Hopes for the New Year
Dear editor:
As we proceed into the new year, I hope there will be a sense of healing through the land. There seem to be strong abrasive divisions among many of our citizens. As we face a long period of shutdowns, I hope our officials can come to a reasonable conclusion for everyone.
I wonder what would happen if the leaders would lose their salaries; how they would feel if their salaries were cut off. There is no way to know who is a Democrat or a Republican. If one's party affiliation is a reason to shut down our government, that is a sad commentary for our government leaders.
I am a retiree from the Veterans Administration and experienced the preparation for a possible shutdown. Much preparation goes into preparing for a shutdown. We had to work seven-day weeks in order to prepare for the shutdown.
It is more than a physical wall that is separating us. It is a divisive spirit of pitting one group against another group. I miss Sen. McCain's voice of reason speaking out during times like these. The last President Bush advocated strongly bipartisan cooperation for the good of the country. It is something both parties should vow to work together for the good of the country.
To The Sentinel-Record, I'm grateful for the privilege of voicing my opinion for the past year. I hope to express a view from time to time. I am glad we have a free press and everyone can express his or her views. On a personal note, I am grateful to friends and neighbors for their kindness during the illness and death of my beloved husband, Samuel. Also, for the wonderful friends who secretly planned a surprise birthday party a few weeks ago, I want to say thanks to all of you.
P.S.: OK, I will come clean. I celebrated No. 90, thanks be to God!
Hazel Wright
Hot Springs
The real danger
Dear editor:
Mr. Wiedmann proudly boasted in his Jan. 8 letter that he had read the Bible in its entirety in his 20s, which he labeled a myth. It is obvious that he was not looking for the truth in the Scriptures but to form his own erratic point of view. If one desires to know the truth of God's word he should ask God in prayer to give him the wisdom to understand. The Apostle Paul said in Romans 1:22 that there are those who believe themselves to be wise but are really fools in the sight of God.
While men wrote the books of the Bible it was by God's direction what the content was to be (2 Timothy 3:16a). The writers were given the inspiration (Gk. "theoneustas"), or the "living breath of God" (Genesis 2:7b). This was the special knowledge bestowed upon the writers which enabled them to produce the infallible record of divine truth concerning God's will to mankind.
I have not seen anywhere in the Bible about God's approval of the hatred of women. As it was planned from the beginning, woman was accorded high status for the companion of man, and as his wife was to be subject to him (1 Peter 3:1-5) as man is subject unto God (2 Corinthians 9:13). Also, slavery was not condoned by God, but it occurred due to the sins of men; therefore God made provision for them that was directed toward their masters (ref. Exodus 21:1-11).
Were it not for NASA's deep-space probes and the orbiting Hubble telescope revealing the vastness of space, Mr. Wiedmann would surely develop another avenue of contention against God's holy word. Even though our knowledge of "our vision of the cosmos" has increased, nothing pertaining to our existence has changed. We all have the same thing in common: we are born, grow to adulthood, contribute to society (whether good or evil), and all have a date with death (Hebrews 9:27). It is our responsibility to live on God's terms and either accept or deny His free gift of salvation through the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus, on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. Counting sand pebbles, comparing them to the cosmos, and relying on science will only ensure one's eternal damnation (Mark 3:29).
Mr. Wiedmann spoke about information being equal with consciousness. This process began when the Almighty "l AM THAT I AM" (the God of the past, present, and future) created man and put His living information into the consciousness of Adam (Genesis 2:17); it has not changed (Malachi 3:6a).
However, it has changed over thousands of years due to man's rebellion against God.
A nuclear holocaust, global warming and biological mayhem are dangers we must face, but the real danger is entering into eternity to face God's wrath because we call Jesus' death on the cross a myth (1 John 1:8)!
P.S.: There exists a spiritual wall that separates man from God, but we have a Way out of this dilemma that is Truth and Life (John 14:6).
Donald Cunningham
Hot Springs
Editorial on 01/18/2019