Policy flawed

To the editor:
The editor and management of The Daily Journal here in International Falls recently have taken away a very precious feature of the pastoral column—namely the Word of God.
No scripture is their new policy.
Several of us pastors here in the community have expressed our consternation about this and have had our most recent contributions rejected. So far, even submissions as letters to the editor have not been published.
We recognize that The Daily Journal is a privately-owned company and reserves the right to set their own policies, but as a paper purported to represent the community and to accurately report current events, we believe the community needs to know about these recent restrictions.
To ask pastors to write without reference to the Bible is like asking a carpenter to build a house without a blueprint or any reference to the Universal Building Code. I don’t think anyone in this community would buy that—and I don’t believe they should be asked to buy this, either.
Furthermore, I believe the management of The Daily Journal owes it to the community to be forthright and honest about just what they are up to in this regard.
The people of both of our communities deserve a free and open dialogue about whether or not a pastor’s column should bear references to the Word of God.
My disconsolate letter to the editor of the Daily Journal apparently hit too close to home for him to print, and is too long to reprint here, but a copy can be forwarded to anyone by contacting me at ErnestWitmer@juno.com
We have to be alert and on our toes nowadays, and willing to stand up and be counted if we are going to retain the privilege of doing so in the future.
Thank you for providing us with a voice to the community.
(Signed),
Ernest Witmer, Pastor,
Christian Life Chapel
International Falls, Mn.