* 9
Dear Editor:
Following is a letter which
we have just written to the
Yancey County Board of Edu
cation:
We wish to say a few words
in support of Mrs. Elly's recent
letter concerning the holding
of revivals in the schools.
Freedom of religion in Amer
ica is based on the separation
of church and state. This
means keeping our public
schools out of the churches, aid
keeping the churches out of
the public schools.
Consider what happens in
countries that don't do this .The
school authorities have to de
cide what theology will be
taught or encouraged in the
schools. Then each church
develops its own political par
ty, to promote its own parti -
cular theology. This has
happened in a lot of countries
and it makes for poor schools
and for very bad government.
Then there are countries
where most of the people do
agree on their religion and me
the schools to propogate it.
These tend to become horri -
bly narrow and intolerant of
any differences of religion.
In one country we know
there are no public schools at
all. Each church has its own
schools and all of them are
poor. In another country,
there is an official state
church, supported by taxes,
where almost no one goes to
church.
If we really want freedom
of religion, with healthy, ac
tive churches, we will pay at
tention to the American Con -
stitution and keep our schools
com plet ely s eparat e from
sectarian religion.
Ethics and morals, sound
personal habits, social respon
sibility—these should be the
active concern of every school,
home,church and business
but the teaching of any sec
tarian theology (either ouis or
yours) belongs only in the home
and the church.
Elizabeth and Ernest Morgm
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Letters To The Editor
Dear Editor:
We are writing this Open
Letter to the citizens and con
cerned parents of Yancey Coun
ty: As Parents in this county
we would like to call your at
tention to the fact that we
have hundreds of "lost" child
ren in Yancey County. What
we mean by lost is that they
have no place to go and no
place to play safely. These
kids are well mannered and
church-going kids.
As we read our paper every
day our hearts cry out for the
kids out in the streets all over
the United States. As we pray
at night, we pray for them.
Our kids are something to
be proud of. They aren't in
the streets looking for trouble
to get into, or looking for the
guy in the streets. They are
looking for jobs.. in Grocery
Stores, mowing lawns, baby
sitting, washing cars, cleaning
house, or just anything to
make a few dollars to make
their parents proud of them.
Our kids are suffering from
lack of jobs and recreation.
Let's show them we are proud
of them by helping them get #
a Recreation Park here.
Sincerely,
R. Smith and G.Shade
Dear Editor:
I wonder if the good Chris
tians in Yancey County rea
lize that the practice of keep
ing religious meetings out of
school assemblys could be a
service to them. It would be
a fine thing for everyone if
the religious teachings they
agree with were taught to im
pressionable youngsters through
the schools. Folks might not
be so approving, however, if a
Catholic Priest, a Jewish Rab
bi, a Christian Science mini
ster or a Mormon leader, to
name only a handful of the
many religious faiths in Amer
ica today, were to exercise
their "equal" right to influ -
ence the children in the mat
ter of religion.
The issue here is not whe
ther children should accept
religion—but rather, what
manner of religion they iioild
accept. Surely this is a mat
ter that most parents would
like to have a voice in decid
ing.
And for this reason,we have
parents and churches for reli
gion and schools for the non
sectarian subjects.
Sincerely,
(name withheld
on request)
Dear Editor:
I was very happy to hear
about the revival services in
your schools.
I have lived in Miami, Fla.
for nearly 14 years and have
seen hundreds of young people
whose lives are almost totally
destroyed by sin. It's a com
mon thing here to pick up the
paper and see where another
one has died from an overdose
of drugs.
My husband was robbed in
the middle of the day in a
business district, right out in
the open by three young (may
be high school age) fellows.
One of them held a gun to his
head while the other two went
through his pockets.
So, if you don't reach your
young people before they leave
home, the devil is waiting as
a wolf to devour a lamb.
If these young people let
Jesus into their hearts and lites,
He will see them safely thru
the devils territory.
I read the letter from Mrs.
Elly, and upon inquiring I
found she is a Presbyterian mi
nisters wife. Don't Presbyter
ians believe in winning the
lost to Christ? Or only in their
church? Well, what happens
to the thousands who never go
to church?
I have talked to grown
young men who knew nothing
about the Creation or any of
the Bible,yet they were high
school graduates. One young
man (about 17) asked me ques
tions just as fast as I could
answer them about the Scrip
' .■* ■*■ •
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Located 2 miles from city limits on west side of Burnsville on +
Mountain View Road off Charlie Brown Road, elevation 3,000 ft. *
with full range mountain view of five of tallest peaks east of the *
Mississippi— Mt. Mitchell, Black Brothers, Celo Mtn. and Winter *
Star. I
♦
THE YANCEY RBCORD JUNE 1 7, 1971
ture until 2 o'clock in the
morning. Starved for know
ledge of God.
Pm sorry chinch folks but
we have far more heathen in
good old religious U. S. than
you would ever dream.
Let's win them if we can,
and to Mrs. Elly, if you don't
have the joy and security of
knowing the Lord, open your
heart and life to Him and then
you will be glad with us when
you hear of a lost one saved,
no matter where it happens,
or who wins them.
Sincerely,
Mary Frances Lewis
Opa Locka, Florida
Dear Editor:
First, I would like to say I
am and have been a Christian
for thirty-three years and a
member of the Mlcaville Pres
byterian Church.
I, too, am concermed about
the schools in Yancey County
being a teacher at East Tfimcey
High School. Being an eye
witness to the Assembly at East
Yancey May 13, I would like
to say it was a very inspiration
al service. I rejoice and thank
God for young people who haie
the courage in our day to stand
up and tell over four hundred
other students how their lives
have been changed. Never in
all my years of teaching have
I observed students as quiet
and attentive as they were at
this assembly. No student was
forced to go to assembly and
no pressure was put on them to
come forward and make a de
cision for Christ. This was the
choice of the individual stu
dent and around two hundred
stepped forward. These students
are to be commended, not
criticized.
It seems our schools are al
ways being condemned or cri
ticized, but we have a good
school at East Yancey and a
fine group of boys and girls to
work with. We are interested
in providing more than book
knowledge for the students.
Character development is a
M. M.
very important goal of our
school.
I believe assembly program
are a constructive way of help
ing teenagers leam to live rrore
useful lives. In the future I
would like to see all the mini
sters in our county plan and
present more assembly pmjyarrs
for our students.
I have great faith in the
abilities of our young people
and the cl oices they will make
in the future.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Max Hughes
Scene From
South Toe
By Grace Miller
675-4581
Everyone would like to
send get well wishes to Mrs.
Eula Ray, Mrs. Doris Gurley
and Mrs. Ellen Hudgins who
are in the Spruce Pine Com -
munity Hospital. Also Mrs.
Clyde Hus kins who is in the
Asheville Hospital.
• • •
A baby girl was bom to Mr.
and Mrs. Calvin Wilson Wed
nesday, June 9th at the Spruce
Pine Hospital. They named
her Kimberly Gwen.
• • •
Billy Hus kins and Lillian
Shuford were married Satur
day at the Fairview Church at
Seven Mile Ridge.
• • •
Mr. and Mrs. James Me -
Dougle have had as their guest
this past week their daughter
and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs.
Dennis Hughes of Charlotte.
• • •
We the FT A would like to
thank everyone who attended
the Chicken Supper. We es
pecially want to thank the
cooks who we think prepared
such a delicious meal.
• • •
Chris Chris awn and Marcus
Vess are back from their trip
to Gardner-Webb College
where Chris won a Trophy for
making the most points in play
ing basketball.
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