Voters, the church and evil

We see any number of letters to the editor misstating the truth and spewing out bigotry. Such is George Novak's ridiculous letter (May 8) claiming a foreign power (The Vatican?) interfered with and changed the results of the last election. Usually these are best ignored. However, anti-Semitism in the last century clearly demonstrated that there are many, even in a seemingly healthy society, who are anxious to grab onto even the most outrageous lie in order to have someone else to blame for their own shortcomings.

One of the unique treasures of the Catholic church is that it does not change the message of Christ to accommodate popular opinion. Peter received the "keys to the kingdom." He and all of the popes who followed him have been responsible for keeping Christ's message clear and consistent.

Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) did not tell anyone how to vote in our election. He did send a letter reminding Catholics that "it is never licit to cooperate formally with evil." Abortion and euthanasia are evil. This has nothing to do with how anyone should vote and everything to do with how Catholics should live their lives. This has nothing to do with interfering in elections and has everything to do with the church's role in the saving of souls.

Voting for a candidate who has a known permissive stand on abortion or euthanasia is cooperating with evil. Those who find this too hard to follow have the option to change to one of the many churches that do ebb and flow with popular opinion.

George is correct that there was a time in our history when ignorance and prejudice kept some Catholics out of public office. It is a shame that some are still so narrow-minded as to confuse the salvation of souls with attempts to intimidate.

Gary L. Siewell, Albany

Only naturalism allowed

Phillip E. Johnson is a professor of law at the University of California at Berkeley. He specializes in the logic of arguments. Several years ago, I heard him speak to a large audience at LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis.

Naturalism, in philosophy, is the doctrine denying that anything in reality has a supernatural significance. A confirmed naturalist believes that scientific laws account for all phenomena. In his book, "Darwin on the Trail," Professor Johnson points out how Darwinism became what Johnson call "pseudoscience" and "was not just a theory of biology, but the most important element in a religion of scientific naturalism, with its own ethical agenda and plan for salvation through social and genetic engineering."

Critics of Phillip Johnson sometimes say, or imply, that Johnson has nothing worthwhile to say about Darwinism evolution because he is not a biologist or any kind of scientist. In fact, Johnson is uniquely qualified by his training in legal argumentation to show how flimsy the arguments used by Darwinian evolutionists to justify their position.

In an article in the Wall Street Journal, "Science Without God," (May 10, 1993), Johnson wrote about those who regard "dissent from naturalism as a repudiation of rationality." These people have concluded that "within science itself, of course, only an unquestioned naturalism is allowed."

David Prichard, Corvallis

The high cost of porn

Congratulations for publishing an article that highlighted the pervasive impact of pornography on modern society. (April 24, " 'It's not even, like, porn'").

I wish the article had gone further to indicate the tragic influence of all forms of pornography on all of us, not just teens. Research shows that approximately 40 million people in the United States are sexually involved with the Internet. As a business, it ranks as one of the largest in the United States, generating billions in sales.

Pornography is addictive, and those addicted to porn typically began as young adults, desensitized by casual sexual stimulation, and then moving in deeper to extremely hard core graphic porn.

I am personally aware of men who lost employment due to frequent viewing of Internet porn during work time. I am also personally aware of several young couples whose marriage ended tragically in divorce because of spousal addiction to pornography. Pornography is a form of infidelity. It undermines the value of women! It inhibits true intimacy between husband and wife.

Our acceptance of pornography as a society undermines the family and jeopardizes loving (not lusting), enduring family relationships. Parents must guard against pornography by refusing to purchase video games with graphic sexual and violent content. Monitor the computer use in your own home and be sure family computers are in public view. Install Internet filters that prevent viewing objectionable sites and keep a record of internet access. It's OK to exercise some control over the things young people play and watch on computers. It's called parenting.

J. Reed Glamann, Philomath

Why ballots in Spanish?

The news on the local radio station this morning had an item in it about Steve Druckenmiller offering election ballots in Spanish. Answer me this: If the Spanish-speaking Americans are Americans, they had to take a test to become Americans. Then why does the ballot have to be in Spanish? If they do not understand English, and are not American citizens, why are we bending over backwards to let them vote in our elections?

These elections determine the taxes I pay and who represents me in Congress and the state; why would we want non-Americans voting? I think this is the wrong thing for our county to be doing, and I will not vote for Druckenmiller the next election if he pushes this through.

Pat Farmer, Albany

Thefts: A bloomin' shame

Every year Samaritan Village residents hold a flower sale. The proceeds help pay for fuel and maintenance of our bus. This vehicle is the only means of transport for many of our residents. It allows us to visit the Oregon coast and other wonderful places in Oregon.

Not this year! Over the weekend, specimen trees were dug up and stolen from the property. No use providing hanging baskets and bedding plants for someone to steal.

We take pride in keeping our grounds beautiful.

Who ever did this should be ashamed of themselves!

Liz Hilvers, Samaritan Village, Corvallis

The party of acceptance

I am not writing this letter to the people on the left side of the world theater. It is meant for the people setting on the right. I must start out by saying I have respect for everyone, however it is becoming clearer day by day that the far right conservatives seem to believe they own the Republican Party.

I am a Republican because I truly believe we are the party of acceptance. For many of us, our first language is not English, we are not Christians and our skin is other than white. We have members of all races, religions and sexual orientations.

The current Republican administration has one of the most diverse make-ups in history, and that is what makes us who we are. The day of the Old Guard and White Anglo only mentality is long gone. I ask only that the people on the far right open their eyes and arms and leave the judging of others to a higher power.

Ken Real, Adair Village, Second Vice Chair, Benton County Republicans

Check checks and balances

I have been researching the facts around judicial nominations sent to the U.S. Senate for an up or down vote. Most debate in the media has been incomplete and/or skewed to represent a particular bias.

As a concerned Oregonian with a desire to see our federal and state governments practice compromise and moderation in their actions, I urge Oregonians to read "The Myth of the Constitutionally Required Up Or Down Vote: History of Checks and Balances, Advice and Consent in the Senate, May 2005" found at www.pfaw.org/pfaw/dfiles/file_527.pdf

This article is provided by People for the American Way Foundation, an organization characterized as liberal from a conservative perspective. Please read the article before you decide that the "liberal" label applies to information in the article.

After reading the article, please contact Sen. Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden to express your views.

I believe that an action, such as the filibuster, that at different times is loved and hated by both Republicans and Democrats must be serving a useful purpose in providing limits to power by a majority political party. Above all, the American system of democracy is based on the use of checks and balances to prevent an abuse of power. Unfortunately, very little stands in the way of abuse when one political party dominates all branches of government.

Jennifer Frohring, Corvallis

The outsourcing madness

"570 take Corvallis HP offer" was the headline in the May 4 Gazette-Times.

What really is interesting to me is that this will impact Corvallis not only in sales, but housing and not one letter from a citizen who seems to care what is happening to their town.

It wasn't too long ago that HP employed 8,000 people. Now they are down to 3,900 -570 people. What is going on? Doesn't anyone care?

Outsourcing is taking our jobs away from Americans and giving them to others. Is this right? Is this what we want for our country? The wave of the future is no insurance, just hire temps. Let's outsource our jobs. What about families who depend on jobs and health insurance to survive? We need to open our eyes, people, and stop this madness.

Joan F. Conn, Corvallis