Mailbag

‘Not having what it takes’

Oct. 20 Romney’s change of position on gay marriage suggests an unsettling degree of political adroitness, while President Obama’s track record speaks for itself, and it’s not good. I remain unconvinced that either candidate is God’s preferred choice for our nation, except maybe in a judgmental sense. —Sam Roberts, Shalimar, Fla.

Romney may not be the smoothest politician, but he and Ryan will resist the current slide into statism and tyranny. The real solution isn’t to elect the right people but, as Milton Friedman put it, to make it politically profitable to do the right thing. Our country will begin to heal, please God, when Americans recover the fear of the Lord, a love of individual freedom and personal responsibility, and a devotion to our constitutional order. —Don Poundstone, Portland, Ore.

Isn’t Romney doing a pretty decent job considering the liberal bias of our major media? —Michael Taylor, San Diego, Calif.

It may be true that many people are more influenced by style than substance, but it is also a sad indictment on the condition of our country. —Jim Johnson, Lewis Center, Ohio

Romney was not my first choice, but he had to withstand a nasty Obama advertising blitz. As for the selection of Paul Ryan being his top campaign achievement, highly effective leaders surround themselves with competent people. By every measure, Ryan has distinguished himself as highly competent. —Ken Laub, Rock Hill, S.C.

Given the poor Republican and Democratic candidates, my only option is to vote for a third-party candidate. A Republican loss due to principled third-party votes will discourage Republicans from making such a poor nomination in the future. —Jeff Fartro, Cleveland-Parma, Ohio

Whether or not Romney is unexciting or politically adept, Christians need to consider that he is pro-life and unabashedly pro-Israel. —Kay Rinck, Eaton Rapids, Mich.

‘Prayer patrol’

Oct. 20 I can attest to the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s bullying tactics, as it sent a letter to our city council saying that invocations in Jesus’ name were unconstitutional. FFRF presumes that Christian prayers force people to conform to Christianity. How absurd. It’s a veiled attempt to oust religion from any public venue. —Frank Nolton, Woodbridge, Calif.

‘The “Matheny Manifesto”’

Oct. 20 In response to calls for the silencing of “parental involvement” and the surrendering of “authority” to the coach, I ask: Did we learn anything from Penn State, youth sports, and Jerry Sandusky? —Nancy Fairley, Dubuque, Iowa

‘Healthcare hubris’

Oct. 20 John Goodman estimated that half of the children entering the CHIP program dropped private healthcare plans to qualify. Our children are among that number, but not everyone doing that is abusing the system. My husband is self-employed and, as the recession deepened, our private insurance became too expensive for us to afford, in part because of our Down syndrome daughter. We have been living off our savings for four years. We are anxious to get off of CHIP and resume paying our own way, but are profoundly grateful to have the safety net. —Bev Parrish, League City, Texas

‘Liberty hill’

Oct. 20 As I read the Constitution, everyone, including soldiers, preachers, politicians, doctors, teachers, and editors, has a right to advocate for candidates. —Thom Polvogt III, Katy, Texas

‘Citizenship test’

Oct. 20 French Revolution atheist extremists produced years of terror, but Christian leadership is no guarantee of restraint and morality. The highly religious South kept slavery and then Jim Crow laws in place years after other Western societies had done away with slavery. Our own national Christian leaders have proved repeatedly that power corrupts. —Craig Birkett, Chicago, Ill.

‘Pop religion’

Oct. 20 After reading the article about teen K-Pop groups in South Korea, I went to YouTube to see what they were about. I am shocked that Christian parents allow their children to be part of these depraved groups and saddened to see that they are chaining their children to the most toxic parts of the American culture. —Constance Rice, South Charleston, Ohio

‘Blocking the shots’

Oct. 6 Thank you for a timely article on immunizations. As a missionary physician, I have visited countries where vaccines are not readily available and seen patients suffering with childhood diseases that could have been prevented through immunization. I was dumbfounded that people in America choose not to immunize, and I know many third-world parents who would be just as bewildered. —Kenneth E. Cole, Fort Wayne, Ind.

How sad that the subtitle suggests that parents who choose not to vaccinate “withhold” something good from their children. Where were the voices of parents whose children have been injured by vaccinations? —Julie Kamphuis, Plainwell, Mich.

‘The tales of trees’

Oct. 6 I enjoyed Andrée Seu Peterson’s column, but her comment that “the Bible begins and ends with a tree” misses something important. The Bible begins and ends with a wedding: the marriage of Adam and Eve in Genesis and then the wedding feast of the Lamb in Revelation, the sharing of resurrection life with God for eternity. —Craig Anderson, San Jose, Calif.

‘Wastebaskets in heaven?’

Sept. 22 I agree with Joel Belz’s point about the continued exercising of our God-instilled interests. In heaven our vocation will be worship, and pursuing our avocations will be one of our Father’s delights. Jobs that will be obsolete include pastor, for there will be no need for under-shepherds in the presence of the Good Shepherd. I proudly served as an Air Force chaplain, but in heaven there will be even less use for a military than for clergy. —Robert Stroud, Seabeck, Wash.

I suspect there will not be wastebaskets in heaven because God is the ultimate recycler. Despite the fallen nature of this world, the waste of human lungs gives breath to plants, and vice versa. My apple peelings go into the composter to later feed the vegetable garden, which in turn feeds my family. —Crystal Katrek, Mableton, Ga.

‘The ultimate hybrid’

Sept. 22 As a homeschooled high-school sophomore, I agree that co-ops are changing the face of home education, but you didn’t mention the effects of online education. Online learning levels the playing field by giving anyone with a computer access to excellent teachers. —Brady Jernigan, Kaneohe, Hawaii

‘Literary bondage’

Sept. 8 I am in my late 30s and many of my teacher friends have bought into the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy hook, line, and sinker. It saddens my soul when I hear them talk about the books and their marriages. —Beth Yoder, Indianapolis, Ind.

Corrections

In the Nov. 6 Missouri governor’s race, incumbent Gov. Jay Nixon is a Democrat; challenger Dave Spence, a Republican (“Revenge of the overregulated,” Nov. 3, p. 56).

The valuable painting a Virginia woman bought for $7 at a flea market was by Pierre-Auguste Renoir (Quick Takes, Oct. 6, p. 17).

WORLD Around the World

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso Submitted by Hannah Szabo

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