[Vision2020] Letter to the Editor on Atwood's Column

[nickgier at adelphia.net]

To the Editor:

Nathan Alford has refused to allow a guest column response to Roy Atwood's "Restoring Civility to Moscow Without Illusions" (Nov. 30). I've gathered all the appropriate on-line responses, and Tom Hansen has posted them at www.tomandrodna.com/notonthepalouse/.  (Attached here as a PDF file.)

The U.S. has a long tradition of harmonious and constructive relations between private and public education, but for many years Atwood's pastor Doug Wilson and members of his congregation have attacked public education in the most venomous ways.

Before the controversy about Wilson's slavery booklet broke, I was on cordial relations with Atwood, Wilson, and others in Christ Church.  I spent at least 60 hours helping an NSA student on his thesis on Buddhism. At a talk I gave to NSA faculty and students in April, 2000, I offered to help NSA students on the topic of Christian virtue ethics.

In response to Don Meyer's recent letter (Nov. ?) about how nice members of Christ Church are, I totally agree, but I reserve the right to criticize their pastor if I believe he has done wrong. National condemnation of Rev. Ted Haggart in no way reflects the virtues or vices of his congregation.

Atwood praises Tom Lamar for going directly to Wilson about the demonstration by a Christ Church member calling him a bigot. It is clear, however, that Glasbrook got the idea for his protest from Wilson, who called Lamar a bigot on his blog. Wilson has not retracted this outrageous charge.

Atwood praises Lamar for following "Sunday School Ethics," but I submit that Christ Church and NSA faculty, especially in their attacks on UI faculty, do not follow any moral theory that I would support.

When community members criticized Christ Church member Paul Kimmel for infusing neo-Confederate ideas in a Chamber of Commerce presentation, Kimmel apologized.  I challenge Wilson to repent for bringing these ugly ideas to Moscow in the first place.
 
Nick Gier, Moscow
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