Fred Plumer

If you look closely at the sidewalk in front of Reuben's restaurant across from the new airport terminal, you will see--faintly engraved in the concrete--"Fred, '71." The scratching was made in another life by a man very much in the public eye in the city of Irvine over the past year: Pastor Fred Plumer of Irvine's United Church of Christ. Inscribing his name in front of a favorite Newport Beach watering hole is history of which Fred Plumer is neither proud nor ashamed.

A special thanks to you for the column "Measure N Seemed to Seek Out Fred Plumer" (Joe Bell, April 12). As one who worked on the Irvine Citizens United campaign to defeat Measure N (too bad we weren't successful), I can personally testify to the special role that Fred played throughout the ordeal. He was always there to calm our frustrations, lift our spirits, and urge us on to do what we knew in our hearts was right. Fred is a most unusual person. His infectious personality, genuine openness and faith in humankind seem to energize his friends and followers and to disarm even his avowed enemies.

A special thanks to you for the column "Measure N Seemed to Seek Out Fred Plumer" (Joe Bell, April 12). As one who worked on the Irvine Citizens United campaign to defeat Measure N (too bad we weren't successful), I can personally testify to the special role that Fred played throughout the ordeal. He was always there to calm our frustrations, lift our spirits, and urge us on to do what we knew in our hearts was right. Fred is a most unusual person. His infectious personality, genuine openness and faith in humankind seem to energize his friends and followers and to disarm even his avowed enemies.

If you look closely at the sidewalk in front of Reuben's restaurant across from the new airport terminal, you will see--faintly engraved in the concrete--"Fred, '71." The scratching was made in another life by a man very much in the public eye in the city of Irvine over the past year: Pastor Fred Plumer of Irvine's United Church of Christ. Inscribing his name in front of a favorite Newport Beach watering hole is history of which Fred Plumer is neither proud nor ashamed.

Re "Some Forget: Christ Taught Us to Love," the On Faith column June 3 by the Rev. Fred Plumer: Thirty years ago I searched for those who expressed the inner essence of Christ in their daily lives. Up and down Wilshire Boulevard I saw church-front signs announcing that they were inviting folks to an introduction to Jesus on the upcoming Sunday. They quoted verses from the four Gospels. I wanted to hear from those who were learning the growth in life that is expressed in the New Testament.

A group of Irvine residents on Saturday launched a campaign to defeat a ballot initiative that would remove homosexuals from the protection of the city's human rights ordinance. At a morning press conference, the leaders of the drive said they would canvass the city in a bid to drum up enough support to defeat the initiative in the Nov. 7 balloting. "This is clearly a blatant attempt to legalize discrimination in this city," said Dr.

Excerpts from sermons to be delivered around Orange County this week: THE ONLY WAY: Jesus is better than everyone in every way. . . . The spiritual help we get from Jesus is far better than anything offered by Moses, angels, prophets or Levitic priests. But when I say that Jesus is better than all, a better avenue for getting us safely to God, I am really saying that Jesus is the only way. . . . "I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to Father except by Me." --The Rev.

Thank you for the article on Canada's enlightened legislation that protects those who may have a different sexual orientation than the majority of us (Dec. 29). It is always helpful to read about another country's treatment of the homosexual issues. If nothing else, it allows us to see how archaic our nation's attitudes really are on this subject. I do not think it is helpful, however, to continue to headline and use the often misleading term "gay rights." There really are no "gay rights" as the press and those who have problems with homosexuality might persuade us to believe.

Colorful prayer shawls and white silk yarmulkes mixed with Sunday-best dress as members of a synagogue and a Christian church literally linked arms to celebrate Rosh Hashana, the Jewish new year. Haunting calls from sacred rams' horns summoned members of University Synagogue and Irvine United Church of Christ for the unusual Sunday service. Pastor Fred Plumer, his wife and two members of the synagogue read the opening prayers.

Teacher John Peloza (Commentary, "Debate on Life's Origin Is Really on Philosophies," May 21) is not writing about his right to discuss different theories of creation nor is he even talking about his right to share a belief in God. Mr. Peloza is arguing that he has the right to promulgate his belief in the "absolute inerrancy of the Bible"--a dimension of the Christian faith that is based on a narrow interpretation of biblical Scriptures that...

"Hold the Fire and Brimstone" (June 19), regarding "hell's fall from fashion," demonstrates one more time how hard it is to recognize a myth when we do not recognize that we are standing on another one. Religion has always been a product of a culture or cultures, has always been refined by a culture and, no matter how many creeds we create or how many dogmas we demand, culture will continue to influence religion. For God's sake, we can let hell go, at least as a place we might end up in after death.

It's not unusual in an election year to find campaign fliers tucked under windshield wipers after Sunday church services in Orange County--the sprawling parking lots are an easy target for organizers. But a controversial state initiative that would ban same-sex marriage has driven political campaigning at local churches to a new level. In pulpits and parking lots, Proposition 22 has activated and polarized Orange County churches like few other initiatives in recent years, religious leaders say.