VOLuntarilyConservative

Some people are born to write. It is a talent that God gave them. Others are born singers, auto mechanics, researchers, protectors, and athletes. When one uses God's gifts in the proper way, it can be a beautiful thing.

But when someone who believes this -

"Here in this country, where you go to church is mostly a social question."

and this -

"Our founding fathers made sure that our Constitution ensured the separation of church and state...."

writes a column about Christian education, the result is more Buttafuco than Picasso. Why do some columnists - an increasing number over the past few years - insist on writing about areas in which they have no experience or education? Even if one has no experience or education on a particular topic prior to writing a column, research has never been easier than it is today. Yes, columns are a good part opinion, but if it is an uninformed opinion, it shouldn't have a place in an actual newspaper. I have found that the best columns often require as much or more research than the average factually-driven article. One positive in all of this may be that the good columnists are easier to find these days; their work is more easily discerned from the rest of the field.