Worldism and Christianity

To the editor:

I am writing to expose worldism for what it is.

It is not exactly a good thing; it’s really the reason why the world is in such bad shape. You see, we can’t really govern ourselves; we need to come back to God.

Worldism and Christianity are two different things. Even if man were to govern himself righteously, it will eventually corrupt all over again. God is the one and only righteous judge.

Look at it this way: Here we are spending millions – even billions of dollars – on programs to solve life’s problems that aren’t really going anywhere. If we were to put government in God’s hands, He can perfectly manage all things and it won’t cost a dime.

As I have written before, Christianity doesn’t brainwash people; cults and other false doctrines are the ones that really are deceiving people out there.

As you can imagine, God’s judgment is coming. Just look at Sodom and Gomorrah, just like our world today. You don’t have to go too far to see ungodliness all around you: The removal of the Ten Commandments from our schools and same-sex marriage rights, just to name a few.

As I have also written before, God’s word is for real and needs to be considered. You see, it is not God who needs to lighten up. It’s us who need to straighten up because we obviously can’t run this thing without Him, whether we realize it or not.

Brent Thompson

St. Cloud

Must be held accountable

To the editor:

Recently, my Osceola County real estate tax statement arrived by mail. For once I felt fortunate to study it with a smile on my face. I had attended two meetings concerning the county library and the “for profit” company being considered in the management of library services.

A solution to our library woes? All we needed to do was to juggle a few millage rates. Is there a legal battle about “upping” or “downing” millage rates if it is part of the planning process of balancing the budget?

There are 12 items involved in arriving at ad valorem taxes. My trial run working on this approach was to take the library millage, increase it and then using the increase, applying this amount to an arbitrary set of two items (items 3 and 7), splitting that increase in item 11 between 3 and 7, thereby decreasing these items.

For example, increase item 11 from .2588 to .3500. Next the difference of .0912 needs to make items 3 and 7 drop by .0912; item 3 would decrease .0462 and become 1.022 whereas item 7 could decrease .0450 and become .7030.

My personal opinion after listening to LSSI (Library Systems and Services) on Oct. 24 and all of the objections to LSSI on Oct. 26, is that time was wasted. County commissioners did not want to face the outrage expressed by the public. If we have to face a lean year of 2011-12, then let it happen and without LSSI.

2012 is an election year and time should be spent expressing dissatisfaction with the present commissioners, as well as questioning prospective campaigners for these offices.

County commissioners should know that libraries are a needed service – at least for all young people. Our Hart Memorial Central Library is an outlet to children whose parents do not purchase a diversity of literary materials. It also is a bulletin board to artistic material from our schools.

For my own needs, I make important searches the librarians can help me with. The diversity of many sources on any one topic is of great help.

Our commissioners must be held accountable if we lower the quality of our library materials and rid the system of trained, eager librarians.

Rita Levereault

Kissimmee