Not impossible for a Christian to be president

Concerning Jared Pflum’s column (“”On the hypocrisy of a Christian president””), being Christian and being president are not mutually exclusive, and here’s why:

Remember that Christians believe in the Bible: the New Testament (NT) and the Old Testament (OT). The OT testifies of the Messiah to come, and the NT testifies of Christ that has come. In other words, Christianity is as old as the Bible; it just wasn’t called “”Christianity.”” The first “”Christians”” were Jews who recognized Jesus as the Messiah come to earth. They worshiped the same God before and after the Savior’s coming.

The differences we see between the Old Testament and the New Testament are because the Law of Moses was fulfilled through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The sacrifice of animals to God was replaced with the sacrifice of one’s obedience. However, the Ten Commandments are constant throughout the Bible. For example, in the OT, Jehovah commanded: “”Thou shalt not avenge…, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself…”” (Leviticus 19:18). Jesus Christ reemphasized this commandment because many of the Jews dwelt more on their traditions than on God’s laws (see Matt. 15:1-9). Jesus was reminding the Jews of God’s commandments already given.

Because the commandments of God have not changed through time (because God is unchanging), we can look to the OT for war precedence. Clearly, God allows people to defend themselves against other nations. When David, calling upon God for help, slew Goliath with a stone and sling, it was to defend Israel from the Philistines, who had tried to conquer Israel (1 Sam. 17). David killed Goliath to prevent the Philistines from taking the people’s religious freedom. It was this same David who was ordained by Samuel, a prophet of God, to be king of Israel after Saul (1 Sam. 16). Notice the parallels to today.

A Christian president doesn’t have to be a hypocrite. If you’re concerned about the sincerity of our current candidates, their personal lives should be a good indication. For example, a true Christian will “”not commit adultery”” (Exodus 20:14; Matt. 19:18). As the Bible says, “”…By their fruits ye shall know them”” (Matt 7:20).

Cristi Barnes psychology senior

Deriding war supporters a false dichotomy

In Shane Ham’s most recent screed (“”Attention pro-war students: Uncle Sam wants you””) he used that tried-and-true lefty ploy: the false dichotomy.

Here’s how it works: Give the reader two equally bad choices – the one advocated by concerned lefties and another so far beyond the pale that no one could possibly want to be associated with it.

For example, you might see it like this: Either you support welfare or you want children to starve. Here’s another classic: If you don’t support abortion rights, you want women to die in bloody back-alley abortion clinics. Traffickers in this cheap rhetorical ploy get to revel in sanctimonious grandeur, secure in the knowledge that they care just a little more than anyone else.

But the glory is fleeting. Just change the words of the ruse and you’ve got yourself a deceptive argument for any situation. Maybe, for example, your heart bleeds for refugees in Darfur. But what have you done? Joined the Peace Corps? Got a job with U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations? No? Hypocrite. Did the Hurricane Katrina aftermath infuriate you? No doubt you marched straight to the Red Cross and volunteered, right? You fraud.

As fun as this sort of skullduggery is, it isn’t very productive. The idea that one has to participate in a policy in order to elude the crushing “”weight of your own cowardice and hypocrisy,”” as Ham put it, is utter sophistry. If the only way to be free from cries of charlatan is to “”join up,”” then we face a standard few will ever meet, bloviating college newspaper writers included.

Patrick McNamara UA alumnus

New safety measures ineffective

I am a freshman resident at Manzanita-Mohave Residence Hall. I believe that the police at the dorm have created the complete opposite effect of their intention.

I was told that the police were intended as a security measure from outside forces, but have only found that they have been a nuisance and ineffective in their objective. Desk assistants have been receiving up to four times as many incident reports in the dorms since the cops have arrived. I now feel like Big Brother is watching me constantly between the hours of 10 p.m. and 10 a.m., and such a feeling has definitely reduced a feeling of community in the dorms.

My hall used to have all doors open so that residents could hang out from room to room; it is now a hall of closed doors for fear of being accused of anything. In addition, they have even failed in their objective of security.

On Friday night, a student was mugged right outside the residence hall while the cop was sitting idly at the desk. It is the combination of these actions that makes me feel that the police are only a hindrance to my dorm.

Ben Rawlins engineering freshman

Christian president argument flawed

I am currently a junior at the University of Connecticut. Jared Pflum’s column “”On the hypocrisy of a Christian president”” appeared in our daily campus newspaper. To start off, I would like to say that I am a born-again Christian. I think you are right in some respects and you do make a few good points. I do not agree with many of the things our president has done as well.

However, your article overall was quite fundamentally flawed. Oversimplifications and statements such as “”Of course a Christian can be president, but if, and only if, the individual wishes to defy scripture, disobey the commands of Jesus and ignore all logic”” display a lack of understanding of the Bible.

You said “”we must begin with the Gospels.”” First of all, after saying you’d start there you didn’t end up anywhere else in the Bible. Secondly, why would you begin there, for all of Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching and reproof. You can’t just pick and choose certain parts that you agree with – either the Bible is true or it isn’t. Anyway, in the Old Testament there are many kings and leaders (such as David, who was called a man after God’s own heart). So clearly it is possible to be in a position of leadership and still love and serve God as well as people.

If you truly love your neighbors as Jesus says, you won’t allow people whose hearts have become hardened to continue to take their lives and do absolutely nothing. He said there is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for a friend. God is love, yes, but He is also a God of holiness and righteousness who does not let sin go unpunished, which is displayed throughout the entire Bible.

Am I saying I advocate this war? No. But there are certainly cases in the Old Testament, for instance, where God allows war and says it’s justified. You are right, though: We are called not to repay evil for evil and turn our cheek. However, that is talking about not personally seeking revenge for something.

If someone kills one of your parents, it is saying you shouldn’t go out and kill one of his parents as well – that would be the result of the sin of anger and lust for revenge, which we would both agree is wrong. It does not mean that we are not to have a judicial or governmental system to punish wrongdoing and keep society running properly. In fact, the Bible supports it and says to obey the law (unless it directly contradicts God’s Law).

If you read all of God’s Word, you will begin to understand His overall plan. God has a purpose for everyone’s life, and some people He calls to leadership. Unfortunately you’re right though that so many people in our nation today claim to be Christians but whose actions clearly indicate otherwise. Jesus said you would be able to recognize Christians by their fruit. I pray that you continue to seek for truth.

David Hoogewerff University of Connecticut