwell-inane slogans, rioting and making demands on others to be playing an ‘active role.’ When James says we should keep “unspotted from the world,” he’s saying ‘worldly’ solutions are not the answer to worldly problems.

Praying, listening, encouraging people and standing on faith may appear to be a cop-out to avoid taking action. It may not be as soul-satisfying as working up a good head of self-righteous anger and demanding that someone (else) solve the problems; but it is the most effective tool available. Two people in agreement, in Jesus’ name, is all it takes.

There may not be the quick fix of providing more cheap apartments and shelter beds, but those – along with drug addiction, poverty and mental illness – are only symptoms of a much deeper problem, anyway. Real transformation takes prayer, faith and patience.

I believe the people in the tent city were, for the most part, sincere about wanting to improve the lives of the people in the area.

But they need to take a step back and see if their prescribed solution – not to mention their methods – shouldn’t be rethought.  

Drew Snider, Gospel Mission, Vancouver

King James gets too much credit

Regarding the comments on the King James Bible in the last Readers’ Forum (‘Reader regrets scriptural mistake’):

James I of England gets more credit than he’s due, if it’s believed he had any input into the translation named after him. He simply commissioned a new translation, based on the original Hebrew and Greek. The Hebrew and Greek scholars took two to three years to complete it, with no financial benefit.

These learned men would have been mindful of the Revelation 22:18-19 admonition not to add to – or subtract from – God’s words.

Cherryl Katnich, Maple Ridge

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Global warming still a problem

 I once heard it said that predicting the effects of global warming is like predicting the position of a yo-yo being used by someone at the end of a bungee cord fastened to a moving train.  

Global warming experts have developed models that make predictions several years out. This is certainly not an exact science.  

Yes, there have been several naturally occurring warming and cooling cycles in earth’s history. But Steven Nickel (‘Global warming is nothing new,’ March), and some less charitable respondents (on christianitytoday.com) to Benjamin Lee’s January article, neglect to mention something: it is neither the direction nor intensity of the climate change that is of concern. It is the unprecedented rapid rate of change, one that may well challenge species’ ability to adapt, and impact our agriculture and forestry in unknown ways.  

Our industrialization has been coincident with the rapid rise in greenhouse gas accumulations. Are they cause and effect?  

And if greenhouse gas concentrations and temperature rise are cause and effect, in which direction is it operating – or is it both ways?

No one can answer these questions for certain, but the compelling weight of evidence is that we are making a significant contribution to this current event.  

As Christians, I believe our responsibility in all areas of life is to do the right thing.  

Forty years ago, Francis Schaeffer went further:  “On the basis of the fact that there is going to be a total redemption in the future, not only of man but of all creation, the Christian who believes the Bible should be the man who – with God’s help and in the power of the Holy Spirit – is treating nature now in the direction of the way nature will be then.  

“It will not now be perfect, but it must be substantial, or we have missed our calling.” (Pollution and the Death of Man: The Christian View of Ecology, 1970, chapter 5.)  

For my part, I converted a vehicle to natural gas and drove it for 11 years. Recently, I installed a heat pump in my home to take over most of our gas furnace’s duty.  

To those who still think global warming is just a liberal new age plot or research funding hoax (the latter because a couple of well known researchers got greedy), you will be happy to know my vehicle conversion paid for itself in two years. It will take longer for the heat pump to pay for itself, but by then I’ll be retired and happy for the lower heating costs and increased equity in my home.  

On top of that, I’ve lowered my contribution, however small, to the Fraser Valley’s significant air pollution concern.  

I share these examples to demonstrate that, besides the moral imperative, it is both possible and profitable to do the right thing.  

I also believe it is inevitable that we will have differing views on this topic. However, thinking differently from me does not make anyone naïve, or worse – as those disagreeing with Benjamin Lee have suggested of him.  

Ken Summers, Abbotsford

Fight the expansion of gambling

Much has been written about the expansion of gambling by the provincial government. We are bombarded with ads enticing us to buy lottery tickets or visit casinos.

In the past, an argument could be made that lottery funds would go to worthwhile charitable causes.  

In the current provincial budget, the greater percentage of gambling funds are going into general revenues.

Arts groups and organizations working with the poor and the marginalized have seen their gambling funds reduced or totally cut.  

Revenues to the province from gambling in 2010-11 will be greater than the amount raised in corporate taxes.

Why do we as Christians not organize and fight the growing reliance of the province on gambling funds?  

Churches got together to support the Olympics. The More than Gold network should rally Christians, to urge government to develop a people-centred economy, where gambling has no importance in our provincial budget.

Annie McKitrick, Victoria

April 2010