Category: Letter to the Editor

Dear Editor,

I am a member of the “underground” LGBT support group here on campus. It is a group of LGBT Christians that meet every week to just get together and be ourselves without fear of having to defend ourselves to others that may not agree with us. The point of this isn’t to argue for or against being LGBT and Christian. That is something that all of us have reconciled with ourselves and our Lord Jesus Christ. The point of this is to let you all know that, to put it bluntly, we’re here, we’re queer, and we aren’t exactly feeling the love from this community.  Houghton is supposed to be a place where everyone can feel the love of God, that is, everyone unless you happen to have an LGBT identity.

Despite what you may have heard, there is a significant LGBT community here on campus who have found “community” together. Yet, outside of our group, we are the outsiders. People don’t understand us, and often times don’t really want to sit down and get to a point of understanding. Yes, we are LGBT, but we are more importantly children of God. Just because you don’t agree or support LGBT rights and actions doesn’t make it your job to suddenly become a theological expert on social media concerning the matter. Being LGBT is a part of our lives, but that does not, however, make it a huge topic in order to be our friend or simply even be friendly. We too are people, and bashing us does not get you or us closer to God. Growth and understanding takes time, and it isn’t easy or pain free, but inflicting more pain or adding fuel to the fire makes it so much worse for those of us who are already feeling like outsiders.

Colossians 3:14 reminds us of the importance of love and unity “And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

Signed,

Elizabeth Knight ‘16

Dear Editor,

I’m writing because the Faith and Justice Symposium that focused on Immigration and Refugees has come to end. Now the question is how can we continue to talk about these issues on campus and in the community? The answer is simple. We can visit, write a letter, or make a call to our congressional representatives. These are only a few ways college student and community members can be involved and contributing to the issue.The issue of immigration is close to my heart because I come from an immigrant background. Both my parents are immigrants from Mexico. They came to the United States in the early 90’s seeking a better life for their children because of their decision to immigrate I was fortunate enough to be born in this country. Being born in this country has enabled me to pursue my dreams and goals.

Immigration is an issue that affects every community in the United States. There are currently 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States. During the symposium we learned that “Immigrants are a blessing not a burden.” I am currently an advocacy corps member with Friends Committee on National Legislation working on lobbying our representatives and organizing around Western New York.

As Houghton students and community members we have to urge for our representatives in congress to commit to working on bipartisan comprehensive immigration in the next congressional session. Please urge 23rd District Rep. Tom Reed to support this kind of legislation.

Sergio Mata ‘19

Dear Editor:

In response to the article on PAS: Suicide, no matter how, is primarily wrong, and illegal.

This article wrongfully uses the word dignity, and the assumption that taking your life, especially as a Christian. Our lives are not ours to do with as we so desire, they are the Lord’s. I have a family member who received a terminal diagnosis; he has an eleven year-old daughter. Is it more dignified to leave your child with a memory of you fighting for life, or ending your life before the fight? If I was that daughter, or that man’s wife, I would much rather face debt than see my father or husband just give up.

Comparing DNR to PAS is not a fair comparison. DNR is for sake of protecting the person from the pain resuscitation would cause them. PAS is a choice rather than treatment, it is not the same as a choice to let someone naturally die.

What happens if this becomes legal everywhere? It becomes the “easier “, more affordable, “less painful” and “dignified” option. Then pharmaceutical companies will jump in on the new opportunity to produce a new drug, say the “kill pill”, another money-maker. People all around the world attempt suicide with pills, some are able to receive appropriate therapy afterwards. But what happens when the “kill pill” is used? They die. Suicide becomes easier. Suicide rates skyrocket.

When it comes down to it, suicide is suicide; and no one should be aided in ending their own life no matter what. Suicide is a widespread epidemic that should be prevented and stopped, not promoted. PAS on a human-level should be understood as wrong, even more so from a Christian perspective.

Prevent lives from being lost. Thank you for your time.

Pursue God always,

Tori Walker

Dear Editor,

Recent public debate in the Star (and the world) regarding LGBTQ issues is provocative because of one reason: the Bible.  St. Paul’s words are inflammatory to many.  He declares that homosexual actions and passions are dishonorable, shameful and unnatural.  (Rom 1:26,27)

Paul asserts that it is possible to change one’s sexual behavior from natural to unnatural.  Thayer’s and BDAG Greek lexicons define  “natural”  (phusikos) as “inborn” and “instinctive.”  Paul argues that these people were born with the instinct that would naturally predispose them to heterosexual behavior.  However, these people “abandoned” (v.27) their innate God ordained instinct.  They “exchanged” the natural function for a behavior against nature.  From ordained to inordinate.

In v. 27 the epistle calls their homosexual acts “indecent”  – (ascheosune)   The lexicons define  ascheosune  as “lewd,”  “brazen exposure of privates,”  “shameless,”   “disgraceful nakedness.”

           Paul also addresses their feelings.  Their attractions. (V.26)  Thayer’s and BDAG Greek lexicons define “passions” (pathos) as “desires” and “affections.”   The apostle calls their desires – “degrading,”  ”shameful,” “dishonorable.” (V.26)  Their desire is perverted from honorable attraction to indecent and disgraceful craving.  

The inspired writer reveals that God “gave these people over” (v.26) to perversion.  The Greek word for “gave them over” (v.26)  is paradidomi.  The lexicons define it as – “to yield up”  “to hand over”  “to allow.”  Paul reveals that God ceased his attempts to restrain their unnatural actions.  God surrendered.  He yielded.  He allowed them to pursue their desires.  He no longer fought to hold them in check.

The Bible forewarns. There is a “penalty for their error.” (V.27) Verse 28 accuses them of doing things which are “not proper.” (forbidden, shameful).

The growing juggernaut of public LGBTQ opinion is hostile to Paul’s words.  As the most prolific writer of our New Testament should we abandon Paul?  The Bible is the source of the controversy.  Disregard the Book – eliminate the hostility.  Embrace the Book – provoke a storm of disputations.

Dan Moore

(former) – Houghton College Audio Visual Coordinator  (from 1981 – June 2015)

Rom. 12:15 says “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” Our response in the face of pain must be compassion to love sufferers like Jesus did. Christ destroyed the last enemy, death, and brought life by paying the price with his blood; therefore, our lives are no longer our own (1 Cor 6:19-20). We are called to submit to God’s will, regardless of our feelings, including His plan for our lives and deaths.  Where there is life, there is hope (Eccl 9:4). “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor 4:16).  However, this world is broken and we must contend with the reality of suffering.  Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection saves us from judgment and gives us assurance of future glorification, but it also gives us the promise of present grace to endure pain until He calls us home (2 Cor 12:9).  In our finiteness, we don’t always understand the purpose of our pain, but we trust God will be glorified. As created beings, we don’t have the authority to tell our Creator, “You cannot bring hardships in my life, even kinds that may lead to death” (Rom 9:20). We don’t have the right to number our days, offer death as a solution, refuse the miraculous, or actively assist in murder or suicide. By so doing, we elevate ourselves to God’s level of authority and fail to submit to His perfectly loving plan for us.

Ransom Poythress

Dear Editor,

Nothing is as tiresome as professors crowding in on a student forum–the Star is (among other things) a place for students to share opinions, and I have many other channels which I can use to share my thoughts with students. Still, in Raisa Dibble’s opinion piece she raised a question about Praxis that only I can answer. “I don’t think it’s fair,” she writes, “to only have African-American speakers highlighted.  Racism and ethnic prejudice happen to millions of people in so many different countries around the world…Why were only African-American speakers brought in?”

Raisa is rightly concerned with drawing the circle wider–this is one of her many lovely and admirable qualities. And she raises a fair question: because reconciliation is obviously complicated, why invite only black speakers? Here was my reasoning: the divide between black and white in America is an unusually difficult one. There is ugly history there, and it’s very personal for all of us who grew up in America.  People who looked (sort of) like me brutalized and enslaved people who looked (sort of) like many of our black students. This means we have a complicated history together. Because we feel ashamed, many white folks run away from this history. Black folks cannot escape it.

If we are to be a reconciling people, we need to do more than just educate people about how much racism really exists in the world. Such knowledge is debilitating if we don’t feel like the tools we have to address the racism right in front of us. Simply, if we learn to listen well in this very thorny relationship, we are better equipped to listen well to the many victims of racism around the world.

I don’t intend to dominate the dialogue, but just to answer Raisa’s question. Students can (and should!) debate about whether it was the right decision–and that’s what college is for, thinking critically about the problems we all face. I trust you to debate that fairly and well. I should add that I hope that this decision has not hurt the feelings of non-black students of color, or seemed to trivialize the difficulties that they face. I honor them and hope that by teaching our students to listen to one group in depth, they learn to listen to all groups sympathetically and with an ear to repentance, change and growth.

Love in Christ,

Mike Jordan (’99)

Response to “A Tale of Two Zipcodes“

I see in your writing what I have seen too many times. I see a simple view of the world; one where we need not consider complexities. It seems to not have crossed your mind that marriage is difficult when you are living paycheck to paycheck. Those who live in Pittsford, your “best of times,” are avoiding the number one cause of divorce.

You also talk about the lack of community service in Belfast. I find it odd that the reason didn’t make itself obvious. When one is struggling to live, it becomes harmful, almost sinful, to disgrace your duty to provide for your family to go serve the community at large instead. To give of one’s money, when one is wanting, and one’s time, when time is sparse, becomes more harmful than spending it on, or with, your family.

I have a cousin. He’s one of the most Godly people I know. Yet, he doesn’t go to church on Sunday. He realises that it is more moral to, you know, make sure his wife is able to stay in a house. It is easy, from a position of wealth, to view the missing of church as something only explained by moral failings. It is easy to say “I am rich because of my morals.” But it is more similar to how Jews and the Samaritans of the Bible were. Jews thought, since they worshiped in Jerusalem, since they were of pure blood, they were morally better. Yet, Jesus went to the Samaritans, or to the poor. He avoided all the rich except for the rich that denied their wealth and their “morality.” Your position makes you sound like the rich young man, who has held all the commands.

Blessings,

Benjamin Eby

Dear Editor,

I wanted to address some misunderstandings I believe were in the opinion piece titled “Love Does Not Mean Acceptance”. The author claimed that “in a nutshell, the present dialogue at Houghton says, ‘Christians need to support and accept the LGBTQ community more’” and I don’t believe that is a fair reading of the current dialogue at all. Currently, there has been a proposed change to the Community Covenant that is attempting fix wording to respect the humanity of queer students and not characterize them as more sexual than any other students. The proposed revision takes out the phrase “homosexual behavior” and clarifies that Houghton believes in limiting sexual relations to a married man and woman only and asks all singles to refrain from engaging in sexual relations. That, as far as I understand, is the main dialogue at Houghton surrounding homosexuality, not “support and acceptance” in the light that the author portrays it in. This big misunderstanding makes me think that the author has not listened well enough to the people he disagrees with. Love may not mean acceptance, but it certainly means listening.

Thank you,

Emma Brittain

Articles on the Houghton Covenant and the LGBTQ community

Colleges throughout our nation’s history have found their commitment to Christian principles slowly eroded to the point of no longer being recognizable as having been founded on God’s Word. Changing the Houghton Covenant would be a step down this road.

Three reactions to the recent articles:

1. Society encourages acceptance of ideas and values which are based on what seems right to individuals, or new “science” which is contrary to the teachings of God’s Word. Man and his ideas become the final authority- not the Word of God.
2. Satan puts doubts in our minds about what God has said; as he did with Eve when he asked, “Did God really say….?” (Gen. 3:2). In essence, asking if God really meant what he said.
3. Sexual immorality in scripture (sin) includes adultery, fornication, and homosexuality. In John 8 Christ helps the religious leaders understand the hypocrisy of judging and condemning others. Neither did Christ condemn her, but said, “…go your way and leave your life of sin.”

As Christians our job is not to condemn, but to lovingly encourage those living in sin back into a vibrant relationship with our heavenly father. We cannot compromise biblical standards by accepting cultural ideas which violate God’s law. We need to love the individual, but not validate the behavior.

Gary King,

1967 alumnus, 30 year Houghton resident

Dear Editor:

Coming on campus this morning, I was deeply touched when I saw the ROCK in front of Gillette Hall painted in the colors of the French flag. Thank you to those responsible for this expression of sympathy and support of France, its victims and survivors of the recent tragedy.

Jean-Louis Roederer (retired prof. of French)