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THE NEW YORK TIMES EDITORIALS/LETTERS FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012 NATHANAEL RUBIN

THE NEW YORK TIMES OP-ED FRIDAY, AUGUST 31, 2012

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ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Publisher Founded in 1851 ADOLPH S. OCHS Publisher 1896-1935 ARTHUR HAYS SULZBERGER Publisher 1935-1961 ORVIL E. DRYFOOS Publisher 1961-1963 ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER Publisher 1963-1992 The News Sections JILL ABRAMSON, Executive Editor DEAN BAQUET, Managing Editor JOHN M. GEDDES, Managing Editor TOM BODKIN, Deputy Managing Editor WILLIAM E. SCHMIDT, Deputy Managing Editor Assistant Managing Editors RICHARD L. BERKE SUSAN CHIRA GLENN KRAMON The Opinion Pages ANDREW ROSENTHAL, Editorial Page Editor TRISH HALL, Deputy Editorial Page Editor TERRY TANG, Deputy Editorial Page Editor MICHELLE McNALLY JIM ROBERTS The Business Management SCOTT H. HEEKIN-CANEDY, President, General Manager DENISE F. WARREN, Senior V.P., Chief Advertising Officer, General Manager, NYTimes.com YASMIN NAMINI, Senior V.P., Marketing and Circulation. General Manager, Reader Applications ALEXIS BURYK, Senior V.P., Advertising ROLAND A. CAPUTO, Senior V.P., Chief Financial Officer THOMAS K. CARLEY, Senior V.P., Planning TERRY L. HAYES, Senior V.P., Operations and Labor

The New York Times Company ARTHUR OCHS SULZBERGER JR., Chairman, Chief Executive Officer MICHAEL GOLDEN, Vice Chairman JAMES M. POLLO, Chief Financial Officer R. ANTHONY BENTEN, Senior V.P. ROBERT H. CHRISTIE, Senior V.P. MARC FRONS, Senior V.P., Chief Information Officer TODD C. McCARTY, Senior V.P. KENNETH A. RICHIERI, Senior V.P., General Counsel LAURENA L. EMHOFF, V.P., Treasurer DIANE BRAYTON, Secretary

What About the Chinese Dream?

When I was teaching English at Binhai School of Foreign Affairs in Tianjin, China, I used to practice my Chinese with the people making my food in the school cafeteria. But if I wanted to communicate anything significant, I would need to take a student with me to translate. I noticed that the same staff were there every day serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. They never seemed to have any time off. So one day I asked one of my students to translate, and I asked the girl who makes my Jian Bing (egg and crispy fried noodle wrap) how many hours she works each day. She said she works at least sixteen hours a day, seven days a week. I asked her if she ever has any days off, and she said only during summer break for one month. Thats eleven months straight of virtually non-stop work. I couldnt bring myself to ask her how much (or rather how little), she was getting paid. I think maybe I was afraid to know. How did it come down to this for her and her workmates? Number one, she cant afford to leave her job. Her salary is so low that she will probably be living paycheck to paycheck for the rest of her life, or starve. Number two, she is from the countryside. In China, people from the bigger cities, especially Beijing, have certain societal advantages over those from the countryside. Its called regional discrimination. Number three, she is not particularly attractive. In America, that usually doesnt make any difference (that is, its not supposed to), but in China, where they require you to include a photo with your resume, it could make a big difference. If she had been from a comparatively mid-sized town (with a population of approx. 1.4 billion, you can imagine the difference between towns in America and China), she would have had an entirely new set of challenges. First, she would have to get through high school (most children from the countryside leave for work after they complete what is our equivalent of junior high school), which in China, is designed to get you ready for the college entrance examination or Gao Kao. This is an enormous amount of pressure for a teenager to deal with, considering that the Gao Kao determines a students entire future (unlike our SAT and ACT, which I never had to take). Second, she would have to pass the Gao Kao with a high enough score to get into an acceptable university. This is not easy. She would most likely test into a less distinguished second tier college where the quality of education is much lower than say Nankai University, which is located in another part of Tianjin. But even if she did get a good score on the Gao Kao, she would still not likely be able to choose her own major. In order to do that, she would have to have been at the top of her class. Most university students in China dont get to choose their major, but instead, are assigned majors at the discretion the university. Forth, she would have to get through her assigned program, even though its probably not what she wanted to study. As a teacher at a second tier university in China myself, I can say that the majority of my students were generally unmotivated to learn what they were studying. But where is their incentive? Another foreign teacher who had been teaching at my school for years before I got there in the Spanish department told me that if a student fails a class, their parents can pay the school to take a retesting fee and take an exam administered by the school, rather than the professor, in which they will pass. Those students are then placed in the next level of her class the following semester, only to fail and retest again all the way to a degree in Spanish, without hardly ever having even come to class. Fifth, after graduation, she would have to find a job in the ever diluted workforce of the most populated nation in the world where competition is fierce. If she could keep her job, she would probably be working overtime every week for the rest of her life, although for much more money in a much more comfortable workplace. The truth is, her alternatives are probably worse. She could be doing construction like so many people from the countryside (sometimes even young women like her). For someone with her plight, she is actually not doing too badly. In order to help out, just keep buying the things you need, most of which are made in China anyway. You will consequently be supporting Chinas cheap labor workforce. The more jobs there are, the less demand there will ultimately be for jobs. Therefore, considering Chinas rapid economic growth, the problem will eventually fix itself, although it may take a while for people like the girl who makes my egg and noodle wraps to feel the effects.

We Are Responsible for the Things We Claim to Own

Some books have great advice tucked into them, you just have to look for it
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery is a charming and imaginative tale about a young boy who finds himself stuck on Earth during his travels around the galaxy. But within the story lies a deeper message, a message about retaining our responsibility for the Earth we live on and all of the living things that surround us. In the book the little prince has a single rose that he considers to be his rose and a fox that he believes is his fox. He learns from these two living creatures that when you claim something to be your own, you have to remain responsible for them and take care of them. We claim that this world is our world, that the countries and cities we live in belong to us, and yet we fail to show this by the actions we take. In our every actions we should make an effort to benefit our Earth. Using environmentally friendly products, saving energy and water, riding a bike or using public transportation instead of driving: These are all great examples of ways that we can claim responsibility for the land that we claim to be our property. It isnt difficult to change a few aspects of our everyday life to help to maintain the environment, and if everyone made an effort we could accomplish so much. Along with our environment, we need to pay attention to the struggling populations of our wide variety of animal life. The endangered animals list is growing longer and longer every day, and unless we realize that nothing is going to get better until we do something about it, it will continue to grow. The animals are dependent upon us to maintain their ecosystems and ensure that they can thrive in their natural environments. Without our help, these animals are defenseless to the mistakes that we have made that are costing them their lives. The Little Prince is full of different life lessons and a lot of really great advice, but I believe this message is the most important for us to pay attention to. If we continue to treat the Earth the way we have been for the past few years, our future generations wont have an Earth at all. Our natural resources are dwindling, our forests are being destroyed, and the pollution levels are steadily climbing. Pretty soon our world will be so destroyed that it will be almost uninhabitable. If we want our children to have the same luxuries that we have, and want them to be able to call this land their own just as we have, we need to take action and make an effort to retain our once thriving environment. It is ultimately our responsibility to return our Earth to its former glory. To the Editor:

Reacting to the Effects of Facebook on Society

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the OP-ED about Facebook and how it is slowly destroying our society and, especially, our social skills and the way we communicate with one another. This article touched on how it is convenient, and takes less effort to simply log into a website and see what your friends are up to rather than giving them a call or going over to their house. I agree with the author in the sense that Facebook is a bit too much insight into peoples lives and an invitation for negative habits such as analyzing and criticizing fellow Facebook-ers. I also think Facebook can be an outlet for jealousy. This article made me wonder where Facebook is taking us and how we can prevent it from consuming our lives and causing us to be inferior communicators. I liked the suggestions of how to better spend our time rather than going on Facebook for hours on end and actually pay attention to those around us. It makes me wonder if our society is capable of cutting back on social networking and if this phenomenon could possibly get much worse. BROOKE FARRIOR TALLAHASSEE, AUG 25,2012To the Editor: I really enjoyed the piece that was published regarding the effects of Facebook on society. The author made great points, and I agree with just about everything that was written. To expand upon the authors point, I believe that children are the ones being harmed the most by our societys addiction to Facebook. Instead of climbing trees, riding bikes, and as the author suggested, throwing around a football, our children are all huddled over their electronic devices waiting for the next status update. Children learn by example, and I believe we all would benefit by following this articles example and stepping away from Facebook. When people talk about how bad Facebook has gotten, we tend to laugh it off, but as the article states, the problem is more serious than that. Thank you for allowing this authors message to be heard. JOSEPH LESHO TALLAHASSEE, AUGUST 30, 2012

One Panel at a Time: The Benefits of Solar Energy

By Brooke Farrior
In recent years there have been many technological advancements intended to better our environment and economy. Solar energy is on the rise, a relief to many since the sources of energy we have been using are in need of an update. The technology of solar power is improving rapidly as private investing increases, along with government interest in green energy solutions. A reliable, consistent source of energy that is in no danger of ever running out is exactly what this world needs right now and I think that need can be satisfied in solar power. Other countries have caught on to the benefits of solar power and been utilizing them. Spain already has solar power working on a commercial scale. In the past 30 years Icelands power supply went from being 75% imported coal to 80% hydro and geothermal. Portugals electric grid leapt from 15% to 45% renewable resources in the span of only five years. Its our turn to give solar energy the chance to live up to its full potential. There is absolutely no pollution with solar energy. It does not burn fuel or create emissions; it doesnt release mercury or any oxides into the air that we breathe. There are long-term health concerns associated with repeatedly inhaling all these chemicals that could be avoided if energy was primarily solar powered. Most people either dont realize or care how quickly our natural resources are dwindling. Brooke Farrior, a literature Professor at the University of Alabama, is the editor of How to Make the Perfect Cake: Rules and Guidelines for the Kitchen None of the fossil fuels are renewable resources and will soon run out at this rate of consumption. Solar energy will never run out and is much more reliable. With solar energy if your power goes out, you still have electricity. No more resetting your clocks or attempting to restore lost computer information. Solar energy is also the only form of renewable power that is completely silent and unobtrusive. Even if people arent interested in bettering our world and the environment we live in, who would be opposed to saving money? After the initial investment of converting to solar power (which is dropping in price as technology is improving and solar energy is becoming more prevalent), your utility bill will be much less costly due to the lack of energy used. No fuel is used in solar energy, so the cost of gasoline is cut as well. There is also very little maintenance involved. In addition, convert to solar energy and say Hello to tax breaks! Many incentives are offered for renewable energy by the United States government, including a tax credit of up to $2,000. If your solar system happens to produce more energy than you can use, a program called net metering will actually spin your meter backwards and give you credit for the excess electricity. There has been a lot of media scrutiny over the solar energy company Solyndra failing, which casts a shadow over the cause of renewable energy. I feel that failure is an inevitable and important part of the process, and that it will pass. Solar power is a relatively new concept and will take awhile to catch on. I dont think the failure of one solar energy company is reason to write off the cause altogether and wrongfully assume that it wont make it as a popular means of generating energy in our country. Solar power systems can be installed in very remote regions. The other day I saw a picture of a sustainable solar powered sculpture in the middle of the desert. Generating our own source of electricity by powering our homes, heating our water and fueling our cars with solar power could possibly enable us to live off grid. Not needing to rely on utility companies to supply power would bring on a new sense of independence to home owners and, in the grander scheme of things, also bring on a new sense of independence in regard to foreign energy sources. The empowering feeling that accompanies self-sufficiency as well as the additional money youll possess that would have been spent on utilities and the like are further reasons to consider switching. People are getting creative with solar energy and using it for a variety of unique purposes. At Coachella last year, there was a giant, beautiful origami crane sculpture with solar powered LED lights. In Taiwan, there is a dragon-shaped arena that seats 50,000 people and generates 100% of its electricity through its 8, 844 solar panels. Solar trash cans have even been designed; they possess built in compactors which allow the trash cans to store more garbage and in turn, lower the impact of trash in cities and reduce operating costs, the use of fuel, and greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%. The capabilities of solar power far extend what it is typically being used for today in the United States and I think it will catch on in the near future. All this is overwhelming evidence of the fact that solar energy is the way of the future; we just need to embrace it as a simple yet effective way to better our planet and economy, one panel at a time.

The Education System in America

The Bloggers Influence: How Blogs Can Shape Our World

A closer look at one of the most influential genres of our day and age
One of my favorite blogs is a travel blog called The Everywhereist that is written by a woman by the name of Geraldine DeRuiter. She travels all over the world with her husband and documents her experiences in her blog posts. The posts include anecdotes and pictures to document memorable moments during their travels, historical facts that they learn in each area they visit, and reviews of different venues in all of the different countries. I especially enjoy the restaurant reviews, because if I travel to any of these places I feel that knowing what restaurants are good will be very practical knowledge to have. I read her posts regularly, and I have followed this blog for about a year now. Throughout this year I feel that I have really gotten to know this woman and her husband, although I have never met either of them. I began to think, why is that? Why do I feel like I know these people when I clearly have never met them before? I think the fact that I feel a close personal connection with these people indicates the fact that blogs are a very personal genre. Geraldine shares a lot about her life within her blog, including details about her marriage and her personal thoughts throughout her travels. She also writes her posts so that you feel that she is talking directly to you, because she addresses her readers directly by thanking them for reading, saying that she will talk to you later, and including questions within the posts that are assumed to be directed at the reader. Because the blog writers include a lot of personal information within their posts and write casually and conversationally, as if addressing a friend, readers and followers of the blog earn a sense of trust and closeness with the blogger. The fact that these blogs create a strong sense of trust between writer and reader, blogs are potentially one of the most powerful and influential genres in existence. Since these writers are able to establish deep personal connections with their readers, any opinions they share or reviews they give have the potential to influence and persuade people in ways that other genres cannot. They have the ability to take the advantage of the trust that they have generated and use it toward something great. Restaurants, movies, products, and political candidates: all of these groups could utilize blogs and different blog writers to endorse their products and reach people who they couldnt reach otherwise. The influence that these bloggers have can potentially sway thousands, if not millions, of people.

The Country Music Legacy

By Eric Flemons
For many music lovers, the way to convey or attempt to convey that he/ she has an eclectic and sophisticated taste for music is to say, I listen to everything. Except country. I know this because for much of my life, I said those exact words. Country is frequently dismissed as a genre of little to no complexity, substance, or worth. People who listen to country are often stereotyped as hicks with sub-par intelligence, living somewhere in the backwoods and listening to only country music. This negative attitude toward country music is due to the decades of musical development and creation through which weve forgotten our country roots. An important issue to address is the problem of music history. Most people who enjoy listening to music do not take the time to delve into the history of where their music came from. They never see the evolution from the oldies their parents enjoyed to the modern music they hear today. Popular artists like Zac Brown Band, Bruce Springsteen, The Dixie Chicks and Taylor Swift are some of the few modern atrists that have been able to transcend the negative stigma of country and break into the mainstream. Their fans, however, dont realize who these bands were when they started out, and who inspired them to create their own music. Buddy Holly, one of the greatest musicians of his era, came out of Lubbock Texas. His music was a hybrid of the country music he grew up with and the Rock n Roll he heard on the radios. He even took the name of his album from a John Wayne film, crossing country style with his crossbreed of country music and rock. Buddys first album hit in the summer of 1957 and pretty soon people were listening to buddy all across America. They wanted nothing but more of his revolutionary sound. Buddys life abruptly ended in a freak plane crash during his first tour. Buddys life may have ended, but his music lived on to inspire millions, most notably, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and many other artists. (Source: DigitalDreamDoor) Anyone who has listened to any of these artists music has heard much more of Buddy Holly than they realize. One overlooked complexity of country music is its lyrics. Ive heard many people tell me, All country music is just complaining about how you lost your dog and your truck and your wife. However, real true country can have meaningful, profound messages written between the chords. For example, The Avett Brothers are well known for their powerful words, strong voices, and catchy melodies. In their song, Murdered in the City, they sing to each other of what to do should the other get murdered. The line, Always remember there was nothing worth sharing like the love that let us share our name, has always stuck with me. In comparison, Far East Movements song, Like a G6s hook is, Sippin sizzurp in my ride, like three 6, now Im feelin so fly like a G6. This indicates that most other genres pale in comparison to the lyricism that comes standard in a country song. Country is often dismissed by many as way too simple, and perceived to have no depth. This couldnt be further from the truth. Take for example the song, 40 Miles from Denver by Yonder Mountain String Band released in 1999. There are six key changes in the verse and chorus alone, along with many different harmonies by the lead singer and backup singers. Now take for example the song, Sofi Needs a Ladder by the extremely popular modern electronic artist, DeadMau5. When the singer comes in, she alternates between two notes, barely creating something able to be classified as a melody. The latter can be heard frequently in America. Though it may be more popular than the former, no one can claim that the current electronic movement is more complex. Bluegrass, a subset of country music, is one of the most complex and difficult genres to play and to understand. Many Bluegrass fiddle players are former classical violinists who find country more of a challenge and enjoy playing it more. The instruments of country music are in themselves indicative of country musics complexity and breadth. Two of the quintessential country instruments, the violin and the mandolin, both originate from classical music. This shows how far back any genre of music goes. Country was born from an amalgamation of immigrants introducing each other to their most prized instruments The fiddle from Ireland, the Mandolin from Italy, the Dulcimer from Germany, and even the banjo from West Africa [Reese 12]. It is important to recognize the heritage of all genres of music so as to get a better understanding of music as a whole. The misunderstood and underappreciated genre of country music can be often times be misrepresented by bad artists and hick people. The music itself however offers something much more than just a few chords and a catchy hook. It comes with a legacy, and a history worth remembering.

TO THE EDITOR: I wish to write in response to the recent article written by Joe Kalicki. I feel that his stance on the importance of reading for children in school is a very well articulated. I agree with his idea that we should encourage children to read what they are interested in, and the idea that as long as they are reading its a good thing, is a valid notion. I had a very similar experience to the one he described. I too would skim through my assigned reading throughout my school days, only searching for the key points, and then go home and read big long novels of my own choosing. I remember thinking how much more I would enjoy school if they only let me read the things I was interested in rather than the dry antiquated books I was being force fed. This left me feeling detached and uninterested during most of my English classes. The only problem I can see with this proposed approach to reading education, is how will it be implemented? I know when I was a kid we had a program called accelerated reader which was a way to read books you were interested in(as long as they were in the program) and take quizzes on them afterwards. At first this appears to be the type of program that Kalicki suggest however, I remember that while I loved this program and consistently ranked in the highest I the class

for books read and tests passed many of my classmate found work arounds to get grade without actually reading. And the program was eventually done away with because of this. The article raises great points and I would like to see more ideas on the future implementation of programs to encourage reading. CALEB THOMAS TALLAHASSEE, AUGUST 30, 2012 TO THE EDITOR: Mr. Kalickis evaluation and opinion on the education system in America is one that I agree with, and am sure many of the readers of your newspaper would agree with. He sheds light on the fact that reading has become such a chore for students that they have no desire to read outside of class and many have developed a hatred for all kinds of reading. He suggests that electronics take center stage and be the hero of the reading crisis, saying that products like the iPad and the Nook, although not cheap, are good tools to get the kids more interested. While I agree with Mr. Kalickis suggestions, there is a question of funds for this type of endeavor in our school systems. Even Kalicki mentions the fact that he is aware that money is an issue. Usually, if the schools are being encouraged to add something to the school (such as a few hundred iPads) for the students sake, something else will have to be cut. It is the argument of what is not working at all that deserves to be cut from the schools budget that really intrigues me after reading this authors editorial ANNA CURTIS TALLAHASSEE, AUGUST 28, 2012

Batman: Super-Hero or Super-Zero?

The recent reintroduction of the Batman franchise with the Dark Knight trilogy has sparked up the age old conversation of whether Batman is really a superhero or not. Many people say that since he possesses no super powers, he cannot be considered as a true superhero. This brings up the question, what classifies a character as a superhero? Do they have to have x-ray vision and the ability to fly, be able to shoot lasers out of their eyes or webs out of their hands? Do they have to be born a superhero or can they develop the identity later in life? The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines a superhero as: a fictional hero having extraordinary or superhuman powers or an exceptionally skillful or successful person. Does this mean that anyone who has extraordinary abilities or is successful can be considered to be a superhero? If this is the case, then there is no doubt that Batman is indeed a superhero. Bruce Wayne deals with a lot of tragedy early on in his life and has a terrifying experience involving a lot of bats when he was a young boy, and he takes all of those experiences and uses them to create the identity of Batman. He takes his fear and makes it the main part of his identity, showing that the only thing to fear is fear itself. He wants the villains that he fights to fear what he fears to show that he can overcome his weaknesses and make them into his greatest strength. He also takes the tragedies that occur in his life and uses his rage and sadness to fuel his mission to rid his hometown of all crime. Through rigorous training in the martial arts and an inheritance from his late parents, Bruce Wayne is able to take his idea of the Batman to the next level. He employs a weapons expert to help design all of his gadgetry and uses his drive to do the rest of the work. Batman is a superhero because he refuses to let fear and suffering stand in his way of fighting crime and returning his hometown to a safer state of being. He didnt have to have any super powers or anything of the sort. He proved that a regular person is capable of being a hero if they put their minds to it and do what is necessary. That seems pretty super to me.

ONLINE: MORE LETTERS

Allison Beckley of the Legal Aid Society writes that the Nokia company has gone down the drain. nytimes.com/opinion

One of the worlds most debated topics today is the Catholic Church and their stance on homosexuality. Religion, no matter the denomination, is supposed to bring good faith and happiness, yet still in this worlds advanced society homosexuals are not welcome, nor is their life style condoned in the Catholic Church. The Churchs choice to not welcome all of Gods children is inexcusable; God has made every person to be unique, and the Catholic Church has no right to exile the people that the leaders of the Church deem unfit. God created each person to be different from the next and everyone to have a purpose. This is what the Catholic Church believes; yet they believe that they have the right to determine what beliefs are right or wrong. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Homosexual persons are called to chastity. By the virtues of self-mastery that teach them inner freedom, at times by the support of disinterested friendship, by prayer and sacramental grace, they can and should gradually and resolutely approach Christian perfection. The Catholic Churchs current stance is to have homosexual feelings toward another person may be unavoidable, but to act on them is not to be tolerated and is categorized as a great sin. Thus the only alternative is to live chastely, in order to be accepted. The fact the Church is proposing that parishioners mask their feelings in order to be accepted contradicts one of the main beliefs the Church preaches. If God has made these men and women to posses these feelings, the Catholic Church has no right to discriminate. The Catholic Church did not create each of their parishioners, God did; yet they believe they have the right to choose other peoples life styles. It tends to be much easier to make choices, forcing others to conceal feelings for a lifetime, when the leaders of the church, or the ones developing these rules are not the ones forced to follow them. Many Catholics believe that the scripture itself condemns homosexuality. Although one may agree that the scriptures are very clear about the meaning about the lack of acceptance, there are many things in the bible that God did not approve of that the church and followers choose not to bring to light. For one simple example, the fact that one is not supposed to eat pork. To not acknowledge God in all of his requests would be considered a sin. The unfortunate fact is that many men and women in the homosexual community are still attempting to be a part of their church, but they feel unwelcome and not accepted. The Catholic Church seems to have a choice memory when it comes to choosing scripture to back up their discrimination. Some people act like if someone is homosexual they must be from a completely different planet, but they are just people that live their lives differently. The Catholic Church doesnt ban people with different colored hair or tattoos because they are still people, they are only different. Segregating a group so large that only wants to practice their faith is wrong. In my mind, all I see is a second civil rights movement. They should have the same rights. With people or organizations like the Catholic Church standing in their way, it will give them more strength to fight for what they should not need to fight for in the first place. Although the worlds tolerance is advancing, the Catholic Church is still holding on to their fossil ideas. They are forcing human beings to choose the lesser of two evils; they either defy their religion, continue on sinning and face the consequences, or mask their feelings, their thoughts, their whole person, in order to be a part of this omitting community. To embrace who you truly are and the unique aspects God made you with is an idea the Catholic Church lives by; yet only for those who are normal enough to do so. The Church is losing followers daily. The reason so many people are infuriated is due to that fact that they cannot bring their beliefs and ideas into this time period. If the Catholic Church is going to stand by their belief that God does not accept homosexuality, as written in the scriptures, they need to continue on by following everything that is stated in the scriptures. If the Catholic Church honestly believes the only way to proceed on to heaven after death is to not disobey the scriptures written thousands of years ago, then they should stand by everything stated. If everything stated is abided by, the lack of acceptance for very specific groups or lifestyles is gone because the hypocrisy is gone. The Catholic Church then has the argument we are following the scriptures. Even if this all were to occur, a large majority would still not accept the Churchs stance. They would still be considered aged, hypocritical elitists, yet they would possibly have a leg to stand on.

Following the Scriptures