No one deserves title 'reverend'

Paul Burris
The Port Arthur News

April 08, 2008 01:49 pm

— Gene Dammon, in his column “Wright’s preaching part of Obama,” must think as I do about the “Rev. Jeremiah Wright. He rightfully puts that title in quotation marks. Mister Jeremiah Wright does not deserve such a title as “reverend” because of his outrageous and insulting rants against this great country and his ridiculous chargers against its white citizens.
But, I’ll go a step farther than Gene Dammon, to add that no mere man has the right to arrogate to himself the title of “reverend.” That title refers only to the name of God, so whoever uses it for a man’s name shows disrespect for God.
“He (God) sent redemption unto his people: he hath commanded his covenant for ever. Holy and Reverend is his name” (Psalm 111:9, King James Version). This is the only time this word is mentioned in the Bible.
Other versions translate the word “reverend” here as “awesome” so why do these people not refer to themselves as “Awesome so and so?”
Whoever addresses any mere man by the title “reverend” or uses it as a noun synonymous with “preacher” is just as guilty of disrespecting God as are those who arrogate to themselves this title which belongs to the name of God himself.
Paul Burris
Groves