To the Editor:

Faithful man. The book of Proverbs asks a penetrating question: Who can find a faithful man? It suggests that the faithful man, the man of integrity, is a rare thing. Most men seem to have some price at which they will capitulate, and sell out their principles. Such men (speaking generically: it includes women) are not faithful men.

I want to propose something: a man of faith is not necessarily a faithful man. The apostle Peter, when Jesus was arrested, was a man of faith, but he was not a faithful man. He betrayed his Lord three times in one night. And sometimes a faithful man is not a man of faith. The Roman centurion Cornelius showed by his commendable behavior that he was a faithful man, and this was before he came to faith in Christ.

I want to suggest to you a contrast in political candidates. I want to suggest that the self-proclaimed man of faith, Ted Cruz, may possibly be less than a faithful man, and the man of at least questionable faith (but God is the judge, not me or anyone else), Donald Trump, fits more demonstrably the definition of the faithful man.

Donald Trump is a man of integrity. Yes, he makes wild statements, which sometimes he has to walk back. So does my youngest son. They are both dramatic people who like to make a splash. Look behind the splash: you will discern immutable standards that they do not break. Trump's bedrock standard is: Follow the rules. Adhere to the law. Play fair. Play clever, but play fair. Trump is a doer, and has a record that is decades long. He gets much done, usually ahead of schedule and under budget. Is he a conservative? When the ship is sinking, how imperative is it that you get the right rescuer? Donald Trump is the "Carpathian," the ship that was in the vicinity when the Titanic sank. Hundreds lived because it was there, who would otherwise have perished.

Ted Cruz, on the other hand, is like the radio operators in, I think, Newfoundland, all decibels and static and no action. And there are growing questions about his personal life, sealed records, and so forth, which you may research. All of these things combine to demonstrate to me at least that he is not trustworthy, not a faithful man.

Man of faith? Or faithful man? You decide.

Richard Bastille

Norwood