Newspapers / The Chowan Herald (Edenton, … / March 11, 2015, edition 1 / Page 5
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Editorial Seri’ing Edcnton & Chowan County since 1934 MIKE GOODMAN Publisher/Managing Editor REGGIE PONDER News Editor A publication of Cooke Communications North Carolina, LLC Thought of the week “This is not who we are. I’d be glad if they left. I might even pay the bus fare for them..” — University of Oklaho ma President David Boren on members of a fraternity house who were caught on tape chanting a racist chant that included a racial slur and referenced lynching Does the faith of a president matter? Last month we celebrated the birthdays of George Washing ton and Abraham Lincoln, two presidents whose deep but somewhat unconventional faith has evoked great debate. Does the faith of presidents truly matter? Does it significantly affect how they think, live, and govern? Concluding that it does not, most biographers have treated presidents’ religious con victions as no more important than hobbies such as collecting stamps or playing golf. Many other Americans, however, have considered the faith of presidents as either a cause for celebra tion or alarm. While Christians often campaigned vigorously and voted in droves for candidates who shared their faith, their foes warned that the dangerous religious views of other presi dential aspirants made them unacceptable for the nation’s high est omce. ■ In the presidential campaign of 1800, Federalists denounced Thomas Jefferson as an infidel who would subvert the nation’s Christian foundation. Rumors spread that, if elected, Jeffer son would use public funds to entice civil.servants, teachers, _ , GARY SMITH COLUMNIST military officers, and even ministers to either ignore religion or teach secularism. After Jefferson won, these claims prompted many Federalists in New England to bury their Bibles in their gardens so that his administration could not destroy them. In 1908, Theodore Roosevelt assured apprehensive prospec tive voters that William Taft’s Unitarian faith did not disqualify him from being president. Twenty years later, fundamentalist Protestants argued that Democratic candidate A1 Smith’s Ca tholicism made him unfit to be president. Despite John F. Ken nedy’s assurances that he would be guided by the Constitution and his conscience, not the pope, his Catholic faith was as con troversial in 1960 as Smith’s had been in 1928. Jimmy Carter’s affirmation that he was bom again baffled and frightened many Americans as did George W. Bush’s assertion that Jesus was his favorite philosopher. Many worried that their decisions would be based on what they perceived God wanted them to do rather than on the advice of their cabinet and the nation’s strategic needs. Are these concerns justified? Does the faith of presidents tru ly affect how they govern? Does it help shape their perspectives, policies, actions, and decisions? The answer depends on which chief executives we are discussing. The faith of some presidents (such as Kennedy ironically) mattered little. The faith of many others, including Hoover, Carter, Bush, and surprisingly Jeffer son, strongly influenced their political philosophy and policies. Although it is impossible to disentangle the personal religious convictions of presidents from their use of religion to serve par tisan political purposes, many of them were more deeply reli gious and had more vibrant personal devotional lives than most scholars have recognized. Presidents use religions language and engage in religious practices to win public approval and gain political advantages. Therefore, we must judge whether their faith is authentic by examining their private correspondence as well as their public pronouncements and evaluating the testi monies of those who knew them best. We must also assess their statements and behavior before, during, and after their presi dencies. Their religious practices—frequent church attendance, prayer, and reading of the Bible—close relationships with some religious groups, regular use of religious rhetoric, and partic ular policies all testify that their faith was important to many chief executives. Most presidents have worshipped consistently to continue their life-long practice, seek divine guidance, set a gocxl example, or to please prospective voters. Almost all presi dents hate extensively used moral and biblical language to con sole grieving Americans, provide assurance in times of crisis, celebrate religious holidays, and promote particular policies. The faith of many presidents has also helped shape their policies and determine their decisions. Numerous other fac tors—strategic considerations, national security, party plat form commitments, campaign promises, political philosophy, relationships, and reelection concerns—affect their decisions. Nevertheless, their religious commitments have strongly af fected the policies many presidents adopted. Religious beliefs helped inspire George Washington’s quest to guarantee religious liberty, Jefferson’s to ensure peace, and Abraham Lincoln’s to end slavery. Their Christian convictions helped prompt William Mciuruey to dec lare war against spam ana uixe control ot the Philippines, Theodore Roosevelt to establish national parks, Woodrow Wilson to devise the Treaty of Versailles, Herbert Hoover to reform prisons, and Franklin Roosevelt to remedy the ills of the Great Depression. Harry Truman’s decision to recognize Israel, Dwight Elsenhower’s attempt to reduce arma ments, Carter’s quest to promote human rights, Ronald Reagan’s crusade to crash communism, Bill Clinton’s efforts to resolve international conflicts, George W. Bush’s support for faith-based initiatives, and Barack Obama’s policies on poverty were all mo tivated in large part by their faith. Has the faith of presidents affec ted them and their adminis trations positively or negatively? The answer to this question de pends largely on how individuals view the religious convictions and policies of particular presidents. However, when people’s faith gives them confidence, assurance, comfort, and inspiration, it Ls generally beneficial. People’s faith often stimulates them to be more compassionate, generous, and hopeful and supplies a constructive blueprint for bettering society. Moreover, the faith of presidents has often greatly aided them in carrying out their demanding duties and serving as the nation’s pastor-in-chief during crises and calamities. Faith has played a very important and often controversial role in the lives of American presidents from George Washington to Barac k Obama Although the founders wisely separated church and state, religious belief and polities have often been inextrica bly joined and will undoubtedly continue to 1h\ (lary Smith ix a fellow for faith anil Politics al Hu- Center for Viswn anil Values. me Burner issnu. wciReMeuv l Tiftwr. wc mta 7P15-17 MC Buw*ET u\cCO?/ ft TICK// ™A*H RKiltr \ ir"' i 25®?* sx. Learning to be a citizen The question usually comes toward the end of a public meeting. Some knotty prob lem is being discussed, and some one in the audience will raise his or her hand and ask, “Okay, so what can I do about it?” I love that question. Not because I’ve ever answered it to my satisfac tion, but because it bespeaks such a constructive outlook. Democracy is no spectator sport and citizens are not passive consumers. I’m al ways invigorated by miming into people who understand this. But that doesn’t make answering the question any easier. The usual advice that politicians give is to vote, work for a candi date, let your elected officials know what you think, join an organiza tion of like-minded citizens, and participate in community life. This is good counsel — but only as far as it goes. With a little more time now to answer the question, I’d add a few points. First, it’s important that citizens appreciate how hard it is to solve problems in a representative de mocracy. Every Issue — even a stop sign at a comer — is more complex titan it appears. The best way to learn this is to become an expert on a single topic. You can’t study every issue, but you can pick one and dig in, whether it’s a big problem like climate change or a smaller one, such as how to get food delivered to shut-ins in your community. Understanding and appreciating all aspects of the issue is the best way to see how and where you can make progress. It also makes you more patient with others — includ ing elected officials — who are trying to resolve other thorny challeng es. ^PPSBIIPP LEE HAMILTON COLUMNIST ideological and more prag matic. It forces you to exam ine the options in front of you and the resources at hand to help you pursue them. You have to judge whether a given option can gather suffi cient support in the commu nity to go forward, and real it s also vital to learn that solving problems means working together with all kinds of people. It requires bringing different points of view together, developing connections to key players in your community, talking face-to-face with others who may not agree with you, and com municating your ideas effectively — including to the media This is the surest way I know to under stand differences, and to learn that these differences can exist without personal animosity. That, in turn, is a key step toward recognizing the common ground on which you can build agreement. Many of the people I know who answered the call of citizenship did so to resolve a specific issue: get ting the railroad signal at a crossing to work; improving food labeling so diabetics could know how much sugar packaged food contains; im proving a watershed to help a com munity manage its water supply. Sometimes, people want to address a situation they don’t like — what they consider to be over-spending, or a politician whose priorities they disagree with. Sometimes they just want to contribute to the direction and success of their community. There is a key lesson that comes from trying to solve a particular problem: it tends to make you less lze that you can t solve everything; sometimes you have to put particu lar problems aside and come back to them another day, when circum stances have shifted. There are plenty of people who find all this frustrating and give up. Many others devote their lives to it, whether as community partici pants, engaged activists, or public servants. Politics is not a game for everyone, and there are many other ways to be involved in community life. Regardless of the avenue they choose, it's the people who step for ward who refresh this country and make it stronger. Our Constitution’s preamble be gins, “We the people of the United States, in order to form a more per fect union....’’ At heart, that’s what getting involved means: shouldering the challenges, sharing responsibil ities and opportunities that democ racy thrusts upon us as we pursue a more perfect union. Thai's what 1 w;mt to say to the people who ask, "What can I do about it?” The jour ney is hard and complicated, but it's immensely satisfying. Few rewards c;u\ match your satisfaction when your fellow citizens thank you for a job well done. h'r H/wiillun /.v />/rector nj (hr (’rntrron Cou t/rr.ss at In/liuiHi I '//ii ir.sv///. Hr itus a r/unnhrrof /hr I S Hnusrnj Hr/>rrsi,///ii(/n/s for -H i/rnrs. Repentance is the key Dear Editor, “The Lord is not slack concern ing His promise, as some count slackness, but is Longsuffering to ward us, not willing that ;uty should perish but that ;ill should come to repentance” (2 Peter ;l:9). As we begin the Lenten Season once again the word repentance comes into view. I believe we live in a society that would ask, ‘Why should I repent? I’m basically a good person.’ We turn to Scripture and see very clearly that John the Baptist's message was to “repent" and even the message that Jesus came preaching was: "Do we think that these Galileans were worst sin ners than all other Galileans. . . but 1 tell you no, but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:2-3). As individuals are we any better than anyone else? Do onr words and actions reflect the loving ;uid forgiving nature of Christ, or do we continually "see the speck in some one vise’s eye and fail to see the log in our own eye?” (Matthew 7:3). When Cod looks at what is going on in our communities, this nation, and the world, what else could he say but "Repent!” If we study the book of Revela tion we quickly, see that when the continual warnings that have been given fail and don’t seem to have any affect, then something more drastic will occur to hopefully turn people around and to do as Cod says; to repent. Are we listening to "What the Spirit is saying to the churches?” (Revelation 2 and 3). In these lasf days we need to be attentive to what Cod is saying and to avoid what the clamoring voices all around us are saying. God again is saying as He has jilways s;iid, for “God’s people to humble them selves and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then 1 will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Clu’onicles 7:14). Gould it be that the Holy Spirit is saving to the churches, our com munities, our nation and our world to either humble thepiselves or he humbled? The choice becomes ours, lake time to listen and hear what the Holy Spirit is saying in these troubling times. WARREN STACKHOUSE Eden ton Editor's note: The author is pastor oj Hirer of Life, a Earn ilt/ of Faith. Wind generation fraught with problems Dear Editor, If you research commercial wind generation online you will quickly learn that this activity is fraught with serious problems and would not even be considered for ('how mi County without the numerous government tax credits, subsidies and alternative energy mandates. Wind is not economically viable anti European governments that in the past enthusiastically promoted wind energy are now backing off. Unless a way can be found to store the energy created by wind, exist ing fossil fuel power plants must be kept in operation to fill in for the time that wind Ls absent and these same plants must be taken off line when winds are high and the de mand for electricity is low—an in efficient and uneconomical way to nm an electricity grid. The higher costs are ultimately borne by you and me wliile companies like Apex profit handsomely. However, our politicians have decreed we Wild have wind, and it IS coming to Chowan. Each turbine will gener ate $5000+ per year in leases; land owners can’t be faulted for want ing to cash in, but the process that Apex uses to recruit local political support for wind Ls designed to be as opaque as possible while they woo those who can approve the [X'rmits. Chowan County citizens need reasonable protection from the documented ill effects of wind tur bines (if you haven’t heard of infra sound, look it up.) An arbitrary 30 day period to review the ordinance is shortsighted. Would the same timeframe be applied to a project ed nuclear or coal power plant? It appears to me that political considerations are driving this rather than the public good. Since no wind generation company has so far filed for permits, why not hike the time to do the proper homework? It is likely there are many suitable locations in Chowan where wind turbines can coexist with their neighbors—vet those locations. JOHN SAMS Eiientoh
The Chowan Herald (Edenton, N.C.)
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March 11, 2015, edition 1
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