Christian faith calls for inclusion, tolerance
After reading David Carr’s guest commentary (“Tolerate others, don’t accept them,” ODE, Oct. 22) last week in which he asserts that we should tolerate others but not accept them, we find ourselves compelled to respond. While we appreciate Mr. Carr’s attempt to describe a way of living in this world with its competing and often conflicting values, we find his solution ultimately to be unsatisfying.
As two other “self-identified” Christians, we believe that our faith calls us to a love of neighbor that has more to do with inclusion than exclusion, characterized by bridges rather than walls, by hospitality over mere tolerance. We would agree that God has given us life and liberty, and wants us to pursue happiness. However, that happiness is always compromised when my neighbor’s happiness is compromised. My completeness as a child of God is limited every time I try to limit another child of God living out who God created him or her to be.
Living in such a diverse and pluralistic world is always challenging. However, our Christian faith invites us not only to make room for those who are different from us, but to make friends with them as well, acknowledging that we are all children of God on this journey called life.

Rev. Ann Bowersox

Koinonia Presbyterian Campus Ministry

Rev. Jeremy Hajdu-Paulen

Wesley Foundation United Methodist

Campus Ministry

Lobby for the

right to choose
Last week was a rough week in the struggle to maintain a woman’s right to choose. As reported earlier last week, the ban on so-called “partial-birth” abortions was passed in both the Senate and the House and is certainly going to be signed into law by President Bush (“Senate approves ‘partial-birth’ ban,” ODE, Oct. 22). The anti-abortion faction has won a major battle in its war to reverse the 1973 ruling of Roe v. Wade.
What is very troubling to me is the misinformation provided by anti-abortion groups. For example, contrary to some reports, late-term abortions are extremely rare. Of all abortions, 98.6 percent occur within the first half of pregnancy, and 88 percent within the first 12 weeks, according to www.choiceusa.org. Only a handful of doctors are able and willing to perform late-term abortions, and it is only utilized when the fetus or mother has serious health risks.
In a perfect world, there would be no need for abortions at any point in pregnancy. Everyone choosing to have sex would be educated about the correct uses of contraception and no woman would face complications during pregnancy. Unfortunately, that is not the case, and having access to safe and legal abortions is being threatened every day.
Both men and women need to defend the right to choose through voting for abortion rights legislators and lobbying current legislation about the importance of choice.

Amanda Mabry

junior

international studies

co-director, Students for Choice