In a recent letter to your newspaper, Republicans were accused of hoping that President Obama fails. Of course I can't speak for all of us, but I don't think it's a personal issue at all. I would hope that any person, whether Democrat or Republican, conservative or liberal or moderate (whatever that is) who supports the views that President Obama is currently espousing would fail. ...more

February 20, 2009

Evelyn Johnson Taylor of New Tampa never expected to be a published author. Growing up as a pastor's daughter in North Carolina, putting pen to paper never crossed her mind. Years later, after raising two daughters, working as a nurse and earning a degree in women's studies, she felt led to try something new. ...more

February 4, 2009

PLANT CITY Keith Deltano will employ his comedic talents to encourage good decision making when he brings his show, "The New Sexual Revolution," to Shiloh Baptist Church. ...more

January 30, 2009

I have been following the reports concerning the "bi-partisan" committee which investigated the alleged misdeeds of Governor Palin on the firing of a man in Alaska. I understand Governor Palin states that the man was fired for insubordination. I don't know the exact makeup of the committee except I am informed that the chairman is a Democrat. It is likely that even Republicans on the committee may have been predisposed to find fault with the governor, since she had reprimanded some in her own party. I understand that the report did not find anything illegal in the actions of Governor Palin but that the question was one of ethics. ...more

October 18, 2008

In the 17th century, the Catholic Church rejected the teaching of Galileo on the grounds that it contradicted Scripture. Today, one would be hard pressed to find anyone who would not accept Galileo's position. The problem was not with Scripture, but with the church's understanding of both Scripture and the science Galileo taught. Apparently, some members of the School Board of Highlands County have not learned that lesson and persist in making the same error the Catholic Church did centuries ago. The creation myths of Genesis I and II affirm our belief in God as creator but cannot be understood as giving us a scientific historical description of creation itself. The first two chapters of Genesis both say the same thing but their particulars vary and contradict one another. Did God create man and women both at the same time and after he created animals as in Genesis I or did God create Adam and then the animals before taking a rib from Adam to make Eve as in Genesis II? ...more

February 1, 2008

As one who has preached the gospel for over 40 years, I could not agree more with Dean Johnson's letter of Dec. 6 concerning global warming. Dean writes: "God controls the world's temperature not man. God controls the climate, the earth's eco-system and our environment, not man. Dean questions why evangelical Christians are caught up in trying to save the earth. I also question that. The one verse of Scripture, known by more people than any other, is John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life." The word "world" does not refer to the planet earth but "people." God has called Christians to save people from their sins not to save this earth. ...more

December 15, 2007

It is amazing how readily and quickly people will accept lies, with respect to God, truth and reality. ...more

November 8, 2007