What should Christians do about all the trashing of public personalities which has been inundating America?
A. Have you picked up my articles about my challenging Jerry Falwell? My response is that we do have to challenge those within our own ranks who trash people. As I said on a radio program, what Jerry Falwell was doing would not pass the four-way test of Rotary let alone the admonition of the Apostle Paul in the book of Philippians that says only go for those things that are good and true and honest and beautiful. Q. From your perspective as a sociologist, where does all of todays hate rhetoric come from, what will be its effect, what should be done about it? A. First of all, I think the hate rhetoric comes out of fear. People are frightened that what has been the affluent and prosperous way of life that they have enjoyed is about to be taken from them. Theres fear about job security; theres fear that our children are not going to be as successful as we are. Fear is pervading the country. Within the context of fear, people always feel psychologically better off if they can pinpoint in s
