Mr. Chapman contends that Christian values and Republican ideals often go hand-in-hand. This is true. However, he supports it by saying that abortion and homosexuality is strictly forbidden by the Bible. Mr. Chapman, there are many interpretations of the Bible, and you are simply regurgitating one of them. Another interpretation of the Bible says that pre-marital sex is forbidden. Have you ever had sex, Mr. Chapman? Please, don't answer that. Just ponder.

He also makes the argument that there is no such thing as a Christian Democrat. There are Christians all along the political spectrum. Mr. Chapman seems to also be ignoring the fact that there are many branches of Christianity itself, and many of these branches condemn each other despite worshiping the same God. Aside from that, not everyone who is pro-life is for capital punishment. Not every person who considers her/himself pro-choice is against the death penalty. It's called a moderate view, Mr. Chapman, and a lot of people hold it.

As far as the war in Iraq goes, Americans don't have to enlist if they don't want to. It's a beautiful thing, that word choice. I won't try to dissect the reasons why you choose not to enlist, Mr. Chapman, but I can assure you that there are Democrats and Republicans fighting in Iraq.

When people protest the war, they do not damn the troops. They want those troops brought home to safety. Democrats are letting the troops do their jobs, and they are praying for their safety, too. The difference is that they are asking the man who sent them there to be more responsible. The fact is, President Bush's approval rating has dropped significantly in the last year, suggesting that liberals are not the only ones who have "since faded in their conviction."

Finally, Mr. Chapman's radical comment on liberals praying to "their pagan gods" does not even deserve a response. Your "Us vs. Them" mind set is exactly what is wrong with politics in America today. My only suggestion to you is to take a political science class. Take a theology class, too, while you're at it. Maybe then you'll be able to justify your political and religious rants.

Brianna Freed

junior

speech communication

Wednesday's column by Ryan Chapman contains several blatant inaccuracies. Allow me to numerate the actual facts, which are opposed to his article:

1. The Bible does not mention abortion. It was not an issue during those times. Nobody can tell you when sentient life begins, thus it remains a very tough personal issue.

2. Liberals never bought into the Iraq war, thus liberals cannot possibly be losing conviction. Certain politicians, not speaking for rational constituents, were pressured into giving Bush the authority to declare war. Anti-war advocates believed that going to war was a knee jerk response that did not sufficiently work with world bodies to get to the actual root of the terrorist problem. This unilateral action is not addressing terrorism; it is making terrorism a greater threat to our future, and it only serves to enrich people who profit (financially and politically) from war (at astronomical expense to us).

3. Jesus, the revolutionary focal point of "the faith," did not spend his time rallying against homosexuals. Actually, he spent time warning against judging others, noting that humans are not equipped to judge. This also explains the vast disconnection between today's reactionary conservatism and Jesus' religion, dwarfing the divide compared to liberalism.

Mike O'Brien

graduate student

biomedical engineering