THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, October 8, 1994 TAG: 9410070006
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A14 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 41 lines
We were honored by the recent visit of Bishop Walter F. Sullivan to Regent University. The divergence of opinion provided a context for a lively, vigorous and extremely gracious debate between the bishop and Regent University students. However, your headline (``Catholic leader stirs evangelical school,'' Oct. 4) distorted much of what actually went on.
What staff writer Esther Diskin's article neglected to point out was how compelling the arguments of the students were to the controversial reverend bishop. In his introductory remarks, the bishop mentioned turning ``right'' to get onto campus. He did just that. He not only reaffirmed that homosexual behavior is unnatural and sinful, but also conceded that a conscientious Roman Catholic has grounds not to rent to those whose immoral behavior goes against the Catechism of the Church. He also suggested that the Roman Catholic Church may have more in common with evangelicals than mainline protestants.
I was proud that our students not only articulated their firm Christian convictions but that they did so with the utmost respect and charity toward the bishop. They artfully blended a tolerance of the person with an intolerance of an idea. In the marketplace of ideas, they showed they were prudent and persuasive merchants.
Yet areas of agreement between the bishop and Regent were even more notable, in dealing with issues of justice, care for the poor, peace, the liturgy of the Word and the renewal movement within the church.
Our hope is that our students will be on the vanguard of exploring, critiquing and arguing ideas. We believe that truth and goodness will ultimately triumph.
TERRY LINDVALL, president
Regent University
Virginia Beach, Oct. 4, 1994 by CNB