[Tuesday, October 27,1992 Texas A&MOPINIONThe Battalion Page 7
October 2"
MAIL
CALL
Xhristianity is
' ^y [exclusive by nature
thought B In response to Dan Alexander's well-
■tated letter to The Battalion, I have a
w hosaidshlife w things to say in defense of Chris-
guy andyBans. Christians believe, quite plainly
I and simply, that Jesus of Nazareth was
Ireplv^j Band is Cod — and not just a god, but
'thathis BN one anc * onl y God who moved
flivelse B| uou Sh histor\- by revealing Himself to
^ Khe nation of Israel in preparation for
, , Bhe coming of Messian. Jesus, who
■ 'N wclaimed to oe both God and Messiah,
ieV ? totai Bas quoted as saying, "1 am the Way,
ned onTruth, and the Life — no one comes
> case the the Father but by Me." It is not Chris
tians who have invented the exclusivity
iof their faith; it is none less than God
who allows but one path to Himself.
I I do not understand why you have
ouldiauglis| accused the Faculty Friends — albeit
pimaliciously and indirectly — of in-
lolerance. Have they coerced anyone
jbv placing their ad? Has any one of
[them threatened or abused someone
lull-grown
ally stunted
ke objects. 0
'ralipartn-
them. Ibe-
'more tfo
tho. IN f° r holding views dissimilar to
Tieir own? To say that another road of
life exists that does not end in condem-
lation by God contradicts Jesus' own
Jssertions to the contrary, and that con
tradiction indeed does make such a
|iew "Anti-Christian by definition."
But that exclusivity is not intolerance,
lor is it not Christianity that holds love
|or other people (regardless of their
wthoffin
’walking
and proud
k you for It i
ut there te
makes itab
ieservesoii Biews) as its greatest commandment?
osuggesttk i I congratulate Mr. Alexander on a
illegebov; Well-written and unantagonistic letter,
and I do not begrudge him his beliefs,
hough I cannot agree with them and I
ontinually labor against them. Every
Christian, whether raised in a church or
hot, at one time held beliefs that were
similarly anti-Christian. How can I
ondemn another for being in the same
nosition I once was in myself?
7
lass of '93
Religious intolerance
is un-American
I am writing in response to the letter
in the Oct. 19 Battalion by Marilyn
Smith. If you were truly the American
you claim to be, you would not so bla
tantly violate my Constitutional right to
freedom of religion with your state-
ment that "the Bible is our road map
and if we lived by it our world would
not be in such a mess ..." As for Bob
Presley's offer, I commencd him for of
fering an alternative to those of us who
were so effectively alienated by the
fChristians' offer. He did not make his
offer on behalf of the University, but as
a friend. Therefore, he had no need to
ct in a "professional" manner. Don't
isinterpret my statement — you have
Ivery right to practice your religion,
but that right ends when you try to en
force that religion on me. How can you
blame all the problems in the world on
lack of religious structure in the
schools? The Bible is not some magical
pill that everyone can take and wake up
m a perfect world the next day. As for
condoms, I suppose you would rather
have a student die of AIDS than get a
condom in school. Trust me, it's not re
quired that you take them. You know
where they are if you want them. I feel
very sorry that you will not open your
eyes and see that, although you may
not personally agree with someone
else's religious beliefs, a true American
would respect the First Amendment
which states that "Congress shall make
no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise
thereof..."
Je/f Gish
Class of '96
Greek system still
on the defensive
An article in the Oct. 13 issue of The
Daily Texan, the student newspaper of
the University of Texas, brought to my
attention the recent incident involving a
Texas A&M fraternity party and its al
legedly racist theme. I realize that there
is some dispute as to whether the par
ty's theme and the activities engaged in
at the function were intended to or ac
tually did embody a racist attitude, but
I nonetheless felt compelled to convey a
few observations.
Living in Austin and attending the
University of Texas for a few years, I
have witnessed fraternities at the Uni
versity of Texas at Austin and else
where come under a great deal of criti
cism due to a perceived attitude of in
difference toward issues of interracial
tolerance, if not absolute prejudice and
bigotry. Although A&M fraternities
have never been especially revered on
campus, they have in the past managed
to avoid such accusations. Until now.
I'm not saying that the A&M fraternity
involved did anything wrong; I cant
because I don't know exactly what hap
pened. What can 1 say, however, is that
the incident has once again brought the
issue of racial intolerance in Greek sys
tems to the forefront, and has put fra
ternities in general on the defensive.
As a former participant in the A&M
Greek system, I noped that A&M frater
nities had learned from others' mis
takes. Public perception of fraternities
in light of this sort of negative publici
ty, warranted or unwarranted, is cer
tainly not going to improve. I just hope
it doesn't continue to nose-dive.
Stephen G. Wohleb
Class of '90
Fraternity leaders
showed no leadership
It is certainly interesting how liberals
defend their own freedom of expres
sion, but when they don't agree, they
set out to crucify the "insensitive." The
charge of racism against Sigma Alpha
Epsilon is a great example. It seems
that these tactics have sent the Interfra
ternity Council and Dr. Leese searching
for a new rock to hide under. The fact
that some non-Aggie can blow into
town, level charges of racism (cry wolf),
and put our school in a state of turmoil
is pathetic. Worse yet, these "leaders"
have seen false charges (against the
Corps) disrupt and tarnish the image of
A&M before. One letter does not con
stitute reason enough to trample our
rights as students and citizens. Dr.
Leese may think "something positive
had to happen," but personally I think
that persecuting a fraternity with little
or no evidence is something negative,
and it sets a frightening precedent. The
"change of attitude" Dr. Leese foretells
will be one of animosity and apprehen
sion toward him and the IFC. The pur
pose of a university is to teach students
now to think, not what to think. The
spineless leadership exhibited by Dr.
Leese and the IFC would make Joe Mc
Carthy proud.
Christopher Toland
Class of '92
Abortion is the most
important issue
I feel a need to respond to Aaron
Herndon's letter in the Oct. 13 Battal
ion. First of all, I would like to say that
I am a strict conservative and a very
strong supporter of George Bush.
However, for those who would like to
quickly ridicule my opinion and con
clude that it is strictly based on the fact
that I am pro-Bush, as liberals so often
do, I would like to tell you that it is not
about that. It is not that I am pro-Bush,
it is that I am pro-life. To me, a presi
dential candidate's views on such
things as the budget deficit and foreign
affairs do not outweigh his or her views
on abortion.
I understand that many people are
going to ask, "How can one case his or
her vote on one aspect such as abor
tion?" I would then ask them, "What
political topic could possibly be so im
portant that one would neglect the fact
that babies are being murdered by
means of abortion?" Everyone de
serves a chance to live, and there is not
one topic that any candidate can speak
of that is more important to us than life
is to a baby.
To say that it is impossible to pre
vent all abortions would be justifiable.
However, I find that the usage of this
idea is often a cop-out. Don't the lives
of the babies that can be saved matter?
It is most devastating to know that
there are many people in the world to
day saying, "I am not pro-choice, but
agreeing with everything else this can
didate speaks of is reason enough to
vote for him and neglect my views on
the one simple topic of abortion." Sorry
folks, but where I come from life and
death is more than a simple topic.
Think about it!
Brian Mazzola
Class of '96
Pro-choice also pro
responsibility
I am writing this letter in response to
Annette SmitTv s letter of Oct. 12. In my
opinion she recklessly portrayed the
} 3ro-choice position as being pro-care-
essness.
I agree with her that if this was an
ideal world few abortions would need
to be performed. This, however, is not
an ideal world. A child placed into a
home that is ill-prepared or is dysfunc
tional makes that home more dysfunc
tional. A common argument used by
anti-abortion groups is that there are
plenty of kind, loving people willing to
adopt these unwanted children. If this
is so, why are there thousands of chil
dren being shuttled back and forth be
tween state institutions and foster
homes?
Smith's argument makes it appear
that being pro-choice is also being anti
contraception; nothing can be further
from the truth. Her letter also makes it
appear that current contraceptive meth
ods are foolproof. Printed in the recent
July/August issue of Health magazine
(available in the Medical Sciences li
brary) was an article detailing the fail
ure rates of various forms of contracep
tion. The United States lags behind the
industrialized nations in the field of re
productive medicine. This is not sur
prising as our society as a whole does
not place much emphasis on this mat
ter. This prejudice extends to our per
sonal values; many men will not use a
condom due to some distorted sense of
masculinity. 1 agree with Smith that we
need to be more responsible about our
sexuality. However to begin by deny
ing reproductive rights to women is to
tally irresponsible. Let us begin by
learning aoout contraception; there are
programs held weekly at the Beutel
nealth center. Bv learning we become
able to make informed decisions and
are able to teach each other. Maybe
then we can change our society and cre
ate an ideal world.
Paul Herrera
Veterinary student
Abortion arguments
counterproductive
I am writing in response to the recent
flurry of letters in The Battalion con
cerning abortion. I wanted to address
those on both sides of the issue who
continue to face off as if in the end one
position will be declared right or
wrong.
Personally, I have been unable to la
bel myself as either pro-life or pro-
choice, because I believe that life and
children are precious and should be
cherished. Yet, I also sympathize with
the pain of a rape victim forced to bear
her attacker's child. Also, a law against
abortion conflicts with what this coun
try is all about — freedom and the right
to choose what is right for you. It's al
most an unresolvable conflict.
However, maybe we should spend
less time fighting between life and
choice and start treating the cause of
the problem and not the symptoms by
preventing unwanted pregnancies. I
believe education and compassion are
the keys. We should be educating
America's kids about sex and protec
tion, encouraging abstinence andf giving
kids a choice by providing free con
doms in schools. By doing this, not
only are we helping to prevent unwant
ed pregnancies out also AIDS and other
sexually transmitted diseases. Commu
nity and school self-defense classes
would give women a better chance in
avoiding rape pregnancies.
I feel that if we could all at least try
to work together instead of constantly
playing tug-of-war between pro-choice
and pro-life, then we could actually ac
complish something and give everyone
a little peace of mind. Stick to your
convictions, but every now and then,
stop seeing yourself as pro-life or pro-
choice and remember that you and
those around you are only human be
ings trying to make the world a little bit
better tor all those born into it.
Janell E. Passick
Class of '93
Choosing Perot not a
waste of a vote
Many believe that voting for Ross
Perot will be a wasted vote because he
is behind in the polls. Is this a valid
concern? Absolutely not.
The only wasted vote is one that is
cast against a candidate instead of for a
candidate. Remember, every vote car
ries equal weight, A candidate can only
win if those who believe that their can
didate is the best choice actually votes
for that candidate. If you truly believe
that one particular candidate will do
the job, the only way he can is for you
to vote proactively rather than reactive-
iy.
The above applies to anybody and
everybody. I would delight in a Perot
victory, but more importantly, I would
like to see a candidate win rather than
two candidates lose. Tuesday, Nov. 3,
vote for who you want to be president,
not against those you don't.
Alan Dahlberg
Class of'92
Not all news is
necessarily bad news
With all the negative issues ranging
from politics to gay rights to the lack of
multicultural awareness, I was honestly
beginning to wonder if anything posi
tive was nappening in Aggieland be
sides our football team and Bonfire.
However, when I read Gina Howard's
article in Friday's Battalion about the
fund raising ideas to assist Kyle Kepple
and his family, everything was put
back into perspective about the Aggies
and our commitment to others. I
would just like to greatly commend the
Walton Hall Council and Curtis Couch
for their determined and red-ass efforts
to assist Kepple with his recovery.
Many campus organizations always
perform charitable deeds that often go
unnoticed, but this particular contribu
tion epitomizes the spirit of Aggieland
and the dedication of Walton Hall to
their fellow residents. Good bull, Wal
ton, not only for your efforts, but for
showing the rest of us what being a
true Ag is all about.
Angela Leskovics
Class of '95
God isn't against a
Clinton victory
As I walked across campus toward
the Northside parking garage, I was
handed a flier oy the title "the Bible,
Morals, and the election." I thought it
sounded very informative, but as I read
it I became extremely disappointed.
The entire passage described an im
moral Bill Clinton for supporting abor
tion and homosexual rights. It also fur
ther explained that by taking the lives
of children for a better economy we are
committing a form of idolatry.
First of all, I am a Christian and a
Democrat. Yes, the two of these are
able to exist together. I also believe it is
in very bad taste to misuse God's word
for one's own purposes. Scriptures are
open to interpretation as long as they
are consistent with the rest of His wordf.
I do not think it would be right to
say to a person you can not have an
abortion. I do not think judging Bill
Clinton as an immoral person or relat
ing voting for him as a confession to
God of our sins is very appropriate for
this election. By voting for Bill Clinton,
I am not denouncing God, but choosing
the man I feel will make a difference in
our country. I truly do not believe he is
"a man who would lead our country
deeper into sin."
Kristina M. Perez
Class of '95
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So you think that you know about politics!?!
o
Presents:
MSC
Political
Forum
POLITICAL AWARENESS DAY
OCT. 27,1992
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
MSC HALLWAY
Various political speakers will speak from
11:30 - 1:00 in the MSC Flagroom.
4L
The views represented at this program do not necessarily represent
those of the MSC or MSC Political Forum.
r
ACCIl
FILM S 0 C I E T Y ■ ■ ■
K An MSC Student Programs Committee
anm
Call 847-8478 for more info CXJLAJUBflJLIJLJHJLSUJLX
Aggie Cinema - For all your Superhero needs!
- an E P IC film -
Thursday, Oct. 29
7:00 p.m.
Friday, Oct 30
7:00 p.m.
Admission is $2.00
Midi All.
KEATON
DAMN Y
Di VITO
M ic:n i i 11:
PFEIFFER
BATMAN
RETURNS
WARM R IIROS
.TIM BURTON . MICIlAEI KEATON
DANNY Di VITO Mil HH I I PU IHTR “BATMAN Rl IIIRNS” CHRISTOPHER WAI KI N
MICHAEI (.OHf.H PAT HINCEE MICH All MURPHY DANNY III MAN CARRY ERANCO
.. |ON PETERS. PET EK dlBER. It! M AMIN MEEMKER. MICHAEI HSIAN
BOB KANE IHtOMKS I) ANIII AAAI IKS SAM HAMM
OANIEI AVATEKS DI NISI I >1 NOVI TIM BURTON TIM BURTON (fjift)
Thursday. Oct. 29
9:45 p.m.
Friday. Oct. 30
9:45 p.m. & Midnight
Saturday. Oct. 31
7:30 p.m., 9:45 p.m.
& Midnight
Admission is $2.00
Unless you have bats in
your belfry, DON'T miss
this movie!
* All films will be presented in
Rudder Theatre Complex. *