Mailbag

"Departures"

(Dec. 31) WORLD's year-end obituaries are so much more interesting than others I have read. You have a longer list of people and they are from all areas of life. As well as people from the arts, you include those who have enriched our lives in a variety of ways, from the inventor of the weed-whacker to the real inventor of the internet, and of course, heroes of the Christian faith. You provide tribute, not gossip. Thanks. Valerie Bierlein; Goshen, Ind.

As a pastor, I doubt that anyone whose funeral I lead will merit a mention in WORLD, yet the Psalmist tells us, "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." I rejoice that God has poured out His grace to common people in extraordinary ways through His Son. Also, you did not mention the death of Wilson Greatbatch, who prolonged the lives of millions with his invention of the implantable pacemaker and the long-life lithium iodine battery to power it. Skip Gillikin; Weaverville, N.C.

I can't believe that you left Dan Wheldon off the list. His dramatic and untimely death in October stunned the racing world. The changes that may come to IndyCar racing could rival the changes in NASCAR after the death of Dale Earnhardt. Amy Brady; Lexington, S.C.

I would add to your list Joe Simon, who co-created Captain America with Jack Kirby in 1940. He died Dec. 16 at the age of 98. Rick S. Jones; Michigan City, Ind.

"From trivial to vulgar"

(Dec. 31) Joel Belz lamented the responses he got from his survey of people leaving Walmart. Three thousand years ago David in Psalm 12 asked the Lord to "protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men." Winslow G. Fox; Chelsea, Mich.

Belz is running into the breakdown of trust in our society. The 20th century saw the rise of institutions in American life, and now we are seeing them crumble. But the scary part is that without trust there can be no society, no civilization. I am not running for the hills with a truckload of guns and MREs, although I am taking some steps to weather a certain amount of storm. And we who are in Christ still have Someone we can trust. N. Phillip Hawkins; Indianapolis, Ind.

Thank you so much for the column about the horribly depressing, if I may say, Walmart survey experience. As the mother of an adopted 20-month-old girl, I am particularly horrified at the comment advocating more money for Planned Parenthood. Debbie Brotzge; Norman, Okla.

I agree with Belz. Everything seems to be a knee-jerk reaction to whatever we see on the TV or the internet, or hear on the radio. If we would think about deep things, maybe more would realize who they are and who God is. Andrew Hanson Scholes; Beavercreek, Ohio

"The God without pride"

(Dec. 31) The column on pride is brilliant. The picture of the lowly birth and the image of the river washing away pride are wonderful. George Swanson; Jacksonville, Fla.

When I was younger I did the kind or thoughtful thing simply so other people would feel some happiness. As I have gotten older (I'm 15 now), I still like to do nice things for people, but I have noticed that I do them so people will know that I was the one who did it. This column helped me see this more than ever. Caleb Joel Stade; Wichita Falls, Texas

"Legacies lost"

(Dec. 31) You reported that former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno "failed to take action on allegations of pedophilia against a member of his coaching staff." Paterno did take action; he reported the allegation to his boss, the athletic director. Second, Sandusky was retired when that allegation was made. Don Ruth; Fayetteville, Pa.

"Daniel of the year"

(Dec. 17) Hurrah for your Daniel of the Year, Alan Chambers. I became acquainted with him at my first Exodus conference. I thank God for bringing me through my own foolish behaviors and for bringing into my life a wonderful woman who loves me in spite of my past. I fully understand the depth of his persecution and greatly applaud his firm stance for the gospel and the grace of Jesus Christ. Randyl Davis; Thaxton, Va.

I have struggled with homosexuality all my life. We need daily to put on the armor of God and be prepared to fight this sin with the shield of faith. We can then give praise to God. What an encouragement this article is to me. Alan Johnson; Dallas, Texas

I just read WORLD's tribute to Alan Chambers. I heartily concur. He is more than deserving of that honor and one of the most amazing people I know. Debbie Thurman; Monroe, Va.

"Food fight"

(Dec. 17) Mindy Belz's observation that "viewed from the Korean Peninsula, the causes of famine and gross impoverishment couldn't be clearer" reminds me of another comparison that couldn't be clearer. As the Heritage Foundation's Index of Economic Freedom shows, economic and political freedoms provide the best guarantees against famine and poverty. Instead of recognizing the existence of natural rights as a precondition for any form of government, people such as the rulers of North Korea relish their power, dominating the economic, social, and political lives of all within their borders. Nolan Nelson; Eugene, Ore.

"Conscience question"

(Dec. 17) You report that President "Obama is considering expanding the religious exemption" and "giving more latitude for religious organizations" and that he "may decide at any moment." I would like to know when Obama stopped being president and became king. It is outrageous that people must seek one man's approval on such issues. We were founded as a nation of laws, and not men. Thomas Milligan; Marion, Ohio

"Heard again"

(Dec. 17) Thanks for the piece on Mark Heard's music. It's a crime that Heard didn't find a bigger audience for his music. He plumbed the depths of his frustrations with the church and himself like no one else. The generation being born at his death would be wise to listen. Tom Funk; Lincoln, Ill.

"Fighting the good fight"

(Dec. 3) Thank you for this column. What a good challenge and, as it often seems with God, it comes at just the right time for me. Jennifer Green; Longview, Texas

"Eyes to see, ears to hear"

(Nov. 19) Now that I have figured out how to subscribe using Android's Listen program, I have made it a daily habit to catch WORLD's two-minute audio news update, and every weekend I listen to the full edition of "The World and Everything in It." I enjoyed the special Christmas Eve edition with stories about the carols. Tim Anger; Emmaus, Pa.

"Private space"

(Nov. 19) As an avid follower of all things space-related, I am delighted that WORLD is reporting on some of the recent commercial space efforts. However, your article presented an unfairly bleak assessment. After SpaceX's initial failures the company has had a string of four successful flights of ever-increasing complexity. As for cost, the commercial approach is decidedly cheaper. Congress, one must conclude, is mainly concerned with retaining aerospace jobs, which explains why senators and representatives from Florida, Texas, and Alabama (home of the three major NASA centers) are the biggest supporters of the status quo at NASA. Bill Hensley; Sugar Land, Texas

Corrections

The Japan earthquake moved the island of Honshu about eight feet ("News of the year," Dec. 31, p. 31).

The quote from an atheist, "You don't need religion to express love, you complete idiot," originally appeared on the website Answerbag.com ("Ill will toward men," Jan. 14, p. 18).

WORLD around the world

Luzon Strait, South China Sea Submitted by Ben Reeder

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