1
Over the past few months, I’ve been paying aention to Pope Francis since he was in- augurated as the head of the Catholic Church. Some of the things he has said in candid interviews have raised my eyebrows in shock. He strikes me as a very humble and sensible man, not someone who would use the power of the pulpit to exert his world views on the masses. What really got my aention was when he said the Catholic Church is obsessed with gay marriage and abortion. Pope Francis gives me hope that the Catholic Church can begin to send a more moder- ate message that would draw more people to God instead of turning them away. I can aest that I left the Catholic Church because it felt like it was becoming more of a political body obsessed with gay marriage, birth con- trol, abortion and supervising sex — instead of preaching love, forgiveness and accep- tance. I still consider myself a Christian, but not a Catholic. Much to my relief, even Pope Francis noted this obses- sion within the Church, and he said clergy must find a balance between their spiritual and political missions. However, he said the Church’s positions on gay marriage and abortion are clear and will not change. I was disappointed to hear him say that women still should not be ordained, but he added this shouldn’t be construed as women being viewed as inferior in the eyes of the Church. I understand not everyone will agree with me on issues of reform within the Catholic Church. I don’t expect you to agree with me. It doesn’t mat- ter if you agree with me; I’m not going to engage in any pey squabbles over gay mar- riage, birth control or abor- tion. I’m simply stating that Pope Francis is a breath of fresh air in a world so often dominated by overbearing demagogues. He seems more willing to accept and love everyone in- stead of casting aspersions and judgment. I commend him for trying to shift the Church’s focus to helping the poor and less fortunate instead of political schemes. Given the state of affairs in our world, we could use more positive people like him. Oct. 14-27, 2013 www.lcc.edu/lookout OPINION 13 — Staff Editoral — — I am invincible! — Classified Advertising Sarah Spohn Jeremy Kohn Suzanna Powers [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]. Associate Editor Paginator Staff Writer Nikki Nicolaou Photo Editor Jaimie Bozack [email protected] A & E Editor Larry Hook [email protected] Adviser Lurah Peterson [email protected] Advertising Manager “Pretzel M&Ms for break- fast, lunch & dinner.” “Playing Dungeons and Dragons.” Richard Schenck Editor in Chief “I’m a sucker for a good Disney movie.” Sports Editor Nathan Wilson “MTV’s Friendzone show.” “Eating tuna fish sandwiches.” “Taco Bell.” “Listening to Taylor Swift.” “The Bee Gees.” “Listening to Cradle of Filth.” the lookout Lansing Community College’s Independent Student Newspaper since 1959 What is your guilty pleasure? As this editorial is being writ- ten, we are in the second week of the federal government shut- down. Hundreds of thousands of furloughed workers are siing at home unable to return to work, all while our politicians are being paid. The shutdown occurred because the Senate and Congress couldn’t agree on a budget to fund all por- tions of the government. Repub- licans and Democrats split along partisan lines, particularly over the funding of Obamacare, eventually resulting in the situation we are in now. Even if you aren’t a federal worker, this shutdown threatens us all in some way. Many federal agencies are closed. These include parts of law enforcement, financial regulators, some veterans’ services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, passports and unem- ployment benefits funded through the federal government. Even if the shutdown ends before you read this editorial, it is a chill- ing reminder that politicians are willing to set aside the good of the country if their terms aren’t met ex- actly. In today’s state of politics, Repub- licans and Democrats refuse to nego- tiate over even the simplest manner. They default to a mindset of “It’s ei- ther my way or the highway,” all too eager to sacrifice the common good of the people they were elected to serve. Ideological agendas and how they fare in the polls are of more concern to them. Instead of finding a solution, our Congressmen and Senators continue to bicker and behave like spoiled chil- dren. It feels like our hands are tied as we are constantly faced with the threat of looming government shut- downs or debt ceiling showdowns. For this reason, we feel a lot of people become apathetic to politics and just don’t care anymore. They don’t vote or they don’t educate themselves prior to voting. If this shutdown has done any- thing for our country, we hope it’s a wakeup call to Americans. Stop re-electing the same schem- ing politicians who put us on this path. Educate yourself before you vote and try to put some reformers in their place. Michigan Newspaper readers line the Michigan lakeshore – all 3,288 miles of it. Sources: Scarborough Custom Research, 2013 (integrated newspaper audience includes readers of newspapers across print and digital platforms) Not really, but they could! The state of Michigan has more freshwater shoreline than any place in the world – 17.4 million feet of it. And that’s exactly the space required to fit, arm in arm, the 5.3 million adults reading Michigan newspapers in an average week. If you’re a newspaper reader you might want to pick your spot now, if you’re an advertiser you might want to cast your line with newspapers. Politicians fail Americans with shutdown Pope champions reform, humility APARTMENT FOR RENT 225 Spinnaker Drive, Lansing. Four miles from downtown LCC campus. Two bedrooms, $790 per month. Price includes air con- ditioning, dishwasher, parking and water. Smoking and pets allowed. Washer and dryer hookups. Con- tact Lisa at 517-323-4663. COOL CAR FOR SALE 1991 Mercury Grand Marquis. Maroon. Less than 85,000 actual miles. Luxury car driven for past decade by a little old lady. Runs but needs muffler and some engine work. $1,800 or best offer. Call 517-525- 0706. THE UNDYING GOD This is the first published book from Nathan Wilson, associ- ate editor of The Lookout. It is a fantasy novel about the dangers of radical ideology. Preview book at nrwilson. com or call 517-896-9504 to purchase a copy at $8. the lookout
