Heppner Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon Wednesday, January 17, 2001 - THREE
Letters to the Editor
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unsigned letters. Please include your address and phone number on all letters for use by
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What we fear has power over us
To the Editor:
Isn't this fun? Meeting together
like this in the pages of our local
paper? I've been trying to call a
couple of you for prayerful time
together, to visit and discuss... but,
alas, it just hasn't happened. It is
with great respect that I enter this
conversation that I really didn't think
I'd be entering (demit). How can
I not - with such great faithful hearts
and minds? May God bless this
continuing conversation.
My main concern, as a confessing
and professing, praising and praying-
the-Word Christian is this: Is it the
right thing, by our good God, to
keep ourselves and our children as
totally physically protected and
removed from the world as humanly,
parently possible? I think not.
My prayful humble understanding
of the Christian walk, at least how
my Lord reveals it to me, is that
Jesus, indeed, came in the flesh -
not to condemn the world but to
save it. Jesus does not banish any
one o f us - he welcomes all of us.
(But he was pretty p.o.'ed at those
Pharisees. You remember them;
they were the ones who were telling
everyone else what to do in order
to be in the favor of God and they
were also the ones who orchestrated
Jesus' death on the Cross.)
We are told to be the salt in the
world and also to not hide our Light
under a bushel. How can we do that
if we deny God's love, hence our
love, for the world? How can we
do that if we're running from it?
If we're spending all our energy
building impenetrable blockades
against it? I'm not saying to choose
the world over God. I'm saying walk
with God in the world, because that's
where we are, that's where God put
us, to bless the world with the Truth
of His Love.
The second fact about myself I'll
reveal: I read (with a critical and
entertained mind) the first H P.
book. I've found that some of the
nicest, fun, faithful, compassionate
Christian people I've ever met have
read and enjoyed the H.P. series
and I'm not worried about them
boiling up like frogs. I think our
good God cares more about His
people than we can possibly com­
prehend or imagine.
Allow me to suggest here three
scriptures (please do look them up):
Romans 14:14, Romans 8:15 and
1 John 5:18. Seems to me that
whatever we fear has power over
us and whatever we give power
controls us - through our fears. This
is what is satanic in every sense,
not J.K. Rowling, for God's sake.
But if you're still seriously burdened
with her on your heart, let us pray
for her unceasingly... she could
probably use it.
I give Jesus Chnst all power. He
is sovereign. If God is for me, who
stands against me? Whom shall I
fear? No one - except God in a
trembly, excited, awe-struck sort
of way.
The third piece of information
I am led by the Holy Spirit to share
is that before I accepted Jesus into
my heart as my Lord and Redeemer,
my Savior, my Guide and my God,
I was more of a "pagan" than not.
And the Lord will not allow me to
stand by and listen to so much
blaspheming, that is, to so many
false accusations. Brothers and
sisters, this is a big bad sin. By
assuming that all, or even most,
those on a pagan or Wiccan path
are engaged in worshipping Satan
and being satanic is blatantly false.
Do not mistake my words: I do not
encourage the dabbling in wizardry
or witchcraft. I simply inform, from
firsthand experience, that the basic
tenet of the Wiccan faith is: Harm
none We, as Christians, must stop
falsely accusing others, also made
in the image and likeness of God,
of uncommitted horrors. Sure, there
are extreme cases in witchcraft and
cults, and dabbling ignorantly and
without protection in the spirit realm
is dangerous (none of which I recall
being condoned in the Harry Potter
book I read). But, have we forgotten
our own history? We aren't perfect
either - far from it, as I can see in
history, in God's Word and our own
Finally, allow me to say, we do
not assist in the bnnging about the
Kingdom of Heaven by condoning
fear, that is, by being hoodwinked
by demons of fear into so much
uncompassion and blatant acts of
hate, in the name of some humanly
misinterpreted God. If that's not
being satanically boiled like frogs,
I don't know what is. There are
Paul's words to the Ephesians in
chapter six, verse 12 to consider
as well.
I expect few will approve of my
words, but few approved of Jesus'.
That's okay by me and my God. I
only aim to serve a God of Truth,
Light and Love (all of which 1 found
evident in the H.P. fiction); there­
fore, I humbly submit this sincere,
yet terribly imperfect letter. Those
against God work by division and
isolation; therefore, I am grateful
for this conversation, even if it takes
place in the letters of our local
editor.
-A sister in Christ. (Let us wash
one another's feet.. .John 13:14-16)
(s) Monika Hunter
Heppner
Harry Potter debate utterly idiotic
To the Editor:
Recently our county has become
embroiled in an utterly idiotic debate
on whether the Harry Potter senes
is inherently "good" or "evil".
It seems to me that it is futile to
debate this issue. How can anyone
truly believe that a book o f this
type will somehow unhinge readers'
moral principles and cause them
to cast them aside to become
followers of Satan? If anyone truly
believes this, they surely do not have
a solid grounding in their own
personal value system. If a person
feels threatened by a work of
children's literature, they need to
reassess their own beliefs and
discover why they are feeling
threatened by something so minor.
It is true that some works of
literi ture do test readers' moral
pnne pies, but the Harry Potter
senes .s not one of these; it just isn't
that deep. If one wanted to debate
banning such books as "A Clock­
work Orange" or "Heart of Dark­
ness" from high school libraries,
at least they would have an argument
ao those works do pose challenges
♦o one’s personal beliefs. The Harry
Potter series was written solely to
delight and entertain its readers,
not to attempt to challenge their
value system.
Now let's see some letters to the
editor dealing with the incineration
idea at the Umatilla Army Depot;
an issue that actually could have
consequences.
(s) Jeremy Rietmann
lone
If we don’t defend Measure 7, no ones property will he safe
possible
I am much more worried about press our congressmen to amend
To the Editor:
We lose salmon because we
a form of legal extortion being some laws, no one's property will protect their predators We lose
We have been seeing some very
interesting headlines in the news­ practiced by certain environmental be safe. In the case of Measure 7, farmland for fairy shrimp and now
trusts to obtain lands which they the solution is simple: Obey the law maybe for Washington ground
papers since the recent election
may keep or sell to the government and decide on a case-by-case basis squirrels. If all our streams were
bewailing the passage of Measure
as a wildlife or endangered species whether the benefit to the govern­ drinking water clean, would they
7.
reserve. I blame Congress for ment is sufficient to justify the be too barren for fish? It seems
Governor Kitzhaber and some
of our liberal politicians have stated allowing anyone or any environ­ payment. For the disposing of obvious that we should weigh the
mental group to bring suit against frivolous federal lawsuits, the first costs of complete protection against
that we citizens don't understand
the government or pnvate individu­ and simplest method would be to the very real costs. None of these
the bill and they can't understand
als for violations against the ESA. force the loser to pay all the costs things will be accomplished unless
why we citizens passed a bill
requinng compensation for govern­ Clean Water Act or any environ­ of the defense and the trial. The we become as vocal as the radicals.
mental act. These may be completelv second method involves amending
ment appropriation of private lands.
(s) Donald McF.lligott
Much of the public support for frivolous suits, but the federal
the laws that make these suits
lone
the bill stems from reading of the government must pay their attorneys
Dolan, Dodd, English or Bea cases and court costs, win or lose. These
in our daily papers. In the Dolan suits are tremendously expensive
vs. Tigard case, the city attempted to defend and some of the judges
to take a 15-foot strip of his property have no compunction against
for a bike trail in exchange for a making "new law" so many of the
ribbons, judges and entertainment
The Morrow County Fair Board,
building permit in an industrial area cases are forced to appeals courts.
are a few ways these monies are
at its January meeting, changed the
Governmental agencies sued are
In the Dodd, Hood River and
used by Morrow County to help
board's meeting date to the first
English, Multnomah cases, the defended by the Justice Dept, and
put on the yearly fair.
Monday of the month.
counties rezoned property that these the particular agency must pay
Governor Kitzhaber has said that
This change is due to the fact that
elderly couples had purchased to Justice Dept, the costs from their
he will veto this funding. Accord­
there are several other important
build their houses and then prohib­ operating budgets. Consequently
ing to the Morrow County Fair
meetings held on the second Monday
ited them from building. In the Bea the agencies are usually anxious
Board, without these dollars, the
of the month, said fair secretary
case, the Bea family got a building to settle. Individuals, if they choose
county will probably not have a fair
LaRae Kindle.
permit from Skamania County, built to fight, often wind up bankrupt,
this year.
The public is invited to attend
like
Hage
in
Nevada.
Corporations
their house and then the Columbia
The board asks that people write
Fair Board meetings.
Gorge Commission, the brainchild or wealthy individuals may have
to their legislators and let them know
o f the Portland elite, decided that the lawsuits dropped for a gift of
County fairs in Oregon are once
how important this funding is to
it could be seen from 1-84 and land or a substantial cash donation again busy lobbying for dollars from the county fairs.
demanded its demolition. Of course to some environmental group. These the Oregon Legislature.
For more information, contact
During the past several years, each any Fair Board member or the fair
in these and similar cases, there is settlements may substantially
never any discussion of recompense. damage communities or individuals, county has received $42,000 through office.
Similar cases by government and but the politicians who have sold the agriculture budget. Premiums,
environmental groups in many states their souls for the radical vote help
haveshort-circuitedconstitutional keep those dirty little secrets.
Those of us who helped defend
protections for just "compensation"
the
Camp Creek case in Grant
during the last eight or 10 years.
County
are well aware of the costs.
Fear of being trapped in a similar
situation has influenced voters to That case was a suit by the Sierra
Club against the Forest Service that
support Measure 7.
The opponents have stooped to would have effectively stopped
outright lies in their campaign. The multiple use of public lands and
for
in reality had nothing to do with
first is, if the cost of the stated
charges were true, then the land use Camp Creek itself. The initial cost
system is stealing 5.4 billion dollars to enter the case as a "friend of the
a year from pnvate property owners court" was $26,000. The final cost
in Oregon every year. However through appeals and the U.S.
on Saturday, January 27 beginning at 5 p.m.
when SB 100 was adopted it was Supreme Court was about $240,000.
to have been accompanied by SB Without the support of the Oregon
at the Heppner Elks Lodge
Agricultural Legal Foundation, the
749 which would have provided
for such losses. That bill was held Oregon Farm Bureau and the
There w ill be a potluck dinner and dancing
up and Sec. 24 of SB 100 was Cattlemen's Association, most of
substituted. That section, among the public land grazers would have
other things, provided that the lost their businesses. At the same
legislature study and make recom­ time, a very high government
(If you have any funny stories/memories you would lilce to share with family and friends.
mendations for the implementation official was pressuring the agency
of a program for compensation by tp settle.
please send to Carmen Wilson, P.0. Box 401, Lexiagton, OR 97&J9U -, )TO r , *
My point in writing this is that
the public .to.prqpfjty,.owners in
(his statii for Valtie df any loss of if we do not defend Measure 7 and
use of property rrrottmg threetly
from zoning or regulations restrict­
ing use of those lands. Unfortunately
the planning contemplated under
that section has never been done.
Measure 7 closes that gap.
Other claims are that the measure
will allow development on the
beaches or deny access to ocean
beaches. Not true. Oregon beach
law has passed the tests o f both
federal and state supreme courts.
Another falsehood is that it will
The Times
allow commercial development in
Dublin Worldwide Productions
residential zones. It does not allow
damages for failure to up zone
property, only for damages for
0® Itojpcdksp Mmoamä
restrictions imposed after purchase.
Finally, it has no effect on building
codes.
We have heard many claims about
the proliferation o f lawsuits. The
only claims that will wind up in
court are those in which the particu­
lar agency does not amend the action
and refuses to pay fair compensation
within 90 days after the claim has
been filed. Probably the claim filers
will be limited because of the cost
of litigation unless there is a substan­
tial loss involved.
date; lobbies for funds
You are Invited to a SURPRISE
50th A N N IV E R S A R Y PARTY
a*tct rficnca 'Pafoiamu
m HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!
S
p
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IT
«* 4 3
o p TF>e
ÒAK1CG
NEW MILLENNIUM >
M ILLER
MANUFACTURES G
is holding an O PEN HOUSE
at their new facility (the old Kinzua truck shop)
on Thursday, Jan. 25th from 1 - 4 p.m.
There will be a presentation at 2 p.m.
and a tour following.
Everyone is invited to attend!
Lions speech
contest upcoming
The Lion's Club is seeking entrants
for the Lion's youth speech contest
this year.
The local contest will be held
in February. The district speech
contest will be held at the Lion’s
Club district convention on March
10 in Baker City.
For more information, contact
Steve Rhea, 676-9922.
Fair board changes meeting
CL
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Bristol Evening Post
MARCH 30, 2001
PENDLETON CONVENTION CENTER
All Fred Meyer Fastixx Outlets
or Charge by Phone:
We look forward to seeing you there!
800.992.8499
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