‘A man, a plan, a canal, Panama’

May 28 I was amazed to learn that the same mosquito that carried the deadly yellow fever epidemic now spreads the Zika virus. It’s good that we know how to kill the mosquitoes, but discouraging that the same junk science mentality that led to the deaths of so many in Panama back then is alive and well today.

—Dave Nyhuis / Eatonville, Wash.

I grew up in Panama. My parents often spoke of Dr. William Crawford Gorgas and his eventual triumph over yellow fever. The French workers arrived in Panama with their belongings packed in the coffins their bodies went home in. My mom often mentioned that wherever Christians have gone, schools and hospitals have been built; no other religion can claim this.

—Stephanie Anderson on wng.org

It sounds like targeted use of DDT could be a good part of the solution. Why are we so afraid to use the tools God has given us?

—Josie Pillman on wng.org

‘No and maybe’

May 28 Donald Trump was my last choice in the primary. However, as the three most important factors for evangelicals are abortion, religious freedom, and Supreme Court nominations, a vote for Hillary Clinton—or not voting for Trump—will give the worst possible result for all three.

—Jim Hogrefe on wng.org

Does no one think of the horrific scenario of Trump as our foreign policy leader? Can we see this naïve blowhard “negotiating” with Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping? I’ll take the risk that Hillary can be controlled by Congress and the courts, domestically; at least she has some experience and some respect abroad.

—Mike Rogers / Waxhaw, N.C.

We need a bully to overcome the Democrats and take back our country. God has given us a bully, and his name is Donald Trump.

—Jim Richardson / Oro Valley, Ariz.

I believe Hillary will win by a landslide, but I’m not too concerned. The next four years are going to be disastrous, so let them be Hillary’s disaster. That will put us in a better position to pick up the pieces for 2020.

—Ari Heinze on wng.org

Many Christians have warned that unless our nation mends its ways it will face God’s judgment. Given our probable choices for president, is it possible judgment has already begun?

—Lewis Blodgett / Asheville, N.C.

‘Into the fight?’

May 28 Women in offensive ground combat operations will put missions at risk and service members will die needlessly. This is a foolish idea based on a worldview that rejects God’s created order and considers men and women to be interchangeable parts. Also, I have never been in a unit where women “can usually road march for longer than men.”

—Paul Jaedicke on wng.org

I was in the military, and it is not good for women and women are not good for the military. If military dads started talking about protecting their daughters instead of promoting their daughters’ careers, there might be a sudden exodus from the military of women who never wanted to be there anyway.

—Karen Tallentire on wng.org

‘Signage of the times’

May 28 Joel Belz’s column was excellent in explaining that our culture is in open rebellion against God’s creation order. Wouldn’t it be great if the government’s energy and money advancing the demands of a tiny minority instead were used to attack sex trafficking?

—Dick Dickerson / Mechanicsville, Va.

As a kid I was fond of football and helping my dad fix the car. I told my mom that I wished I was a boy. She said God does not make mistakes; instead He uses your likes and dislikes to accomplish wonderful things for His glory. Now that I’m a wife and mom of four, I can see she was right.

—Lynn Heflin on Facebook

‘Quiet calling’

May 28 Having retired from 32 years of teaching in public schools and community college, I share Cheryl Perez’s devotion to serving students as a Christian. As we seek to be faithful, our heavenly Father will provide countless opportunities to minister to our disheartened youth.

—Richard Aragon / Buena Park, Calif.

When will Christian parents and teachers figure out we need a mass exodus from the public schools? Our children are being indoctrinated daily with false ideas.

—Linda Jinkens / Arlington, Wash.

‘A job with results’

May 28 Thanks for your reflections on daily monotony that is part of life. One of my favorite things about being a stay-at-home mom is all the time amid dishes and laundry and scrubbing I have for prayer, and who knows how God uses those prayers?

—Erin Long / Egg Harbor Township, N.J.

Congratulations to Andrée Seu Peterson on her new job. Recently an empty hand towel dispenser in a restaurant reminded me that we take many things for granted, and that quality janitorial workers are hard to find.

David Rasmusson on wng.org

‘Unequal protection’

May 28 Regarding assisted suicide legislation: Francis Schaeffer warned in 1973 that if we allow parents to kill their unborn, there will come a day when children will kill their parents. Well, here we are.

—Austin Abercrombie on wng.org

‘Golden opportunity’

May 28 Old age is also a golden opportunity for parents to talk about the process of dying. I’m in the next generation to cross the Jordan, and while I’m not afraid, it might have given me comfort had my parents shared their perspectives.

—David Troup on wng.org

‘Life with Lyme’

May 28 How appropriate to cover the Zika virus and Lyme disease in the same issue. While we should fear infected mosquito bites, ticks carry multiple pathogens that can cause malaria-like illness and a lifetime of suffering. Who will be the Dr. Gorgas of this generation?

Marjorie Veiga / Vienna, Va.

Comments

While reading the May 28 issue, I was struck by how much quality content you provide. Thank you for giving us so much to read and contemplate! And thank you for a different perspective than we get from the rest of the world.

Cheryl Morgan on Facebook

As a 90-year-old veteran of World War II, I feel that we fought in vain for friends and Americans to be able to believe in God and freedom. I do not want you to stop trying to make the world a better place, but I don’t want to read about how the world is being destroyed. Please stop sending your magazine.

Norman Beck / Peoria, Ariz.

‘Children of the state’

May 14 The quote from an atheist advocating that parents be allowed to teach their children only "uncontroversial facts about the world's religions" reminded me of a dour teacher, Thomas Gradgrind, in Dickens’ Hard Times: “Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else.” Gradgrind operated out of a sincere belief but destroyed his children; there’s nothing new under the sun.

Sarah Mahoney on wng.org

‘Morality games’

May 14 Thanks to Megan Basham for doing the difficult and dangerous but culturally important work of reviewing movies and television shows. Her review of Game of Thrones helped me in a chance conversation about it with a young man. It is good and important for Christians to understand the culture even if we don’t participate in it. I will pray for her.

Erin Pedersen / Brookings, S.D.