Religious tolerance

The Rev. Jerry Falwell was criticized recently for saying that Islam teaches hate. Is it fair to say that Christianity teaches racism, sexism, slavery and polygamy? At various times and places groups claiming the Christian heritage have taught such things.

Three Christians will always have four opinions; seven or more if one of them is a Unitarian. Does Falwell think it is any different for Muslims?

There are people who teach hate, and some who don't. Some of those are Muslim and some are Christian. Yet our respective traditions, at their best, have struggled against the temptation to paint one another with that broad brush. Even St. Paul had trouble getting Jesus' teaching straight. He says love your enemies, all right; but because it pours hot coals on their heads.

Would someone please suggest to Jerry that he read an even inadequate translation of the Quran. He would find some wonderful teachings therein.

Rev. Mike Young

First Unitarian Church of Honolulu

Happy Birthday Starbulletin.com!

By Paul F. Minczer

Webmaster note: Tomorrow marks the fifth
anniversary of Starbulletin.com.

'Our' newspaper

While I was away from the islands for more than 11 years, it was the Honolulu Star-Bulletin that kept me in touch with the happenings in the islands. In the pre-Internet days I regularly received articles clipped and mailed to me by my parents. Now starbulletin.com is a daily destination site for me.

The creativity of the staff resulted in Expatriate's Corner, a site that keeps the locals who live abroad in touch with the islands. The Star-Bulletin has served as a lighthouse to Hawaii's finest who have moved away from the islands.

It is the Star-Bulletin's "local" style that gives its writing the character that I so missed while living away. It covers stories of local value, while rarely ever compromising a story of national or global importance.

Very rarely does a newspaper become a staple within a community, but the Star-Bulletin became that and more. It truly feels the pulse of the kamaaina -- virtually intravenous.

May the Honolulu Star-Bulletin live long and prosper.

Von Kenric Kaneshiro

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