| Presence of racism should not be assumed I feel that your article in the March 6 UMConnection about the Rev. Lyles activities was somewhat one-sided. I personally know Mr. Moore, the Veterans Affairs Center Director with whom Rev. Lyles seems to take issue. Mr. Moore is a wheelchair-bound Vietnam vet who has had a terrible struggle just to be alive. I have great respect for what he has done. I also know Rev. Lyles, and I have great respect for his efforts in Martinsburg. Whether or not there is racism present, by whatever definition one might use, remains to be established by a Veterans Affairs review board. Your article seemed to be premised on the basis that racism is indeed present something that remains to be determined. Mr. Moore is a decent and honorable man and I think you have done somewhat of a disservice to the Martinsburg Veterans Affairs Center by the way you couched your article. Matt Cole
Harmony UMC, Falling Waters, W. Va. Back to top Religious differences have consequences I recently received a package of materials from the Board of Ecumenical and Interreligious Life, which is a part of our conference Council on Ministries. It contained 32 separate articles on or about Islam. After glancing through the articles and leaflets, I found no indication that the United Methodist Church had any problem at all with the religious beliefs and ordinances of this religion, which is diametrically opposed to Christianity. Islam teaches that Muhammad is the true prophet of God. Islam teaches that there is nothing in humans that is essentially evil. There is no doctrine of salvation; nothing that requires an atoning or substitutionary sacrifice in which sinful humans are redeemed and made acceptable to God through grace. There is no need for Christ and there is no need for grace. How does this stack up against our Methodist beliefs? Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. This is the cornerstone of our faith. Do we hold this up against the teachings of the Quran and pretend that the differences are minimal? I agree with the idea of striving to know all that we can about Islam. There are, however, significant differences in our religions. If we are true to our beliefs, that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life, then the differences between us have eternal consequences. Rev. Stephen R. White
Howard Chapel-Ridgeville UMC, Mt. Airy Back to top | 
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