We would like to publicly recognize and thank Lewis Salvage for the donation that made our Arts Appreciation Program possible this school year. The 15 students chosen for showing high interest and excellence of work in art received an art box and gained a greater appreciation of the arts through the docent-led tour of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Thank you again, Lewis Salvage, for your support.
The Art Appreciation Committee Mentone Elementary School
Religion
Editor, Times-Union:
It was with some gratification that I happened to read Dr. Whitehead's response to Rev. Mitchell. She's absolutely correct. So many people don't seek out the truth today. They're afraid they'll find it and it will make them uncomfortable in their positions.
I understand that Rev. Mitchell also made the comment that he hadn't noticed any difference in the Protestant King James Bible and the official Catholic Douay-Rheims Bible. He needs to keep reading. The two Bibles differ in many ways. They are two different translations: the wording is different and the spelling of proper names is different. Moreover, the Old Testament of the Protestant Bible omits seven books, parts of two others, and changes many names.
The ideas prepared in the Bible are frequently above our limited human understanding. Even St. Peter states that in St. Paul's letters there "are certain things difficult to understand, which the unlearned and the unstable distort, just as they do the rest of the Scriptures also, to their own destruction" (II Peter 3:16).
Since the Catholic church is the guardian of the truths of faith, it must protect its members from versions of the Bible that have been truncated by those who do not accept the full truth as revealed in the Scriptures; for example, Martin Luther rejected four books of the Bible. He called the Epistle of St. James "an epistle of straw" because it does not teach justification by faith alone. This practice of distortion was true of many other so-called reformers (revolutionists). If it did not justify their teachings, they just threw it out.
Catholics are encouraged to read and to keep only those translations of the Holy Bible that are issued with annotations and with the approval of a pope or a bishop.
The Holy Spirit doesn't speak with a forked tongue. He doesn't tell one religion this is right and another religion that is right (however, the devil does). Until about 1500 A.D., when a Catholic priest named Martin Luther ran off with a nun (breaking their vows to God) and started the Lutheran church, the Catholic church was the only Christian church.
It is with reason that Catholics believe there is only one true church because our Lord said "there shall be one fold and one shepherd" (St. John 10:16). And "Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jona ... thou art Peter and upon this rock I will build my church" (St. Matthew 16:17-19).
Since it is well known that the various Christian denominations cannot agree on what Christ taught, then it is logical to believe that the one church Christ spoke of to St. Peter cannot be a spiritual union of all these denominations. The Catholic church is the only Christian church that has never deviated from or added to its teachings (despite numerous social pressures) since it was founded by Christ 2000 years ago. Can any other Christian church make that claim?
Christ became man, among other reasons, to teach us how to get to heaven. It is our duty to follow those teachings which he gave us. You will find all of his teachings only in the Catholic church.
Frances Percha Warsaw
Leesburg Alumni
Editor, Times-Union:
In my many years of living, I have found that there are two important highlights that make a deep impression on a person's existence; one is when he graduates from high school and another is when he attends his class reunion (or alumni banquet).
On April 22, 1938, my commencement exercises were conducted in the sanctuary of the Leesburg Methodist Church, where we proud graduates (all 14 of us) were placed in a semi-circle at the front of the sanctuary. After the customary graduation address and speeches from the valedictorian and salutatorian were delivered, diplomas were handed out; then, standing in line and smiling sweetly and somewhat nervously, we graduates received hearty congratulations and felicitations from proud parents and other relatives and acquaintances who tightly gripped our hands while they showered "best wishes" and "good luck" blessings upon us.
After my graduation, several years had passed before I acquired the habit of attending the annual Leesburg School alumni banquets, where you come in contact with old classmates that you haven't laid eyes on in 25 or 30 years; and when you greet them, you are not certain as to whether or not you are going to receive a warm, friendly greeting in return, or be faced with an attitude of cold, haughty indifference. (Whenever one presents himself at a school alumni, he is generally in for a good many surprising confrontations.)
During my high school years, there was one special dynamic fellow in Leesburg High, with the initials G.S., whom I very much admired. I guess every school kid has his idol, and big, stalwart G.S. was mine. G.S. was the most popular guy in high school. He had tremendous good looks and a winning personality, and G.S. made quite a splash among all of the romantic-minded, love-struck females in Leesburg High; furthermore, the guys liked him too, because he was a good sport, and a student who was completely without vanity or conceit.
For 50 years, I had lost complete contact with G.S.; however, during those 50 years, I often thought about him and kept wondering where he was and what he looked like; then, in 1987, G.S. showed up for his 50th alumni celebration; but did I recognize him at once? I did not, because G.S. approached me first and told me who he was. I took note that, after a half century, the former handsome, dynamic G.S. had changed considerably in appearance, and after we were through conversing and he had moved on, I thought: "Gosh! Age has certainly taken its toll on G.S.; but," I concluded with an arched brow, "what about me? I also have aged, so I, too, have changed; therefore, G.S. was no doubt just as shocked to see me in my antiquated, decrepit state as I was to see him." (Had it not been for my name tag, G.S. probably would have never been able to pick me out.)
And that's the way it goes at the alumni banquets.
Don Kaiser Warsaw
KCH
Editor, Times-Union:
KCH (Kosciusko Community Hospital) kind, considerate, helpful.
These are things I experienced during my recent stay in the hospital.
Starting with the EMS crew that came for me; through the emergency room, on to the IC unit, then on to regular care room. I had excellent care by all who attended to my needs, and I just want to tell all the people of our community how grateful we should be to have such a wonderful facility available to us.
Our hospital has to be one of the finest. My thanks to all.
Dixie Lawshe Warsaw
Missing Duck
Editor, Times-Union:
Have you seen me? I'm a missing duck. It took my creator over 100 hours to create me. I was placed in "Just Because" to find a good home for me. I was stolen from there May 8. I am hand carved and "Made in 1996" is written on the bottom and I am sleeping. If you, a family member or a friend have seen me, you will know I am there against my will.
As a downtown merchant we struggle to compete with larger stores everyday. With the downtown construction it has been extremely difficult to survive. To have our merchandise stolen robs us of our livelihood. We small business people are trying to keep the downtown alive, but with incidents like this, it is making it very difficult.
Karen Sheetz, Just Because Warsaw
Language
Editor, Times-Union:
In answer to Don Byers' letter titled "Hispanics," I am also in total agreement with the efforts of the Cinco De Mayo Festival in promoting acceptance of the area's Hispanic population. I and my four-year-old grandson attended the first one but not this year's. I regret missing it. Apparently it was considerably larger than last year. Hopefully, we will be able to attend next year's festivities. It is also a good learning experience for us white folks to realize in a small way what it must feel like to be a minority.
I don't consider myself to be racist, and I don't want my grandchildren to be either. But I do believe anyone who wants to live and work in this country should make an honest effort to learn the English language. I would not move to another country and expect the natives to learn my language, but rather I would expect to learn the language of the country I chose to live in.
