editorial
Cheap shots
Dear editor:
Why did Mr. Albers in his editorial on Mr.
McDowell's speech find it necessary to take cheap
shots at the effective public relations campaign and
the possible separation of church and state problems
involved in Mr. McDowell's appearance? Was not
Albers obligated to discuss the major issue (the
resurrection) before he declared Mr. McDowell's
speech "empty."?
Was Albers threatened by the potential power of
Christianity to change his life? Did his doubts about
his ability to refute Mr. McDowell's resurrection
thesis cause him to ignore this thesis?
We challenge Mr. Albers to use his God-given
intellectual ability to prove that Mr. McDowell's
presentation was truly "empty" by refuting the
historical basis of the resurrection.
We have staked our lives on the historical and
existential truth of the resurrection. Is Mr. Albers
willing to take the relatively smaller risk of backing
up his opinion?
Joel Jank
Steve Gerdes
Michael Jank
Larry Hubbard
Gate crasher
Dear editor:
Endless thanks are in order to Wes Albers for his
editorial (Daily Nebraskan, Jan. 27) on the "Josh"
phenomenon of the last several weeks.
Finally someone has said what so many others
have been thinking but have been afraid to express
for fear the next passer-by would call down the wrath
of God on them.
Nothing turned me off to Josh faster than the
countless self-appointed John-the-Baptists
proselytizing from every nook and cranny of the
campus. Of course, the posters of the mysterious
prophet casually standing in a drainage pipe gazing
heavenward added to the effect of theological
ludicrousness.
- Last Sunday while hitchhiking across Lincoln, the
first thing my ride asked as I got into the car was
whether I was going to see Josh that night, which I
suppose only goes to show the dangers of hitching.
It appears that some confusion has occurred
regarding the separation of church and state at the
University of Nebraska. A state school supported by
tax money hardly seems the place for the pushing of
Christianity or any other personal doctrine. I have
been under the impression that the various campus
ministries had taken the task of spiritual guidance on
themselves, and that this was the purpose of their
buildings.
After this crass display of religious needling, it is
to be hoped that the appropriate governing bodies of
the University and the Nebraska Union will show a
little more discretion in whom they allow to come
crashing through the gates.
Tom Diehm
Meaningful message
Dear editor:
A couple of observations need to be made
concerning Wes Albers' editorial ("Josh Showmanship
is entertaining, but empty") in the Jan. 27, Daily
Nebraskan.
The body of the editorial was an attack on the
"Madison Avenue" techniques used in advertising for
Josh McDowell. Granted, the method and amount of
advertising was objectionable to many people. But
how does this relate to the conclusion of the
editorial, "Madison Avenue messiahs are entertaining
but leave you empty"? In other words, what does
previous campus advertising have to do with the
"emptiness" of Josh's Christian message? Evaluating
his message on that basis is comparable to evaluating
the quality of a football team on the basis of the
band's pre-game performance!
The other main point of the editorial makes an
issue out of Josh's entertaining style
("showmanship"), implying that this is somehow in
conflict with the effectiveness of his message. Again,
what does the entertaining aspect of Josh have to do
with the "emptiness" of his real message? Anyone
who feels there is a conflict between Christianity and
laughter or entertainment does not have an accurate
understanding of Christianity and must not have been
paying too much attention to what Josh had to say.
I found Josh's message meaningful and refreshing,
and I'm sure a large percentage of Sunday night's
audience would agree with me.
Todd Havekost
Harbingers of doom
Dear editor:
The artists' conception of the calculator-eyed
student of the future, which appeared on page one of
Friday's Daily Nebraskan, intrigued me. Those
"clubbed" fingers upon which he counted are
harbingers of doom.
Nascent anatomists quickly recognize edematous
distal phalanges as pathological features of pulmonary
disease, cardiovascular disorders, hepatic malfunction,
etc. To me this picture indicates that the slide-rule for
lunch bunch and their kindred boy-wonders with
computers, shall suffer a timely demise.
Lest I not unduly exaggerate the uprightness of
my own posture, or the whiteness of my teeth, I
hasten to add that I, along with chalky pedagogues
and simian sophomores, will continue to tick off the
digits on our unclubbed fingers.
Dennis Hickstein
Mr. Mediocrity
Dear editor:
M. Schmit asks that Nebraska elect a U.S. Senator
who is an agriculturist, someone who will represent
that large portion of Nebraskans who have been
practically ignored by our present representatives.
I also believe this would be good for both the state
and the farmers, but I can't feel sorry for the
Nebraska farmers when Washington gives them the
shaft because these same farmers keep sending Curtis
and Hruska back to Congress.
Frank Morrison gave Hruska a good scare in 1970
but as more and more of the farm vote came in it
became apparent that the "agriculturists" wanted
good . old Mr. Mediocrity himself to stay in
Washington doing nothing for them.
Jim Baiters
Day of judgment
Dear editor:
This is in reference to the editorial of Monday,
Jan. 27, by Wes Albers.
Albers stated the appearance of Josh accurately
when he said "God help us." Josh McDowell is but
one of millions of Christians in the world today who
believe that God is real and wants to show others the
facts.
God has helped me many, many times and there
will be several students praying this week that God
will also help Wes Albers.
I pray that when the day of judgment comes and
I'm enjoying heavenly peace, that Wes Albers won't
be left behind enjoying his own "inner peace."
Mark Tats
Cliche- ridden
Dear editor:
The comments made about Josh McDowell's
meeting on campus in the "editorial" seem to hinge
on the theoretical positions of the writer: (1) "ain't I
right, everybody?" and (2) "after all, am I not an
example of intellectual status on a campus of pure
intelligence?"
To liken a pervasive and enthusiastic promotional
campaign to an expected result like Josh's walking on
water or parading through palm fronds is to confuse
the message with the medium, something that
shouldn't happen with' a true intellectual. The column
also seemed to imply that someone with the talents
of a John O'Leary would, of course, be offended by
"the multitudes of cardboard boxes that were sliding
their way around campus proclaiming the wonders of
Josh."
The entire "editorial" seemed to be saying: I know
every so-called popular expression and idea of today,
and by surrounding these cliches with any kinds of
words, grouped together into sentences on a single
subject, I will receive the applause and acclaim of all
those who also know every trite and "in" expression
of today and know how to group words together into
sentences on a single subject-unless these "friends"
just happen to be plugging in the name of a Daily
Nebraskan editor as that subject.
Mark
No bears for Bella
Dear editor:
This letter is a comment on two recent editorials
in the Daily Nebraskan. To Mr. Albers, all I can say is
that "the truth hurts, doesn't it?" Your own
particular fanaticism is characteristic of those
narrow-minded, wide-eyed liberals that resent having
their adolescent ravings and whims called into
question by anyone-let alone a Christian.
In addition, the publicity campaign for Josh was
no more irritating than those conducted on behalf of
such creatures as Bella Abzug.
To Bruce Nelson (who did at least attempt to
control his emotionalism), I would just comment that
since you have never seen a Christian intellectual and
think a Christian intellectual is a contradiction in
terms-what are Karl Barth, Rudolph Bultman and
Paul Tillich? Either they aren't Christians or they
aren't intellectuals. However, since you use two of
these men to bolster an otherwise lightweight
editorial they just have to be intellectuals.
Paul Cooke
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daily nebraskan
Wednesday, januarv 29, 1975