THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 11, 1995 TAG: 9511100062
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E7 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Issues of Faith
SOURCE: Betsy Wright
LENGTH: Medium: 92 lines
LAST WEEK'S Issue of Faith: While attending the homecoming of a local high school, I witnessed an incredible outpouring of love and kindness for a teenager with Down Syndrome. I marveled at how today's youth often cherish each other's differences and sadly remembered how those same differences were often ridiculed when I was a teenager.
In light of that experience, I praised today's teenagers and said their caring concern is often the source of spiritual inspiration for me. I also said their lives can be a lesson in love for all people of faith. READER RESPONSES
From Michelle Degman of Chesapeake: ``I started teaching in Chesapeake high schools in 1974 and I continue to teach there and continue to be an advocate for public education and for teenagers. I believe in them passionately.
``Thank you for doing in (one article) what many of us can't do in a lifetime. You were extraordinary in what you wrote and how you wrote it and it's about time that kids got the credit for who they are and what they do. Thank you on my behalf and on theirs.''
From an anonymous caller: ``You have (seen only) one school of people and you look at just a couple of people in that school. You can't say that everybody in Generation X is like (those at) that school. There are more people that are bad than are good, but you didn't want to confront that.''
From Chris Worst, football coach of Kellam High School: ``I really enjoyed your article. I was one of the first people to meet the young man (you mentioned last week), and yes, Witt Christman is very special. . . . Witt has so much energy and he has love enough to cover many people. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to work with Witt and I realize that he is the reason we come to work to teach and coach the students of today.''
From Bob McMichael of Norfolk: ``My granddaughter is very involved in her church and my daughter teaches at the Beach and she has a young boy who is classified mentally retarded, so this article really hit home. I called both of them and had them read your article. My granddaughter, who is a student at Bayside High School, said she will be using the article for her school project titled `You Don't Have to Be a Giant to Do Good Deeds!' ''
From Linda S. Monteleone of Virginia Beach: ``I am a volunteer youth counselor at my church, Prince of Peace Lutheran in Virginia Beach, and I wholeheartedly agree that many of today's teenagers are not the brooding, violent and sadistic group often portrayed in the media.
``This summer, I had the privilege of taking `my' youth to the National Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Youth Gathering in San Antonio, Texas. More than 25,000 teenagers and close to 3,000 adult leaders representing 15 countries attended. I witnessed firsthand just how caring today's youth are. These young people donated 5 tons of food to local food banks, 190 units of blood to the local Red Cross, and provided seven truck-loads of care kit supplies for the needy and homeless in the San Antonio area. In addition, more than 6,000 of us enthusiastically participated in events in and around the city and built a Habitat for Humanity house for a local family. And that's not all: These kids gathered an offering of $135,000, to be used by our Lutheran churches in mission outreach.
``Unfortunately, none of those statistics were published or broadcast anywhere outside the San Antonio area. It angers and frustrates me that we are bombarded with stories of `Generation X' and their involvement in drugs, violence and, too often, death, when there are so many young people who, as you pointed out, are truly great human beings.
``Thank you for taking the time to emphasize the goodness of our youth.''
Correction: Several readers called to note that I had cited the wrong verse in Leviticus, Chapter 19, for the Scripture, `` . . . But you shall love your neighbor as yourself . . . '' I cited that coming from Leviticus 19:22. The correct Scripture is Leviticus 19:18. Good catch, folks!
And just one more thing: Several letters have come in about Suffolk reader Judy Taylor's response to my column on Catholicism. In that letter, Taylor chastised Catholics for worshipping Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ, and referred to Scripture to bolster her opinion.
Andres R. Wong of Chesapeake responded to Taylor's letter with this: ``First of all, the queen of heaven referred to in Jeremiah 44:17 which (Taylor) mentioned, refers to an idol, an `other god' (Jeremiah 44:15). That was why Israel was judged severely by God. Secondly, the Catholic Queen of Heaven - Mary, the mother of Jesus - wasn't even in existence yet at the time of Jeremiah. Thirdly, Catholics do not worship Mary as a god, nor even as a goddess. As Jesus followed his own commandment, `Honor thy father and thy mother,' so do Catholics . . . ''
Wong also noted that Mary's title, Queen of Heaven, comes from the book of The Revelation, Chapter 12, in which it describes the mother of Jesus as ``. . crown of 12 stars,'' and that she has ``a place prepared for her by God.'' by CNB