By Donna Buckbee Rushford, MN First of all, I wish to thank Pastor Bobbie Horning for taking a stand against violence against gays and lesbians. I’m grateful, too, for similar assurances from my Christian friends. Non-violence is one of the many things I respect and love about the Biblical Jesus. There were other Biblical teachings embedded in my letter of December 2017, … [Read more...]
The faith of the atheist faithful
Why do certain atheists continually proselytize their faith? One would think that they would be more timid about expounding on their beliefs and would be cautious in insisting that there is no Creator, no God. Some seem really angry and full of hate for God and his followers. Why do atheists use their faith to try destroy mine? With their contempt and vitriol, what are … [Read more...]
Christianity 101…no misconceptions here
By Flip Huggenvik Big Spring, MN Herb Panko’s comments on my rebuttal to his original commentary piece are interesting. And he does make some good points on contradictions and the literal interpretation of the Bible. I am a Gentile...a non-Jew. The Bible was basically written by the Jews, about the Jews, and for the Jews. (With the exception of Paul’s letters to some of the … [Read more...]
The dangers of debt
Politicians and commentators these days like to point to an array of threats to our constitutional system. There’s one, though, that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should: our national debt. We may not yet be in imminent danger of fiscal collapse, but we’re moving into uncharted waters. We are among the most indebted nations in the world, and it’s only getting … [Read more...]
Consequences of reading the Bible as literal history
In a reader’s response to my article several weeks ago entitled “New Testament misconceptions and fallacies,” he makes the mistake that is typical of those who read the Bible literally. Without a substantial knowledge of Christian history and scholarship, one becomes trapped in a literal box filled with the many scriptural contradictions, mistranslations, misinterpretations, … [Read more...]
Good old fashioned morals and common sense
By Pastor Bobbie Horning Ostrander, MN I am writing to oppose, in love, of course, a commentary written last year titled “Give me that old time secularism.” (Fillmore County Journal, December 4, 2017) The article bashed God, Christians and the Bible. How awful and sad and untrue the things that were stated. First of all, the really real Christians are never violent towards … [Read more...]
More ramblings from the “Old Soldier”
By Ron Scheevel Preston, MN As I’ve had a chance to travel a bit this winter, I’ve made a few observations about the way we live in our modern society. This is mostly a commentary on our use of electric devices that have evolved over my lifetime. First, let me explain that I am totally inept at the use of almost all new technology. The exception to this may be the electric … [Read more...]
Letter about Mabel EDA/City Council clarification…
To the Editor, Mabel city officials recently learned of concerns regarding the construction financing of a city-owned incubator building. The Economic Development Association (EDA) and city council want to provide clarification. Interim financing for the approved $450,000 incubator building, which the city will lease to a private daycare provider, has been secured for up … [Read more...]
Your appendix: Friend or foe?
I drew the unlucky straw recently of having appendicitis. There are few things in this world that are more uncomfortable than the pressure, bloating, nausea, and vomiting related to this condition. It landed me in the ER one night and the next morning I was ready for an appendectomy (surgery to remove the appendix). It went by in a blur. It went great! However, to my dismay in … [Read more...]
Letter about Kingsland building referendum…
To the Editor, I am going to vote yes Tuesday, May 8, on the Kingsland building referendum. The reasons are pretty straight forward. The Kingsland school board, our elected representatives, have decided that the school campus in Spring Valley is in need of an indoor air quality (IAQ) project for asbestos abatement, mechanical, lighting and Americans with Disabilities Act … [Read more...]
One Moment, Please… More than an education
The week of May 7, 2018, is Teacher Appreciation Week. And, Teacher Appreciation Day is on Tuesday, May 8, 2018. This past week, our newspaper presented the Golden Apple Award to Ms. Maryellen Dean, a long-time teacher at Rushford-Peterson Schools. She was nominated by two individuals: a parent and a student. Both nominations were submitted to the Fillmore County Journal … [Read more...]
Divided we stand!
In our political discourse we hear the words, “Our country has never been so divided!” Americans have a history of disagreeing with each other. During the Revolutionary war there were Loyalists and Patriots. In the Civil war the North and South fought over slavery. Following this, we were torn between Industry and Labor, Catholicism and Protestantism, Jews and Gentiles … [Read more...]
Is Kingland’s May referendum extortion?
By Bob Rowe Wykoff, MN In my opinion the notification that the community of the Kingland School District received about the upcoming vote for an $8.2 million referendum, basically amounts to extortion. Vote the way we want or we’re going to cost you more money. On Tuesday, May 8, 2018, Kingsland District residents must make the choice to vote “yes,” costing themselves $17.5 … [Read more...]
Letter about President Trump’s executive order to review welfare programs … To the Editor,
The executive order that the President signed aligns with the administration’s “Principles of Economic Mobility.” It would create an accountability system for local, state and federal governments. It would also empower the private sector and local communities to create and administer local solutions to poverty. This is exactly what agencies like Semcac already provide. Our … [Read more...]
Trains
Fascism is a self-defeating ideology. In every case of a full-blown fascist government, and even those with budding fascist tendencies, you get to a point where supporters of the fascists have to start saying, doing, and believing ridiculous things. Never break from formation, never question, never ever let the idea get into your mind that the group doesn’t have the right … [Read more...]