although, I have found more recently that teven that group has some valid points. this is an article about a change of perception that happened inside of one school year. Please keep in mind that I have never been convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor, so I have no biased reason to hate the police. And I don't hate any policeman personally. That would be un-Christian. This is only an examination of police.           I used to watch C.O.P.S. and cheer whenever they tackled a perpetrator to the ground and cuffed him. I was relieved to watch these "peace officers" rid MY streets of such scum. It was enjoyable to watch policeman that shared my same moral views enforce such views on others. After all, these people looked bad. They were usually very angry that they were being arrested. I watched with sadistic pleasure. does this all sound wrong? It should. At least I thought it sounded wrong, so I changed my perception.           As time went on, I realized that though these people were really stupid and doing things that I felt were bad, they weren't actually hurting me. The change of perception occured when I wondered, "What if people thought that the way I do things offended them and a policeman physically enforced their views?" The fact is, I would probably be as angry as the people I saw on C.O.P.S. I mean, I'm the person they're supposed to be protecting, right? Then, I realized that the policemen weren't on "our side" as I would say, but were part of a government agency. They were part of Big Brother's very long arm. In fact, I would feel much safer if my family and friends were to come to my resuce than if a police officer would.           Police have, on occasion, done some very nice things. They have protacted people on many an occasion. but more frequently, they've enforced the government's morals on private citizens. Most people would say that any "trash talking" about the police is just plain evil. We, as private citizens,

should be friends of each other. We should never feel discouraged to band together against an invisible entity called government, whose own nature is oppression. Mere Christianity           Let me give credit where credit is due by saying that the title of this article is taken from the title of a book by C.S. Lewis. Most of the views expressed in the article were articulated so well by Lewis in the same book and he deserves much credit in helping me express my faith.           During the latter part of this year, I've written many "touchy" articles. I feel the need to express the fact that all of these issues I take a stand on are secondary to my faith in God. When I do take stands, I try to take them in the spirit of my faith, but they are still faulty opinions based on a larger truth. This declaration of faith is what I believe without a doubt and is made in the attempt to clarify my actions if that is at all possible.           I believe that we are created by God, who is constant and omni-everything. He is eternal and has no beginning or end. In fact, he is not bound by time. This is where I believe we get the idea of right and wrong. Whatever is done in conformity to God is right. Anything else is wrong. I think we all have to eventually admit that there is a right and wrong to everything even if we haven't figured it out yet. For example, what Hitler did was not right merely because he himself thought it was right. It was, in fact, wrong because it was not in conformity with God's will.           I believe that when God created us, he created us with a