Advice to young pastor: Back off 'hateful' language

Editor:

Westside Christian Churchs senior minister Brian Heckbers hateful comments about those who are not Christians demonstrate his crudeness, his lack of sensitivity and his limited education (How we worship feature, Sept. 5). His ugly reference to folks worshipping the Buddha, Mother Nature or a rubber chicken reveals his willingness to vilify something he knows nothing about.

The Buddha, a man and teacher who lived around 600 B.C., was not worshipped in his lifetime and has not been worshipped since. Buddhists revere the man for his wisdom, insights and teachings. Heckbers conclusion that non-Christians have opted for a religion providing for an easy way to heaven is ludicrous. All great religions ask practitioners for the greatest possible effort in achieving the highest levels of morality and ethics. The measure is in the spiritual growth of the individual.

Heckbers attempt to prove the rightness of his claim, that only Christians will know salvation, with a quotation (John 14:6) is preaching to the choir. Of course Christians who believe the Bibles New Testament to be the inspired word of God are convinced by that passage. But Heckber is directing his venom at those outside of Christianity (his separation of the human family, not mine) ignoring, or failing to understand the futility of arguing from that stance.

My advice to this young would-be-religious leader: try to sound more like Jesus Christ and less like Grand Inquisitor Tomas De Torquemada.

Gene L. Rickaby

Martinez