Letters to the Editor

Editor:

It appears my statements concerning morality and government have been misunderstood. My faith is not in government. My faith “is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.” My faith does affect how I view government and my responsibility concerning it. My views are based on scripture and American history. I do not advocate a state church or religion. I absolutely agree that morality must begin at home. We must not assign childrearing to the government. We must each take personal responsibility for our actions.

I do not believe that government is the answer, God forbid, but government was ordained by God and is accountable to Him. I am not talking about forced Christianity but enforced legislation that protects individual rights (including unborn babies) and punishes the guilty. I am not calling for churchformed government but for church-informed government. Some would remove any Christian influence from the realm of government, making it virtually a sin for a Christian to vote. Voting is participation in the government. Christ, as my absolute Lord, is Lord of how I vote.

To relegate faith to the home, purging it from the public sector, is to miss both the mandate of scripture (to occupy until He comes) and historical precedence. I have no hopes of a socially-engineered Utopia or that we can vote the world into salvation. I do, however, strongly believe that it is incumbent upon Christians to do the best we can, for as long as we can. That includes civil participation in a way that reflects Biblical values and electing leaders that best represent that view. “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.” Proverbs 29:2.

God has blessed us to live in a democratic republic, a freedom that Jesus did not enjoy. That blessing carries with it a responsibility. “To whom much is given, much is required,” Luke 12:48. Active participation in government is a privilege and a duty for the Christian. In America, “we the people” are the government. The Church must never lose its primary focus of winning the lost, yet this does not negate the responsibility of Godly influence on society.

Jesus said the Church was to be salt and light. He warned us not to lose our saltiness, nor hide the light under a bushel. Participation in government, either as officials or as voters, is just one of the many ways Christians can exert a Godly influence.

Consider: “It is the duty of nations, as well as men, to confess their sins and transgressions … yet with assured hope that repentance will lead to mercy and pardon and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.”

Perhaps many will disagree with this statement. They would not be disagreeing with me but with the author – President Abraham Lincoln.

Britt C. Peavy

Dear Ms. Bennett:

Now that a year has passed, the Mississippi Gulf Coast is seeing the fruits of the labor provided by the many generous people who have tirelessly assisted in our recovery and rebuilding efforts.

We’d like to thank all of the members of Fair Haven Methodist Church who’ve given of their time, hearts and hands.

We would also like to thank the countless others from the Millen area who also gave of themselves to aid in our recovery. Words can’t begin to express our appreciation.

As we continue to rebuild our coastal communities, we are inspired by the ongoing commitment of so many people around the country, such as Millen. Because of this kindness, Millen has a permanent place in our hearts.

If members of your community would like to see how we’re progressing, please visit our website at www.gulfcoast.org. Thank you again for all the hope you provided.

Warmest regards,

Stephen B. Richer

Executive Director

Dear Editor,

I recently had a chance to read Mayor Rocker’s comments about letters concerning the state of Millen. He stated that “letters were written from people I don’t know or have never heard of. What is most interesting is that the letter writers don’t even live in Millen or Jenkins County.” Well, Mayor Rocker should be glad that someone is willing to speak out and point out issues concerning the county and city.

Millen has many buildings that have not been touched from many years. They are slowly falling apart and are a huge eyesore. It is embarrassing as a native to bring people to Millen and to be asked, “who owns that dump:” or “why don’t they tear down that building that is falling apart?” If the city and county government have done anything over the last 20 years to fix these issues, then I, for one, would love to hear about it.

As for the comment: “Undoubtedly, these folks don’t know that the Georgia Department of Transportation already owns or is in the process of purchasing 24 property locations, which have structures that will be demolished at the state’s expense as part of the construction process of the Savannah River Parkway. In my opinion, it makes more sense to let the DOT incur these expenses and let the property owners and our community sit back and reap the benefits this highway will bring.” Yes, we all know that, but what was done all the years before this project came about, and what about all the buildings around the railroad tracks on Highway 21? What are you asking to be done about those?

And stating that it is much better for DOT to pay for things just shows ignorance. Last time I looked, the taxpayers of Millen help fund the DOT, and so you are paying for it one way or the other!

I would suggest that Mayor Rocker stop patting himself on the back. Instead of words, let’s see some action. Don’t just encourage, take some action and put some teeth in laws and ordinances. Also, he commented about turning areas into parks and gardens. Last time I checked, a city with a dwindling population should be more concerned about turning areas into job producing sites not garden sites. And as for the one example of potential industry locating in Millen, it is an embarrassment if that is the only one. I wonder how hard local elected officials have tried to bring jobs to the city and county.

If Mayor Rocker is offended that people are questioning the current state of Millen and Jenkins County, then maybe he isn’t the right one for the job.

Millen is a garden that can only produce if it is well maintained and a proper investment is made.

Sincerely, Mitch Miller