Community building

Upwards of 2,500 people making an average salary of $50,000 equates to $150,000,000 in income for real working people in Oklahoma City. Only someone living off inherited wealth or another’s dime could fail to recognize the obvious value of the real work and wealth creation of the 499 Sheridan proposal.

How can Ms. Bailey possibly think a better use of the property is a restaurant to take her friends from San Francisco and Seattle? It’s the young 20-30-somethings who will comprise much of the workforce that will occupy 499 Sheridan. This is the fundamental demand generator for bubble shops selling $100 handmade hipster hats and the recent explosion of restaurants and districts.

Also, this is private property, if that means anything to Ms. Bailey. I suggest she focus her efforts on the forthcoming demolition of the original Film Exchange Building located on public property where she has a legitimate claim. I am near the age of Ms. Bailey, and we apparently like many of the same places. However, she only speaks for herself. I’m not sure whether her position comes from economic ignorance, selfishness or naiveté, but to save what is there at the expense of what is proposed at 499 Sheridan is destructive to the underlying fabric of our society and the retailers she consults.

— Matthew Trimble Oklahoma City

Way to God

I saw an interesting billboard on the side of the interstate the other day. It said, “Jesus ... the only way to God.” I thought for a brief moment. What does this mean? Have we Jews been doing it all wrong for the last 5,700 years? And after the advent of Christ, did our relationship with God suddenly become null and void?

God gave us the Ten Commandments and Torah long before the advent of Christ.

So how, if Jews have had a relationship with God all this time, can anyone say that it is now not possible without the belief in Christ?

There is not one religion or belief that holds any more weight with God above another, is there? How can some Christians hold on to such a belief? Are their beliefs so fragile that they must exclude the beliefs of others to bolster their own? Do practitioners of other religions need the same bolstering? If I wasn’t a Jew, Muslim or Christian and I wanted to have a relationship with God, would I be denied one?

The truth is no. Those Christians, the ones that paid for the billboard, should accept the fact that there are many paths to God. God himself created those paths with the Commandments and Torah.

Instead of the billboard saying, “Jesus … the only way to God,” maybe this would be more appropriate: “Jesus … another way to God.”

Makes you think, huh?

— Solomon “Rosenbaum” Treinen Oklahoma City

Correction

In last week’s issue, we published the incorrect contact information for the Oklahoma Literacy Coalition. The correct contact information is: Oklahoma Literacy Coalition, 5830 Northwest Expressway #196, okliteracycoalition.okpls.org, 580-762-4580. Oklahoma Gazette apologizes for the error.


Oklahoma Gazette provides an open forum for the discussion of all points of view in its Letters to the Editor section. The Gazette reserves the right to edit letters for length and clarity. Letters can be mailed, faxed, emailed to [email protected] or sent online at okgazette.com. Include a city of residence and contact number for verification.

  • or