The church’s culture war
I read Doug Wilson’s suggestion to address the cultural schism in Moscow by having representatives of his “church community” on stage with representatives of the “town” to have a cordial discussion. On the face of it, having a cordial discussion sounds progressive and friendly. The problem is that it’s Wilson himself who has caused the schism and is on record on national television and internationally as working to change our town by means of a culture war.
Then he complains about the “us” vs. “them” divide. How rude of us. It’s like someone coming to your door to take your house and then complaining because you don’t invite him in for dinner.
Wilson wants to erase or recolor Moscow’s “little blue dot” representing the caring, inclusive community that we treasure. In this case, blue represents the small “d” of democracy; our American values of separation of church and state; support for public education; equality of women; providing safe health care; respect for diverse religions; and valuing and protecting every person with “liberty and justice for all.”
It is typical of Wilson to do or say something outrageous like standing on a rainbow flag or circulating a book approving of slavery, and then say it was just a joke or misunderstanding. The hymn sing in Moscow City Hall’s parking lot may have been legal, but along with other words and actions it was clearly designed to facilitate Christ Church’s nonmasking movement, making the pandemic an opportunity for more polarization and schism when we needed unity and help for the more vulnerable. The scars from that remain. We don’t encourage polarization, but neither can we accept Wilson’s plans for waging and winning a culture war. We must stay united, active, and peaceful for the sake of our community and its future generations.
Joann Muneta
Moscow
Solving the port’s problems
Thank you, AGTech OS, for the decision not to locate in the proposed Industrial Research Park While your biodiesel plant will be a boon for local farmers, it is best to find a location elsewhere in the county.
But the fight is not over. As long as the port insists on developing a research center off Wawawai Road, we must continue to oppose the park. While AGTech OS has decided to go elsewhere, there is no guarantee another facility with similar negative impacts could replace it.
The port claims it has the best interests of the residents of Whitman County in mind. I question that. The Port has shown it is tone deaf to the concerns of the residents of Pullman. Pullman is divided among the three districts of the port. Our voice is subsumed among the rest of the voters of the county. While half of the registered voters in Whitman County live in Pullman, not one of the commissioners comes from Pullman. The port may have the best interests of the voters outside of Pullman in mind, but not the electors in Pullman.
One way to rectify the problem of governance is to expand representation on the board, to have five members on the board instead of three. It would necessitate legislative action and a realignment of the districts, but it would ideally allow for at least two members of an expanded board to come from Pullman.
If the port really has the interests of the county in mind, let them relocate the research park elsewhere in the county. I can think of a number of outlying communities who would love to provide economic possibilities for their residents.
Wayne Beebe
Pullman
Fix the cracks
I happened to be in Pullman recently walking along the sidewalk near Rico’s. I tripped over the unevenness of the concrete and went down hard. My first suggestion for revitalizing downtown Pullman is to repair its very uneven sidewalks. On really bad areas, there is faded orange paint to “warn” pedestrians. Certainly much more can and ought to be done prior to paying many dollars on simply plans.
Nancy Maxeiner
Viola
The true church
A local columnist points to the cultural divide in Moscow, and recognizes correctly that Christ Church is a “burgeoning” Christian sect contributing to that division. Apparently he rues that fact.
My own church, alas, the One Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, contains numbers of priests and bishops who would probably agree with liberal, left-leaning Moscow-Pullman Daily News contributors on many festering social issues including homosexuality,
The Roman Catholic Church, in these times, is deeply penetrated by homosexual advocacy. The Holy See and Pope Francis seem to soft pedal the grave homosexual problems in their midst, though Mother Church clearly teaches against all forms of gay behavior and has always done so. Pope Francis prefers, rather, to push things like environmentalism and clean energy policy.
Though Doug Wilson’s Protestant ancestors broke away from the Catholic faith some 500 years ago, he and his (2,000?) followers, nevertheless, seem to demonstrate a simple, genuine faith in Jesus Christ. They properly assess our country’s current social ills in the light of the clear teaching of scripture.
If Pastor Wilson publicly trampled upon the gay pride flag, he was fully justified in doing so. That flag is a moral abomination. I’m afraid that too many so-called Catholics today proudly wrap themselves in it. Shameful.
But Pastor Wilson’s “church” is not the true church. Mine is, and she will, I believe, be fully restored to a glory surpassing the glory she experienced at her birth 2,000 years ago.
Timothy Moore
Potlatch
Forced vaccination
In her March 25 Daily News column headed “The freedom to vaccinate — or not,” Becky Tallent claims that “People are rarely forced to get a vaccine.” This is obviously untrue, unless she uses a definition of force that excludes coercion, or a definition of people which includes only a small circle of friends, or something.
Vaccines are sometimes great products. But in a free society, if you want people to get vaccinated (or do, or believe, anything else), the right procedure is to convince them first.
Andy Crites
Moscow
Athlete is not transsexual
Printing a photo of South African runner Caster Semenya under the headline, “Trans track athletes banned,” suggests that she is transsexual. And she is not. She is just the way God made her at birth. Using her photo with this headline reinforces the myth that transsexual athletes are crowding out female athletes. Strangely, the article explains sex differences while the headline is false. Please read the entire article and read other materials about the prevalence of differences in sex development.
Roger Crawford
Pullman
