THE WORD ON TERRY

I was Rev. Terry Cole-Whittaker’s first publicist, and I am so happy Rev. Terry has evolved into the wonderful religious leader of today (“First Was the Word and the Word Was TV’s Terry,” by Stuart Goldman, Feb. 10).

I deeply resent (Christian Research Institute Director) Walter Martin’s remark that Rev. Terry is the “classic cult figure.” Today cult has become a dirty word. As a Bible devotee, I am shocked that he refers to the Bible as “the union card of the cults.”

Rev. Terry is spreading the good news (gospel), which is love. When we all practice loving one another, there will be less chance of another Auschwitz or Dachau.

Keep your light shining, Terry!

DOROTHY HUNDLEY

North Hollywood

Thank you for your accurate account of Rev. Terry’s philosophy. You have performed a service for the Christian community by exposing her for what she is. Her story rightly belongs in the Calendar section with print on movies, concerts, stage shows and Vegas acts.

If Cole-Whittaker is actually helping someone, that’s great. She should however disassociate herself from the message of God. The dichotomy of her message and that of Jesus Christ’s is obvious to even the most neophyte Bible student.

Perhaps Rev. Terry should read the Bible for herself. . . . The one message she will find in the Bible that relates directly to her is in the Book of Revelation, 20:15: “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

BENJAMIN J. SPAIN

Sepulveda

It is no wonder that Rev. Terry Cole-Whittaker has aroused tremendous ire among the traditional Christian community. Her belief system is very accepting of alternative life styles, including homosexuality. How many nationally known religious figures can boast the huge gay following that Rev. Terry has?

GARY J. KAYE

Universal City

I would like to congratulate Goldman on his excellent portrayal of what Rev. Terry Cole-Whittaker is all about.

In fact, there’s a whole chapter in the Bible dedicated to her kind. It’s in II Peter, Chapter 2.

KIMBERLY HUCHTING

Glendale

The first line of Chapter 2 reads: “But there were false prophets also among the people . . . . .”

As an orthodox Christian, I am particularly embittered by Cole-Whittaker’s attempt to interpolate a philosophy that smacks of Helen Gurley Brown’s “Having It All” (albeit, in whitewashed form) into the Bible.

Cole-Whittaker aggravates the situation all the more inasmuch as her eclectic teachings (as Walter Martin correctly stated) infuses just enough biblical rhetoric to confuse the unwary listener into believing that he or she is hearing a Christian minister.

Her obvious charm and ebullient screen presence notwithstanding, Cole-Whittaker is a purveyor of nothing other than crass materialism. And the idea that wealth and affluence are just outside your doorstep undoubtedly appeals to the self-indulgent appetites of the middle and upper-middle classes.

But for the poor and the helpless, the doorstep remains empty. Altruism becomes exploitation. And exploitation, sadly, is the hallmark of most religious TV programming.

MARK TALLEY

Santa Ana

MR. PRESSON’S SON

First, let me state that my son’s last name is (as mine is too)--Presson, not Pressman as Dale Pollock states in his article (“Angling for Oscars: Does It Pay to Advertise?” Feb. 3).

Next, the full-page ads I bought and screenings that I held for Jason’s possible Oscar nomination didn’t specify “supporting role” because I felt the nature and depth of his role as the title character in “The Stone Boy” could have qualified him for a best actor or best supporting actor nomination.

That was another problem, as I wasn’t aware of the guide lines delineating the different categories. Also, while in many cases it is obvious which category an actor might fall into, it wasn’t as obvious with this role.

RON PRESSON

(Jason’s dad)

THE PRINCE

Who decided Prince needed absolution (Pop Eye, by Patrick Goldstein, Feb. 10)??? I wonder if those who were so quick to criticize his supposed lack of charity have ever donated their earnings to an Ethiopian fund or inner city school?

I respect the U.S.A. for Africa efforts, but then it sure is great publicity for those who participated. Prince doesn’t seem to feel his charitable donations should be used to enhance his public image . . . his PR man should talk to that “boy”--he’s going about this “charity” thing all wrong, he’s not getting any benefit from it.

BARBARA BICKLE BOX

Redondo Beach

You’ve got to hand it to James Brown. He surely knows how to stay current. He had a face lift, shortened his name and is now in very heavy MTV rotation.

I know “Prince” was an odd name for him to choose, but it’s working. Despite his new youthful looks, he’s still doing the same dance moves he was doing 20 years ago.

Just shows you what an old product in a new package will do.

MIKE LANCASTER

Los Angeles

DRIED PRUNES

Regarding Dan Sullivan’s review of “Romeo & Juliet” (“ ‘Romeo & Juliet’ Gets Physical at Skylight,” Jan. 28): He’s entitled to his opinion that this production, directed by Milton Katselas, is “all activity, no brains.”

My opinion of Sullivan is that he has all the pent-up passions of a dried prune.

This is as exciting and emotional interpretation as one will ever see of the teen-aged lovers, desperate and delicious with their desire.

Katselas has been plenty smart to fill the stage with a swirling array of people, not always the most mysterious of species, Dan, but here fully alive, physically and emotionally, filled with the joys and pain of this great story. He has left intellectual yearnings to the critics, alone with their typewriters.

KENT WILSON

Los Angeles

SINS

Regarding Michael Wilmington’s review of “Heaven Help Us” (“ ‘Heaven Help Us’: Catholic Boys at School and Play,” Feb. 8): Surely there is a double error in the sentence “. . . none of its sins are venal.” What has bribery got to do with it?

He probably meant venial , but that’s not what he meant either. From the context, either he meant “None of its sins are mortal ,” or he meant “All of its sins are venial .” Wow!

And how does one say penitence ? You may feel penitence, but you can’t say or do it. You can, of course, say or do penance . Double wow!

WALTER D. DOUGLAS

Colton

RETROGRESSION

When I was a “knee-grow” teen-ager (we thought colored was old-fashioned, and black was insulting) growing up in the ‘40s in Chicago, our recorded music was listed in a special section of the catalogues under Race Records.

When music by black artists began to be listed along with mainstream artists, we thought that was a milestone.

Now I am astounded to turn on the American Music Awards and watch awards given in exclusively black categories.

Where is the progress here? Why do artists of the stature of Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones and Diana Ross lend their names and their prestige to this retrogression?

And where is the fairness in designating a category of performance in which some performers are genetically excluded? Is Prince afraid to compete with Boy George?

SHIRLEY KENNEDY

Goleta

TUCHMAN AND ART

Two errors were reported in Elizabeth Venant’s profile of one of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s nine curatorial department heads, Maurice Tuchman (“Of Lunches, Trends and Parties--Or How to Collect Modern Art,” Feb. 3).

The commitment by LACMA to build the Robert O. Anderson Gallery was not generated “in response” to the Museum of Contemporary Art, as Venant stated.

In June, 1979, LACMA announced the initial grant of $3.62 million from the Atlantic Richfield Co. toward a major fund-raising capital campaign for the construction of a new building for modern and contemporary art.

This commitment was made prior to plans announced by the Community Redevelopment Agency for Bunker Hill, which included the creation of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Plans for the 20th Century building at LACMA evolved, in fact, as the result of the museum’s own assessment of its expansion needs.

The Anderson Gallery, currently under construction, is a four-story, 100,000-square-foot building, with more than 50,000 square feet for displaying LACMA’s modern and contemporary art collection and for special exhibitions, not 14,500 square feet.

JULIAN GANZ JR.

President, Board of Trustees

L.A. County Museum of Art

It would be wonderful for L.A. artists if curator Maurice Tuchman knew the difference between Modern Art and Contemporary Art.

Contemporary art is generally defined as being created now . Mondrian, Kandinsky and Marcel Duchamp are all dead and therefore cannot be creating contemporary art.

Either the Anderson Gallery should no longer be called “the museum’s new contemporary wing,” or the works of living artists--whether from L.A. or elsewhere--should be placed in it.

The reason a “tiny, tiny minority” of the “10,000 living artists” is probably not going to appreciate Tuchman’s assessment of the contemporary scene is because it is impossible for him to assess something he has never seen.

Perhaps if he had a few cold baloney sandwiches in the freezing lofts of a few of the dedicated artists (young or not), rather than dancing from trendy restaurant to trendy restaurant, Tuchman might know more about the work being done by L.A. artists and less about salads.

BETTY DECTER

Los Angeles

Calendar has developed some of the symptoms of the highly contagious disease Visiona-Narrowsa.

I never said that I created the anti-Maurice Tuchman post card (Calendar Letters, Feb. 10). The names of artists Thurmond, Margolies and Hughes are printed on the other side of the card and they deserve the credit for their very fine art work.

CAROL QUINT

Los Angeles

Letters should be brief and must include full name, address and phone number. Mail to Calendar Letters, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.