The writer of the letter "A new public library" (Dec. 13) stated five excellent reasons for the Forsyth County commissioners to move quickly to build a new public library in Winston-Salem. I would like to add another reason that does not have as much to do with money, but is just as important:
Amazing things are happening in this area in medical and other kinds of research that have the potential of benefiting people around the world. Improving our knowledge base here is an extremely important part of the support needed by these research institutions. Education and technical skills are a vital part of the equation that allows research to move forward.
The public library system fulfills an important role in educating good workers. Furthermore, an excellent public library will attract better-educated people and tax-paying businesses to Winston-Salem.
NANCY E. METZGAR
Winston-Salem
Nancy Metzgar is retired from the Central Library. -- The editor All killing is not murder
In the Dec. 6 letter "Protecting life," the writer indicates that he believes Christians are inconsistent in opposing abortion and the limitation of health care, while supporting warfare, since he regards warfare as a violation of the Sixth Commandment, which he notes is "Thou shall not kill."
However, a majority of the most widely accepted recent translations of the Sixth Commandment translate the Hebrew verb "ratsach" as "murder," rather than "kill."
Webster's Dictionary defines murder as "the unlawful and malicious or premeditated killing of one human being by another." Our nation's efforts to bring terrorists to justice do not fit this definition, especially when innocent civilians are inadvertently killed.
Certainly, our armed forces should try to prevent their killing of innocent civilians during warfare, but unfortunately it is often not possible to avoid such killing. Under these circumstances, there is no credible reason for regarding the accidental killing of innocent civilians as murder.
In the Old Testament, there are a number of accounts of God instructing his followers to engage in warfare with other nations, or at least assisting them in such conflicts. Surely God would not encourage his followers to violate any of his commandments.
With regard to abortion, many if not most Christians believe that human life begins at conception, rather than at an arbitrary time in the gestation period determined by a judiciary that seems to have limited regard for the humanity of unborn babies. Therefore, many Christians believe that abortion is nothing more than legalized murder.
HARVEY E. ARMOUR
Winston-Salem
Leave it alone
I am writing to commend columnist Donald Kaul on his Tiger Woods column, "Woods discovers his true friends" (Dec. 11). I can't agree more with his opinion that the media needs to let well enough alone and stop making an unfortunate one-time mishap (we hope) into a campaign to increase sales and further compound the Woods' personal problems.
FRANCENA MORRISSEY
Advance
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement