Viewpoint
The Battalion
Texas A&M University
Monday
November 17,1980
Slouch
By Jim Earle
‘Since I wear so many boy’s clothes, I thought it might clarify that I’m a
girl. ”
Church of Christ preparing
for ordination of homosexuals
By DAVID E. ANDERSON
United Press International
In an unprecedented action, the United
Church of Christ has prepared for its local con
gregations a study guide that anticipates the
ordination of homosexuals to the church’s
ministry.
“It would seem,” the guide says, “that a gay
or lesbian person would be subject to the same
understanding, procedures and criteria for
ordination as would any candidate for the
ministry.”
“However,” it adds, “the subject of homo
sexuality is complex and currently quite con
troversial.
“There are many different, and often conflict
ing, viewpoints about homosexuality,” it says.
“Likewise, there are many different, and often
conflicting, viewpoints about the ordination of a
gay or lesbian person.”
No issue has convulsed U.S. church life more
in recent years than the ordination of homosex
uals. Most denominations still insist that
homosexuality is a sin and the overwhelming
number of religious bodies forbid ordination of
avowed, practicing homosexuals to their
ministry.
Although a number of pastors and priests
have acknowledged their homosexuality in re
cent years, nearly all of those professions have
occurred after ordination rather than before.
In the 1.8-million-member United Church of
Christ, its 6,491 local churches are. indepen
dent of all outside control and ordination to the
ministry is usually carried out by an association
of churches, acting at the request of the local
congregation of which the person to be
ordained is a minister.
The national denomination has no say about
who shall or shall not be ordained but does
provide standards that are usually respected by
the associations.
Prepared by the denomination’s Office for
Church Life and Leadership, the study guide
was created to aid local church decision-makers
in finding their way through the mass of contra
dictory opinion on the issue.
It notes first that the national church’s
“Manual on the Ministry,” which contains
ministerial standards, does not take up the
matter of professed homosexuals.
The guide says it hopes such a study, tat
local ministry committee members throa
step-by-step process of looking at the ii
“will prepare a committee for a responsible!
faithful consideration for the ordinationo(i[
or lesbian person, if or when suchareqd
made.”
Organized around five study sessions!
members of local ministry committee,l|
study offers biblical, medical-psycholoji
and legal-ethical perspectives with suggests;
for further reading, study and discussion.
One session also calls for identifying I#
ministry committee members’ identify
assumptions on the issue of homosexuality,
eluding a short questionnaire aimed at elidi
members’ knowledge and attitudes towardf
issue.
The guide is not intended “to state or imply
particular position” on the ordination
homosexuals.
A6
“Rather, it seeks to affirm the integrityofa
ecclesiastical procedures for ordination, \i|
recognizing the request for help in dealingni
a complex and controversial issue,” it says.
stil
Study shows kids voted
way their parents did
By PATRICIA McCORMACK
United Press International
Maybe professional pollsters ought to check
out kids to be closer to the mark in their next
presidential predictions than they were in the
last election.
In grade and high school mock elections be
fore the actual presidential election Ronald
Reagan came out with a good lead, in contrast to
most public opinion polls showing the race a
probable toss-up.
Looking back, it appears the kids voted just
about the way their parents intended to and did
in the actual election.
Dr. Terry Borton, editor-in-chief of “Week
ly Reader,” said the kid elections were more
accurate than those of professional pollsters for
practical reasons.
“The kids have daily interactions with actual
voters — their parents,” he said. “They see
them at the dinner table, hear them talk, watch
their facial reactions.
“The same happens when the family watches
television together.
“The kids picked up on the pocketbook
issues, I believe. Inflation. This is what they
learned at home from the table talk and in front
of the TV talk.
“They also seemed to pick up on internation
al affairs, especially dissatisfaction over the
hostage situation.”
Reagan was a hands-down winner in these
student elections:
— The 1.2 million voter mock election spon
sored by “Weekly Reader.”
— A more than 30,000 voter election run by
“Scholastic” magazines.
— A high school vote put on by the Parent
Participation Television Workshop in 31 states.
— The 467,000 voter election run for in
terested students, fourth to eighth grades, by
Ronald Lewis, a fourth grade teacher at Ma-
quan School in Hanson, Mass.
“Weekly Reader” voters — kindergarten to
12th grade — gave Reagan 45 percent of the
popular vote and 369 electroral votes. Presi
dent Carter collected 41 percent and 169 elec
toral votes.
College mock elections favored President
Carter.
At Yale, Ray Fair, economics teacher, and
Steven Rosenstone, political science teacher,
found the election “a toss up,” “too close to
call.”
The kid elections showed something else:
that teachers belonging to the National Educa
tion Association — the 1.8 million member
teachers’ union — probably didn’t attempt to
swing the kid vote to their union’s official
choice, President Carter.
The NEA was out plugging for President
Carter and had distributed election kits to
teachers.. The NEA journal, “Today’s Educa
tion,” for November featured a cover picture of
President Carter and Vice President Walter
Mondale.
The NEA, in fact, this presidential election
made a very big thing out of endorsing and then
working for the Carter-Mondale team — out of
gratitude for President Carter’s endorsement of
a separate U.S. Department of Education, an'
NEA goal for 25 years.
The “Today’s Education” pre-election cover
story told teachers:
“On November 4, the election, no doubt,
will be close. The participation of NEA’s 1.8
million members and their family members
may well make the difference in who wins.
Teachers’ votes will be crucial.
“This has been a banner year for teacher
involvement in politics. Teachers are making
history as they practice what they teach. In so
doing, they help keep our democratic processes
vital and protect America’s most important
national treasures: its children and its future.
“NEA’s support of Jimmy Carter and Walter
Mondale is one expression of teachers’ commit
ment to excellence in education and demo-
John fel
lie never v
24 hours 1
It’s your turn
Motorcycle safety needs more emphasis
cracy.
“Scholastic” voters in 1,000 junior high
classrooms favored Reagan over President
Carter by about two to one. Reagan ran up
17,958 to President Carter’s 11,934 and 6,597
for John Anderson.
High school student from 31 states and the
District of Columbia, gave Reagan the lead.
They predicted President Carter would get
the short end of the electoral votes — 262.
The cover story noted that then presidential
candidate Ronald Reagan and the Republican
platform took views opposite the NEA’s on
many things including:
— The Equal Rights Amendment. NEA
favors; Reagan doesn’t.
— Tuition tax credits to aid private schools.
NEA opposes; Reagan favors.
— Collective bargaining rights for teachers
and other public employees. NEA favors;
Reagan doesn’t.
NEA’s board voted support tor Carter-
Mondale by 118 to 4. Whether their members
followed their lead in the actual election is
something the pollsters probably will try to fi
gure.
Editor:
During i October, there were at least two
motorcycle fatalities in Brazos County. On the
November 7, The Battalion carried a short front
page article chronicling a grad student’s close
encounter with a truck. Motorcycle accidents
are receiving more media coverage of late.
Motorcycle safety seems to receive less cov
erage. Perhaps this is due to the nature of the
media. Whatever the cause, there is a need to
publicize the positive side of the motorcycle
safety efforts in the State of Texas.
In 1978 Texas revised its drivers’ licensing
statutes to require that all people under age 18
who wish to be licensed to operate motorcycles
must take a DPS approved course in motorcycle
operation. We have taken an obvious positive
step toward motorcycle accident reduction.
The course of instruction that the DPS will
approve consists of the Motorcycle Safety
Foundation’s (MSF) Motorcycle Rider’s Course
(MRC). This is currently a 20-hour curriculum
incorporating both classroom and riding range
sessions, and was based largely on a “Beginning
Rider’s Course” developed for Kawasaki by
Texas A&M University. TAMU has trained a
large number of instructors. In fact, 129 of the
476 MSF-certified instructors in Texas (27 per
cent) were trained right here in College Sta
tion. Similar instructor preparation programs
are being run at Sam Houston State, Southwest
Texas State, Prairie View A&M, North Texas
State and Texas A&I. The Motorcycle Safety
Education Instructor’s course (SAED 430) is
still offered here, but registrations in fall ’80
were inadequate to support even one section.
The statute revision is a big step in the right
direction, but there is a chance that it will have
little effect. In 1979 only 3,400 Texas residents
were trained in the MSF MRC, while 17,000 +
motorcycle endorsements were awarded to
people under age 18. Only about 20 of the
MSF-certified instructors taught anyone to
ride. The public as a whole is unaware of the
change in the licensing statute, and there is so
far no state-wide program to make the MRC
available to young people. Projecting ahead to
May-June 1980, the licensing statute
either: Stand as written being enforced;SW
being ignored; or be modified or re]
seems to be in the public interest that tlei
tute be enforced written, but this wil
depend upon adequate instructors
trained by institutions such as TAMU.
The Motorcycle Safety Education Co®
“Teaching Motorcycle Safety Educate
(SAED 430) is being offered in Spring !
registration is encouraged, as enrollments
be limited. Prior riding experience, while
sirable, is not required. Motorcycles and I*
mets are provided. For further
contact Dr. M. E. Dennis at 845-3019,ort^
by the Safety Ed program office at 118 m
Let’s keep another Aggie tradition
Paul M.
Warped
By Scott McCullar
The Battalion
U S P S 045 360
MEMBER
Texas Press Association
Southwest Journalism Congress
Questions or comments concerning any editorial D0
should be directed to the editor.
Editor Dillard Stone
Managing Editor Rhonda Watters
Asst. Managing Editor Scott Haring
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Asst. City Editor Angelique Copeland
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Asst. Sports Editor Ritchie Priddy
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Cartoonist Scott McCullar
Photo Editor Pat O’Malley
Photographers George Dolan,
Jeff Kerber
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The Battalion is a non-profit, self-supporting newspaper op
erated as a community service to Texas A&M University and
Bryan-College Station. Opinions expressed in The Battalion are
those of the editor or the author, and do not necessarily repre
sent the opinions of Texas A&M University administrators or
faculty members, or of the Board of Regents,
LETTERS POLICY
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