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 The Chronicle welcomes you online! Please feel free to respond to these editorials or letters to the editor by sending your letters to the editor.

We condense letters; most, as published, won't exceed 300 words. A letter must include the writer's name and city, which will be published, and an address and telephone number for verification, which will not be published. Writers may be limited to one letter every 30 days. Open letters, letters to third parties and poetry are not considered. Letters from people living outside the Chronicle's circulation area usually are not considered.

Bible doesn't settle pastoral issue

Web posted June 13, 2000

 Have a thought? Go to the @ugusta Forums.

Editor, The Chronicle

Regarding Rev. Ray Simpson's ``Bible settles it, no women pastors,'' letter of June 7:

I found the comments both funny and disheartening. The more this topic is discussed, the more there seems to arise controversy. As a Baptist and a laborer in Christ, I am appalled at the comments, which do not help discourse, but only add fuel to an already intense fire. As a Christian I agree that the Bible has the final word on all doctrine and teachings for the church. But the problem lies not with what the Bible says, but with what it does not say.

The Bible says, ``Thou shalt not kill.'' This was true when Cain killed Abel, and it is still true today. Yet, through all of my studies, I have yet to find an explicit reference like this concerning women as pastors.

The saddest thing about the comments, was that the writer made the mistake of confusing biology with theology. The debate is not whether or not men will have babies or menstrual pains. The issue resides in this: Can women serve adequately and responsibly in the office of pastor?

When this is determined, maybe, just maybe, we can ``move on to bigger issues.'' Until then this remains something to be discussed.

Victor R. Scott, Grovetown