University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 4, 1992 Page: 4 of 15
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4
University News
March 4,1992
l
Columnist:
Columnist:
of Month
A
----Louis Faulstich
DOYLE'S
-----Robert A. Borse
'i
February Baby
Resents Politics
No Response from
Payan
basketball team ended a record 86-game
losing streak. Anybody remember that?
We received national attention through
Sports Illustrated because of it. But
now, just a couple of years later, we are
holding onto second place in our con-
ference with a 6-3 record and looking
forward to a second straight year of
post-season play and a possible piece of
the conference title. A mere four years
ago we were dead last The men’s
program was built exactly how another
program is built: from the ground up.
The girl’s team has just as much
promise as the men’s team did four
years ago. They are in the process of
building a team, and things are looking
well how difficult it is to stick with a
losing—my brother was a member of
the 0-86 Crusaders and I captained a 1-
27 high school team. But the ladies’
intense desire, heart and hard work will
pay off.
In fact, the Lady Cru played very
well in a heart-breaking 77-71 loss to
Ambassador College recently.
I hope that anyone who holds the
opinion expressed in that quote would
reconsider their position. In the mean-
time, I would like to thank those of you
who do come out and support both the
men’s and women’s teams. GoCrusad-
ers!
Dear Editor,
In last week’s “UD SPEAKS” by
Colleen Stead, there appeared an anony-
mous quote which was not only offen-
sive but also ignorant. An alarming
attitude, which I hope is not widespread
opinion, was revealed by this remark:
“Eliminate the girl’s basketball
team. They’re bad and they’re wasting
our money.”
Anyone who would proclaim such a
slanderous statement is obviously lack-
ing in their knowledge of athletics in
general (not to mention tact.) I think
that this person could benefit from learn-
ing just a few interesting facts:
Not very long ago, the UD men’s
the reader scriptural and doctrinal evi-
dence supporting this tradition. The
research-oriented reader, however, may
find an adequate understanding of the
Church’s social teaching in Pope John
Paul H’s encyclical OnSocial Concern.
My point here is that the Church has an
established tradition of aiding and as-
sisting people who are victimized by
social injustice. If we accept the defini-
tion of conservative and liberal as out-
lined above, we can reasonably argue
that both will be in agreement with the
tradition of the Church and continue to
work for social equality.
Now, I believe that the difficulty
found in the use of the terms “liberal”
and “conservative” surfaces when we
consider the praxis by which the Chris-
tian social goals are pursued through
the political forum. Does one take a
liberal approach to bringing about so-
cialequality or a conservative approach?
Do we remain open to pursuing differ-
ent ways in which to bring about social
justice, or do we hold on the the ortho-
dox means?
The answer seems to be as para-
doxical as the gospel message itself.
Maintaining the traditional methods of
striving for social justice means remain-
ing open to pursuing different ways in
which to bring social justice about. In
terms of social justice, a conservative
Christian is liberal by tradition. Like-
wise, a liberal Christian is conservative
through the same tradition. For the
Christian, the terms “liberal” and
“conservative” meet at an axis, symbol-
izing the axis of the cross. If the liberal
or the conservative take up the cross of
Jesus Christ, they become faithful
Christians. Thus, both the “liberal” and
the “conservative” can be faithful Chris-
tians.
up. The team is very young, consisting
of lone senior Seleena George, sopho-
more Jodie Thornhill and freshmen
Monica Rosales, Mary Phelan, Ann
Marie Mochen and Ann Donaldson.
Next year they will be joined by an
outstanding transfer from SMU, Janet
Gribnitz, returning Romers Sonya Loftis
and Becky Watts and several promising
new recruits. First year coach Jim
Jackson is working very hard with his
young players for this team’s future,
much like coach Jake Bethany did four
years ago with the men’s team. Give
the man some time.
I applaud the girls for their perse-
verance and dedication. I know all too
—............. Michael Forge
For years I too have heard the words
“liberal” and “conservative.” I too am
confused as to the intended meaning of
these terms. Webster’s offers several
definitions for each term. First, liberal
(as a noun) is defined as “one who is
open-minded or not strict in the obser-
vance of orthodox, traditional or estab-
lished forms or ways.” Conservative,
on the other hand, is defined as “one
who adheres to traditional methods or
views, a cautious or discreet person.”
Thus, the marked distinction between
the two terms is found in the liberal’s
non-conformity with tradition, versus
the conservative’s conformity with tra-
dition. With these two definitions in
mind, let us consider whether both the
“liberal” and the “conservative” can be
a faithful Christian.
First of all, it must be noted that
Christianity is bom out of the incarna-
tion of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
Christianity is both a fulfillment of, and
a break from, the traditions of Judaism.
Although Christianity incorporates
much of the Jewish custom and tradi-
tion, it is at the same time a separation
from the orthodox and traditional prac-
tices of Judaism. In this sense, we may
assert that the early Christians were the
religio-political liberals of their day.
The liberal treatment of the poor by
Jesus Christ and the first Christians
establishes the foundation for the
Church’s role toward social justice.
Secondly, given that the Church has
maintained a social teaching consistent
with the foundations established by
Christ, the Church has developed a
nearly two thousand year tradition and
custom of proclaiming preferential treat-
ment for the poor. I will forego offering
Dear Editor,
You may not know me, but I’m
part of Black History Month. I was
bom in February. I’m not black,
but there is a warm spot in my heart
for this last month before Spring.
Each birthday I celebrate by dis-
pensing with the usual cake and ice
cream, replacing them with a cold
Beck’s beer or six. Why? Because
I’m German (with a wee bit of
Irish), and proud of it. As I drift
into a state of bubbly mirth, I
sometimes ponder the political
utility of my birthday month. Po-
litically, February serves as a
springboard for black pride, and
honors blacks for their contribu-
tions to society. Perhaps it’s the
beer thinking, but each year I find
it harder to believe that this is the
only month set aside for a specific
race’s history, and one must ques-
tion why this preferential treatment
persists. I look at my green bottle
and sigh, “What a masterpiece in
beermaking.’’.Indeed, the Germans
have furnished the world with many
masterpieces: symphonies, super-
highways, the Mercedes, the
world’s premier macho language,
scientific breakthroughs and more
(As I drift, I only wish that Sophia
Loren was bom German—now
that’s amasterpiece!) In this coun-
try, Germans are the second largest
ethnic group, and collectively serve
as the Western agrarian backbone.
One might ask why Germans (or
any other white peoples) don’t
receive any time to “advertise” their
history, while blacks are lauded for
an entire month. After all, our
civilization is predominantly a
tradition built with white blood,
sweat and tears, isn’t it? Or is it? I
haven’t read the latest twistery, er,
history books, and finishing my
last beer, I’m not in the shape to
start. Each year blacks receive
more government recognized and
funded “commercial time” fortheir
history, butlooking at that last green
bottle, fuzzy though it may be, I
know that white people’s many ac-
complishments need no advertis-
ing.
L/X™ T-.O X-
I
MIBl
■
-
RgL
Os
BARBER SHOP
(214) 438-4275
t 920 E. Grauwyler
gk Irving
Letters & Commentary_______________________
Transitus Flammarum:
Must we Choose Religion over Politics?
itself with issues concerning social and
economic justice is not a genuine Chris-
tian church according to my understand-
ing of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The
Catholic Church in particular has called
for a “preferential option for the poor.”
This means that we have been called to
pay special attention to the poor and
marginated sectors of our society. The
Catholic church neither endorses com-
munism nor does it endorse capitalism.
Instead it calls for greater equality
among those who wish to call them-
selves Christians. Obviously we are
encouraged to make political choices
that will decrease the gap between those
profiting from prosperity and those
excluded from it Winston Churchill
said that “The inherent virtue of social-
ism is the equal sharing of miseries,”
but the obverse is also true, according to
Father Michael Campbell-Johns ton S. J.,
“The inherent vice of capitalism is the
unequal sharing of blessings.” With
this I want to say that it is our duty to
endorse ideas that will bring the equal-
ity the Church calls for among its
members independently of the political
party that puts them forth in the market
of ideas.
A second issue that is worth ad-
dressing in the forum of American poli-
tics is that of abortion. The Church has
called for a choice of life. In this issue
the serious Christian’s duty is to choose
the political idea that is in accordance
with the first moral principle advanced
by the Church and derived from the
teachings of Jesus Christ as the Church
understands them.
These are only two of the multiple
issues at stake in the American political
forum and we could go on. But it is time
to answer the original question. I be-
lieve that both the “liberal” and the
“conservative” can be a Christian but a
prerequisite for such a name is that the
person be conscientious in his choices
and that his action agree not with one
political party, accepting all its political
doctrine, but with the political idea that
best adjusts itself to the teachings of the
Church to which he belongs.
1 Luis A. Payan
For years I have heard the terms
“conservative” and “liberal” and have
always wondered what exactly those
who use such words mean. To me it is
simple. In the marketplace of ideas that
is the world, we cannot absolutize terms
any more and ultimately everything
remains somewhat relative. This is
specially true in the area of politics. It
is still interesting, however, to ask
whether a “conservative” or a “liberal,”
whatever these may evoke in your mind,
can be a Christian. Undoubtedly these
words make up an explosive combina-
tion but there is no nation in the world
where religion and politics are com-
pletely divorced from one another. I
will attempt to present my reflections
concerning the relationship between
politics and religion and how I see the
role of the Church (the Catholic Church
in particular) in respect to politics.
First of all I think that no Christian
church should adopt or endorse one
political party or idea nor is it the duty.
of the Church to condemn one political
party or idea as Christian or anti-Chris-
tian. It should instead uphold certain
principles that are in accordance with
what the Church discerns to be the teach-
ing of Jesus Christ These principles
are to be applicable to all political par-
ties. Thence, the Christian politician
and the Christian person in general are
to derive their political choices and
actions taking into consideration these
first moral principles.
Secondly, I want to consider a few
of the issues that are at stake at this point
in American politics in light of the role
of the Christian Church. Any Christian
church that claims the spiritual leader-
ship of a people and does not occupy
Give Women's Basketball a Chance
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University News (Irving, Tex.), Vol. 16, No. 7, Ed. 1 Wednesday, March 4, 1992, newspaper, March 4, 1992; Irving, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1218400/m1/4/: accessed March 28, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting University of Dallas.