The real threat

This week Newsweek had a 10-page cover story on the worn-out issue of the vice president's accidental shooting of a hunting buddy, complete with a timeline, schematics, and pictures of quail. WORLD had a substantive cover story on a subject relevant to everyone-the very real threat of a nuclear attack on our own soil ("Living on borrowed time," Feb. 25). Next week I will be receiving only one newsmagazine in the mail. Thank you for covering the things that really matter to us, and from a Christian worldview. -William D. Waltz; Cinnaminson, N.J.

Nightmarish cover. It was a sobering reminder to stop and think about priorities today. -Clint Sherwood; Lake Peekskill, N.Y.

You suggest that "the lack of an Islamic terrorist attack on U.S. soil for over four years is difficult to explain." Perhaps the terrorists sit back and smirk over the terror created by our media. -Bill Brown; Golden Valley, Minn.

Sound and science

You have no idea how disappointed I was to read about the Evangelical Climate Initiative ("Red light, green light," Feb. 25). The ECI is misleading Christians into believing human activity is responsible for a global catastrophe. Good job to those evangelical leaders like James Dobson and Chuck Colson who stood up for sound science and did not sign the ECI. -Mark Saito; Lee's Summit, Mo.

Mark Bergin makes it sound like global warming is very much in doubt, but the real questions involve how much human activity is impacting our climate and what we can do about it. Christ's followers should be leading on this and every important issue, not dragging our heels and complaining about lowering our standard of living. Jesus wants us to have lots of stuff-right? I applaud the ECI for taking seriously God's mandate to care for creation. -Mark Pelham; Buffalo, Minn.

Whose liberties?

I marvel at evolutionists in Ohio who seek religious support after their attacks on the religiosity of intelligent design ("Junk science," Feb. 25). But I am even more surprised at Christians who believe in creationism but say that "science should stay pure under the definition of science." They are missing the bigger picture: a cumulative understanding of the whole world as under God's dominion. -Aislinn Leahy, 17; Tampa, Fla.

The ACLU is threatening the Ohio school board with a multimillion-dollar lawsuit to shield public-school students from a critical analysis of evolution? This is pure censorship, designed to impose a materialistic worldview on students. Considering that the vast majority of Ohio residents favor teaching the evidence both for and against evolution, it makes you wonder whose civil liberties the ACLU is protecting. -Jon Greene; Issaquah, Wash.

Words of blessing

"The older woman" (Feb. 25) brought tears to my eyes. As a pastor, this is my prayer for my seventh-grade girls who are full of smiles and excitement; for my high-school girls who think "28" is old; and for my college young women, who are fighting for their Christian identity in public university. There is nothing more attractive and virtuous than a godly woman. May our adult women desire the blessing of hearing the words,"Would you be willing to mentor me?" -Tom Weaver; McAllen, Texas

Initial instinct

The original Pink Panther movie had a lot of sexuality in it and Steve Martin is usually vulgar, so we ignored the new Pink Panther until we read the review in WORLD ("Sheer slapstick," Feb. 25). It would have been better to depend upon our initial instincts. -Michael S. Meadows; New Carlisle, Ohio

Serious treatment

Timothy Lamer's article on the federal budget ("Political malpractice," Feb. 18) describes non-entitlement spending as nothing more than "a pesky hangnail," but discretionary spending constitutes nearly 40 percent of all federal spending. The president has reduced the growth of non-security discretionary spending every year of his presidency, actually cut it last year, and proposes in his 2007 budget to cut it again. Moreover, last year's budget proposed $54 billion of savings in mandatory spending-the first such attempt in almost a decade. In 2005 President Bush devoted an enormous amount of his energy to reforming Social Security, and this year the president is proposing a reduction in the growth of mandatory spending by $65 billion. -Peter Wehner, Office of Strategic Initiatives, The White House; Washington, D.C.

God's mind

Why is everyone so eager to give Pat Robertson a hard time ("The panda in winter," Feb. 18)? His ministries have been a real blessing to our family for over 20 years, and his comment about Mr. Sharon isn't that far-fetched when you grow up hearing that God will avenge those who harm His chosen people. -Bonnie R. Furman; Shippensburg, Pa.

I believe we can know the mind of God where He has specifically chosen to reveal it in the Bible, so Pat Robertson, to my way of thinking, is correct in theory. However, Richard Land is correct when he says Mr. Robertson cannot know that Ariel Sharon's stroke is judgment from God; we don't know God's mind on how He chooses to judge these matters in individual circumstances. Sadly, this controversy puts many Christians arguing with each other, and allows the world to laugh at Christians. -Eddie Herring ; Tuscumbia, Ala.

Mr. Robertson can be commended for his many good works, but I expected a more humble spirit in one who has been so blessed by God. -Stephen E. Whiton; Cazenovia, N.Y.

Self-defender

Thank you for the column by John Piper ("Being mocked," Feb. 18). I appreciated the way he made it so clear that we Christians follow a God who does not need defending, and whose glory speaks for itself. -Heather Weber; North Pole, Alaska

Make a stand

Marvin Olasky is correct that the makers of End of the Spear should have done their homework ("Raining on Spear's parade," Feb. 18). But once Chad Allen's lifestyle was discovered, Every Tribe Entertainment should have paid him as agreed and then hired a new actor. That would have exhibited grace and also made a stand for righteousness. -Edna Kent; Missoula, Mont.

When I heard Mr. Allen was a homosexual activist, I thought at first I shouldn't see the movie. But I knew three of the fellows from Wheaton and just had to see it. I am praying some of those scenes will haunt Mr. Allen until he yields himself to the Lord. We are constantly fighting the evils of our day but, as Mr. Olasky said, we need to show love to the unlovely. -Josephine Strnad; Munden, Kan.

Correction

The photo accompanying "Revisions revised" (Feb. 25, p. 40) was of a U.S. Air Force chaplain leading airmen in prayer before a mission to Afghanistan.