Columnist Art Hobson’s Faith Misplaced

Sunday, February 17, 2013

— Iread the piece by Art Hobson in the Feb. 10 edition. I’m not certain what the aim of his writing was, other than to support others who deny God. I detected a man who believes his intelligence is above those of spiritual faith, a man with little understanding of anything that he cannot touch, feel or see.

Throughout history men and women of vision - scientists, doctors, presidents and kings - have believed in God. Universities and hospitals were fi rst created by these people of vision and faith while atheists who came to power sought to condemn and destroy the faithful, especially Christians.

Yes, Mr. Hobson is free to think as he likes, to set no moral norms outside his own desires, to teach that mankind is doomed to this limited existence he proscribes, and to attempt to convince others of his theory. Many of us will continue to choose a world of faithand promise, governed by a loving creator and Savior.

I find it laughable a professor of physics is so limited in vision and faith, spiritual and natural. The most important discoveries in the history of mankind were found by men and women of faith and vision; people who could understand the workings of things they could not see, of things that were beyond the science of their time, of things that were unexplainable by the limits of the factual mindset. As a so-called Freethinker he has locked himself in a box, ready to deny the evidence and claims of philosophers, scientists and spiritual leaders down through the ages. I hope someday he will find his way out of his small view of life and climb out of that box, but that is his decision to make.

Imagine the secular world of Mr. Hobson’s dreams, a world governed not by a spiritual authority and the promise of salvation butby the individual desires of powerful men; a chaotic place of battling selfinterests. To see an example of such a world, simply look at North Korea, the most secular place on earth.

As for me, I continue to believe that I am a small but important part of a spiritual creation, governed by a benevolent God, with the promise of a new life after this one. I believe that, in the end, I will fi nd everlasting peace and joy among millions of faithful believers. Mr. Hobson has chosen to believe that, in the end, he will face only silence and darkness. Human beings have a spiritual spark of life within them, a soul that will face eternal life or eternal darkness. I choose life.

DALE LANGE

Bella Vista A LITANY

OF CONCERNS Well, Mr. Winkler, you’ve gone done didit now!

West Forkers aft liations will rise up against him and his. He might need to high-tail it to Fayetteville like I finally did. But it’s not because he outed Big Don, Butch Bartholomew. It’s because his big letter (Public Viewpoint, Jan. 29) made a lot of people ask “Where the heck is West Fork?” Now the best-kept secret place of Northwest Arkansas will get a whole lot of attention.

They liked being known only as the summer swimming hole and bedrooms.

I’ve had a more than 30-year history with the town of West Fork. When I lived downtown with my two school-age sons, I was constantly harassed by the police department, the water department and many in city hall. I”ve been lied to by Butch Bartholomew, intimidated and ignored by him and his minions for years. From destroying my hand-built rock wall and laughing while they did it, to ignoring a huge water leak(let go until my neighbor’s tree roots rotted and it fi nally took out my elecric service when it fell on my roof).

Oops, says Butch.

The stupidest, worst, most destructive thing I’ve ever witnesses him order was the cutting down of the healthiest tree by the railroad tracks, my tree, a beautiful, 150-year-old tree. Guess why he did it. So the dump trucks could continue speeding downtown. Oh, and so what if (the city of West Fork) has been sewage polluting the river, knowingly, for years.

SHARON DAVISON

Fayetteville NATION NEEDS GOD No social problem can be solved without the re-instatement of moral guidelines. The further we stray from moral absolutes, the more difficult it becomes to define responsibilities and boundaries.

America was founded onChristianity, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. God says “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. (Proverbs 14:34) and “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Proverbs 29:2)

There is no separation of church and state in the Constitution. America was founded on a freedom of religion - “a free exercise thereof.”

Let us restore our basic values, restore a positive influence, invite God back into our lives, schools and government. We were meant and established to have personal freedom and responsibility within an orderly and lawful society.

Let us return to God’s standards and we will be a better society. We must stop the war against Christianity in America. In God We Trust.

PATRICIA R. WRIGHT

Bella Vista

Opinion, Pages 14 on 02/17/2013