The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 5, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 5, 2008 Page: 4 of 14
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......——
I
OPINION
4
Saturday, January 5,2008
THE BAYTOWN SUN
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
U.S. Views
/iKNOW I'VE (J^TTO "X
I lower w consumption, 1
Health-care
ki
■©>
SATURDAY SERMON
SEE MEEKINS • PAGE 5
I
V
I
I
ft.
coverage for
retirees
vd
Congress, credit &
high interest rates
R. Luckey
Baytown
»
f
David Bloom
Managing Editor
Luke Hales
City Editor
M.A. Bengtson
Community member
WRITE TO US
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of up to 300 words and
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n
editing, and the Sun
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TOMMY
MEEKINS
Church on
the Rock
E
W $aptoton £un
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W
HE'S
STACKED.
FRED HARTMAN
Publisher Emeritus
1950-1974
'/5
109
HOW TO REACH US
Clifton E. “Cliff” Clements,
Publisher
cliff.clements@baytownsun.com
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NEWSROOM
David Bloom, Managing Editor
david.bloom@baytownsun.com
mi.
life with the Spirit and then keep shining
for Him.
The second glow of wisdom is to start
each day in love with Jesus. Just as the
dew of the morning freshly falls on the
roses, let your love for Jesus be just as
"—»u_ j------c j—tl,
grand secret of those magnificent believers
who consistently shine for the Lord year
202-224-2934
713-572-3337
Fax: 202-228-2856
Fax: 713-572-3777
comyn.senate.gov/
contact/index.html
Ted Poe,
Dist 2 Rep.
866-425-6565
866-447-0242
www.house.gov/
poe
Ron Paul,
Dist. 14 Rep.
202-225-2831
979-230-0000
wwW.house.gov/
paul
Gene Green,
Dist. 29 Rep.
202-225-1688
713-330-0761
www.house.gov/
green
Government officials
Federal
George W. Bush,
President
202-456-1111
Fax: 202-456-2326
president®
whitehouse.gov
Dick Cheney,
Vice President
202-456-2324
Fax:202-456-2461
vice-president®
whitehouse.gov
Kay Bailey
Hutchison,
Senator
202-224-5922
713-653-3456
Fax: 202-224-0776
Fax:713-209-3459
hutchison.senate.
gowte-mail.htm
John Cornyn,
Senator
highway of holiness leading you into God’s concerned about His people turning their
lights on and shining for Jesus.” Galatians
6:9 says, “Let us not lose heart in doing
good, for in due time we shall reap, if we
do not grow weary.” Remember, a bumed-
EDITOR1AL BOARD
Clifton E. “CWT Clements
Editor/PuWsher
Jim Finley
retired Managing Editor
Jay Eshbach
Community member
Tt's the time of year when many
■ Americans confront irresponsible
JL spending — but now, the days of reck-
oning are taking on an air of desperation in
many households, as families face bills they
can’t pay. ,
Nobody forced these families to spend
beyond their means. And many debtors
acknowledge that they are, themselves, to
blame for much of their problem. But credit-
card companies also must take responsibility
for extending credit without a firm indica-
tion that debts could be repaid — and most
certainly deserve blame for predatory prac-
tices that make the plight of many families
far worse than it would otherwise be.
These companies’ profits still are running
high. In fact, many card companies have
adopted policies that make it likely that the
default rate will continue to spike, and pur-
posefully target high-risk debtors, loading
on fees that assure the accounts will be prof-
itable even if the borrowers default....
But Congress and federal regulators also
should examine the costs of high default
rates on a wider scale, especially when cou-
pled with the still-developing mortgage-
foreclosure boom.
...Federal regulators should face reality:
Too much of the U.S. economy is based on
high-risk debt, much of which probably
should never have been extended in the first
place.
— The Daytona (Fla.) Beach News-Journal
the time they put their
shoulder to the wheel,
their nose to the grind-
stone and their ear to the
ground...it’s time for
lunch. The humorist Will
Rogers once said, “Don’t
let yesterday use up too
much of today.” I once
saw a sign in a work fac-
tory stating, “If you have
nothing to do, please
don’t do it here.” I’ve
often said, “To a great
man time is precious, but
to the average man, time
only has something to do with dinner.”
We all know that God doesn’t want us
doing nothing, nor does He expects us to
do everything, but somewhere in the bal-
ance is His still small voice calling us to do
His purpose, His plan and will for our lives.
It’s up to us to hear and then obey.
During the Christmas holidays this
thought arose in my mind saying, “God is
not nearly as concerned with the Christmas
parade of lights being turned on as He is
rip he federal government has declared
I open season on older folks in a des-
A perate attempt to save health-care cov-
erage for younger retirees. Companies can
now, with Uncle Sam’s endorsement, openly
discriminate against those 65 and older by
cutting their health benefits, shoving them
off to Medicare, whether they like it or not.
Endorsing age discrimination is just
wrong and presents a slippery slope for
employers to use age to discriminate for all
kinds of reasons that are now still illegal....
While we understand employers’ bottom-
line concerns, legalized discrimination is
untenable. This EEOC (Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission) ruling could also
leave family members of older retirees
without coverage. So a 65-year-old would
be covered by Medicare but not his 60-year-
old wife and his 12-year-old son. And tax-
payers are the ones who will end up paying
for employers who break their benefits
promises.
Health insurance is the most important
domestic issue facing the country, and it’s
time the government addressed the problem
comprehensively, not this patchwork
approach. The ruling shows how critical
health-care reform is and how emotionally
charged the issue has become.
— Chicago Sun-Times
writer. ,
We publish only original
material addressed to The
Baytown Sun bearing the
writer’s signature. An
address and phone number
Creationism
vs. evolution
re: Intelligent debate by Calvin -
Cormier, Jan. 3.
Mr. Cormier,
These are tny thoughts on ere- 1
ation and why evolution is so
absurd. I can’t figure out how any- ;
one can think that science is any ;
easier to believe than creationism, t
Let’s assume that the first cell
that started everything just sponta-
neously appeared from nothing.
First, there would have to be space
for to appear in. I read part of an
article that talked about how it hap- '
pened. It referred to molecules and
gases, etc. Problem; where did the
space, gases and molecules come
from? And where do all the other
planets and stars fit in?
Now if you can answer those, try
this one. In order for a cell to repro-
duce it must be living. You, your-
self, said that “inorganic matter is
not alive”. So, where did all the
dirt, rocks and water come from?
None of these are living. They
could not reproduce. Did every
grain of sand, every rock and every
drop of water appear individually?
We know .that water is the combina-
tion of gases. Back to the first para-
graph, where did the gases come
from?
Next problem, the non-living mat-
ter would have to come first in
order to sustain life. Living matter
could not have evolved from the
same cells as the non-living. But
then I guess if that first non-living
cell could just magically appear
from nowhere, out of nothing, then
this is no problem. (Silly me). Did
animal and plant life all come from
the same living cell, or were there
different types of cells that magical-
ly (oops, scientifically) appeared?
Mr. Cormier, I fail to see how
your “scientific fact” is any easier
to believe than Christian “mytholo-
gy,” as you put it.
I’ll finish with this. This is one of
my favorite jokes and it just fits so
perfectly.
One day a group of scientists got ,
together and decided that man had
come a long way and no longer
needed God. So they picked one
scientist to go and tell Him that
they were done with Him.
The scientist walked up to God
and said, “God, we’ve decided that
we no longer need you. We’re to the
point that we can clone people and
do many miraculous things, so why
don’t you just go on and get lost.”
God listened very patiently and <
kindly to the man and after the sci- •
entist was done talking, God said, r
“Very well, how about this, let’s say
we have a man making contest.” To
which the scientist replied, “OK,
great!”
But God added, “Now, we’re
going to do this just like I did back
in the old days with Adam.”
The scientist said, “Sure, no prob-
lem” and bent down and grabbed
himself a handful of dirt.
God just looked at him and said,
“No, no, no. You go get your own
dirt!”
o V
0 ’
. 0
As Father Time marches on, we need to
put our ears to the mouth of God and hear
what He is saying for the New Year.
Astrologers and psychics will all be giv-
ing their predictions of things to come for
the new year. They will be predicting this
or that, some over exaggerated happening,
or even another Hollywood starlet getting
married for the eighth time. Don’t pay
attention to all those things. However, it’s
time to focus on the giver of time, the
beginning and end, the Alpha and Omega,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
What time is it? It’s time to do well, time
to live better, time to forgive and give up
that grudge. What time is it? It’s time to
be a friend to someone in need. It’s time to
speak a kind word to sweeten someone’s
sorrow and also time to do that good deed
you would often postpone until tomorrow.
Take time to diligently work, for it is the
price of success. Take time to think posi-
tively, for it is the source of power. Take
time to laugh and play, for it is the secret of
perpetual youth. Take time to study the
Scriptures for it is the foundation of wis-
dom. Take time to worship, for it is the
presence. Take time to pray, for heaven
will answer your every call. Take time to
be friendly, for then others will embrace
you as a friend worth pursuing. Take time
to dream, for it is the ticket to your destiny, out light bulb doesn’t produce light and
- x_ i— — j v. i—- j neither- does a burned-out Christian.
My closing statement will be hopefill,
helpfill hints on how to keep our lights
shining bright throughout the new year.
Ephesians 5:18 says that we are to be filled
with the Spirit. Just as an empty gas tank
on a lawnmower doesn’t mean that we
should quit mowing, it only means that we
should fill it up and then keep going. The
same is true when our life seems empty; it
doesn’t mean that we should grow weary
Finally, take time to love and be loved, for
there is nothing greater, nothing above and
nothing beyond.
In the new year we all have the same
amount of time, 365 days , .broken down
into four seasons and twelve months.
Those twelve months are broken down into
52 weeks and then that work week into
seven days of 24 hours each. Those hours
break down into precious moments. Let
this year be given to God in its every w ______,
moment. The year is made up of tiny cud- and quit, it only means we should refill our
dly minutes that should be dedicated to ':r~ --4 ’-----—
God as a newborn infant. Remember,
counting time is not near as important as
making time count.
Since time flies, it’s up to you to be the
navigator. Remember, most of our troubles
stem from too much time on our hands and refreshing as the dawn of daylight. The
not enough time on our knees. Martin
Luther once said, “I have so much to do
today, I must spend the first few hours on
my knees in prayer.” For most people, by
Let your light shine
in the New Year!
■m
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Clements, Clifford E. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 88, No. 5, Ed. 1 Saturday, January 5, 2008, newspaper, January 5, 2008; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1191801/m1/4/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.