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Heaven help us

I enjoyed the perspective of things to come should Obama win in November ("Turning back the clock," June 14/21). All I could say is, "Heaven help us," for as I came to the end of the article, all those reasons why the Republicans avoided a Democratic win back in 1996 sounded a lot like what we've gotten with Bush, such as, "more wasteful spending." It is sad that we did not do better with the opportunity we were given. -Katherine Hardesty; Glen Ellyn, Ill.

I would that an Obama victory could turn the clock back to 1933. There was an unquestioned loyalty to the United States then and our country was wonderfully united for the Second World War. It is not so now, and a Democratic victory will only exacerbate that evil. -Dick Muller; Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Thank you for "Turning back the clock." I recently saw the movie Seabiscuit. Had I not read your article, I don't think I would have recognized how the movie promoted and openly praised the programs instituted by FDR. I find it disturbing that the same kind of faith in big government is what Obama's campaign is promising. This year's election will be the first opportunity I will have to vote. I, for one, don't want to go back to 1933. -Sarah Tipton, 17; Harker Heights, Texas

No sympathy

Marvin Olasky suggests that Barack Obama would be able to sway pro-life liberals to his cause by supporting grants to crisis pregnancy centers and sonograms ("Obama's test," June 14/21). If these "Casey Democrats" can be convinced of Obama's pro-life sympathies by adding crisis pregnancy centers to his multi-trillion-dollar list of spending initiatives in spite of Obama's pro-abortion voting record (which includes helping kill an Illinois bill to protect infants born alive during abortions), they are either terribly ignorant, in denial, or not nearly as dedicated to life as they profess. -Richard Pennertz; Litchfield, Minn.

One up

Joel Belz notes in "Less is more" (June 14/21) that "one of the best things you could do is to have the federal government admit that education isn't its specialty." I think I can improve on that. How about we the people telling the federal government that public school education isn't any of its business! -Robert Persons; Waynesville, N.C.

Kudos to Joel Belz for his thoughtful critique of proposals to extend the federal education monopoly. Grateful as I am for President Bush, the last eight years have seen little encouragement for those providing educational alternatives. If a Republican President and Congress could not recover the purpose of education, what realignment of the political stars will? May God preserve our liberty to educate our children at home and in private alternatives. -Michael J. Kane; Portland, Ore.

Belz hit the nail on the head with his comment that without the first and greatest commandment, education becomes "as hollow as it is shallow." I found my undergraduate education at a Christian college far more meaningful than my graduate training from a state university. My state education felt, in some respects, hollow. So thank you for highlighting the need for education to involve loving God with "all we have." Belz was addressing childhood education, but his comments apply to education at all levels. As he noted, we need to "settle what education is really about." -Daniel McPhearson; Redwood, Miss.

The loss and shame

I was prepared, thanks to WORLD ("Return of the Lion," May 17/24), for how vastly different Prince Caspian the movie would be compared to the book. Maybe because of that, I was able to enjoy it for what it was at the time. But as a lifelong Narnia admirer, I was disappointed that the movies fail to convey that Aslan is the real point of Narnia, and also, that they fall short in showing the love and intimacy between Aslan and the children. -Amy Ingersoll; Hebron, Md.

Thank you so much for the excellent and clear review of Prince Caspian. I was even more disappointed in it than I had expected. Gene Edward Veith is so right-even in tinkering with the plot, the basic meaning of the book should stay intact. Both my son and I found the movie poorly executed, often contrived, and often uninteresting. What a shame. -Margery F. Joseph; East Haven, Conn.

Lots to talk about

I was appalled to read that WORLD felt that The Goonies was a great pick for preteen children ("Summer views," June 14/21). No, it doesn't have monkey brains or eyeballs, but it contains profanity, coarse jesting, and sexual innuendo. I'd sure have a lot to talk about with my kids after viewing that one. -Patrick Hanson; Manitowoc, Wis.

WORLD's review of the Sex and the City movie ("Looking for love," June 14/21) seems far from critical of its pornographic content. Also, I found it interesting that of the "Box Office Top 10" movies, listed No. 1 is Sex and the City with a 9 out of 10 rating for sexual content. No. 10 on the list is Forgetting Sarah Marshall, rated at 10 of 10 for sexual content. If that doesn't reveal a growing acceptance of pornography among females, nothing does. -Terry L. Brown; Billings, Mont.

Angry and disillusioned

I am angry and disillusioned following the allegations of impropriety at the American Bible Society ("Problems at the top," June 14/21). Even worse than the complete lack of propriety of the board in hiring someone with Irwin's questionable background is the fact that they have been sitting on $693 million in cash and investments. How do they justify that in the face of the urgent need for Bibles and other help for Christians around the world while people like me are faithfully responding to their appeals to supply that need? -Nancy Morgan; Leawood, Kan.

Wasted shipment

"Giving the Word" (June 14/21) demonstrated the generous nature of Americans. However, many recipients may not find these Bibles helpful. When I was a missionary in Ukraine, I observed a shipment of Bibles and other Christian books come in from such an organization. Excitement dissipated when most of the Bibles were discovered to be King James Version. The old English was too much of an obstacle for the recipients because English was their second language. Most of the other books were out of date or not appropriate. The cost of that wasted shipment was sickening. -Sarah McVaugh; Canton, Ohio

Attitude adjustment

I am a pastor of a small home-mission church, a missionary who can get discouraged from time to time. Andrée Seu's column on Adoniram Judson's trials in Burma ("Gospel cyclone," May 31/June 7) gave me a needed attitude adjustment. Thanks. -Larry Jones; Fort Myers, Fla.

On their own dime

`Regarding Harvard's road to secularism ("The Harvard affair," May 17/24): Professors and administrators of Christian colleges and seminaries feed their families with money donated by Christians who expect them to live by God's Word and the creed to which they subscribed in order to be hired in the first place. I don't want to censor "free-thinking" people who want to investigate or even denigrate the faith; I'd just rather not pay them to do so. Truly free inquiry demands intellectual integrity-with one's self and with others. -Jack Rickman; Escondido, Calif.

Maddest mission

Thank you so much for "Mad missions" (May 17/24). I'm back in school myself to study nursing at the age of 51. When I started, I wondered if I would still be able to study at that level, if we could afford it, and whether I could manage my time well enough to juggle family life and studies. I truly feel like I'm on the maddest of mad missions, yet I feel that God has another season of life for me. -Sharon Peske; Bemidji, Minn.

Mixed reviews

Had I known that your magazine was so politically biased I would never have subscribed. Jesus was neither a Democrat nor a Republican. -Jesse R. Anthony; Auburn, Ala.

Last year we were introduced to your magazine through a gift subscription. We want to renew; we and our college-aged daughter have benefitted from it. It causes us to really think about issues in our world. -Doug & Carolyn Abel; Santa Ana, Calif.

Correction

Jan Vormann is a German artist working alone in Bocchignano, Italy, as part of the "20 Eventi" project (Quick Takes, June 28/July 5, p. 16).

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