Luxon Letter Misses the Essentials of Christian Faith
To the Editor:
I am writing in response to the letter in The D written by Professor Thomas Luxon concerning the beliefs of certain campus Christian groups in relation to the recent hate mail incident here at Dartmouth.
I would simply like to point out to both Professor Luxon and the Dartmouth community that the Christian belief in eternal salvation through acceptance of Jesus Christ and eternal damnation for those who do not in no way condones acts of hatred such as those perpetrated last week.
His letter is simply an attempt to shun Christianity. He admits his belief of the "sincerity" of the groups "denunciation" of the hate mail; yet he still considers it important to draw excerpts from their webpages concerning their beliefs -- this is mere propaganda. Nowhere in the excerpts do either of the two groups in question (The Navigators and Campus Crusade for Christ) make any inference that Christians have a right to hate those who do not believe in the same thing that they do. This is a cheap shot at Christianity by Professor Luxon.
If he has something to say about the problems he finds with Christianity, so be it, it is his right to do so. However, his argument here is fundamentally flawed as there is no connection between the Christian beliefs quoted from the webpages and the belief in hate. As individuals we are entitled to believe in whatever we want. We are further entitled to act upon those beliefs within the confines of the law. The campus groups mentioned in his letter serve to explore their religion and share their beliefs with others -- they do not condone hate of those who choose not kneel before the same altar. Christians believe in a God who loves unconditionally, not one who hates sporadically. The acts of those who sent the hate mail are not Christian "evangelical" acts as Luxon states. They are acts of hate that can in no way be considered in line with Christian beliefs. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than this" Mark 12: 34.
