Portions of Bible often overlooked

There are too many letters to the editors citing Holy Scriptures, insisting there can be no divergence from its requirements, while overlooking issues where there is no adherence by churches today.

St. Paul ordered women be restricted to a seat in the church with no voice, thereby excluding them from offices of elder and deacon. Today, women's voices are heard not only in their churches but in the proceedings of the Southern Baptist Convention. Nuns joined by sympathizers in the Roman Catholic Church call on the hierarchy for an increased role for women, including ordination. Both Evangelical Lutherans and Episcopalians have women presiding bishops.

Jesus required marriage to be indissoluble, divorce prohibited, and violators who remarry become adulterers. Christians today by and large are not in compliance with this requirement.

While he certainly saw marriage as between one man and woman, he took no stand on homosexuality. Jesus time and again challenged the religious establishment, who insisted on strict adherence to Jewish law, even when enforced to the detriment of its people. Jesus healed on the Sabbath.

Who knows but that he might challenge today's equivalent of scribes and pharisees. What Christ always saw as paramount was that all should love one another as he loves us.

JOHN BRATTON, Sewanee, Tenn.

Thoughts on debt ceiling

Mr. Wallace, the Democrats (Jack Lew and others) continue to emphasize "not raising the debt ceiling will result in a U.S. default on loans." Not true! We, the American people, want our debt to be reduced not increased! There is plenty of money coming into the government on a monthly basis to pay most of our expenses and the debt payment would be first on the list; then would come the military, Social Security, Medicare/Medicaid, etc.

There would be no default with this approach. Clearly, the Democrats will request, no demand, the debt ceiling to be increased until our debt would be so enormous that a collapse or de-valuation of the dollar would result. When you talk to these so-called-Democrat-economic-experts, please explain to them this non-default model. I'm sure they still wouldn't understand since it doesn't fit into their talking points.

RICHARD WILSON, Whispering Pines, N.C.