November 14

‘Who is my neighbor?’

This informative article neither dismissed the threat of terrorists posing as refugees nor fanned the flames of fear that all refugees are terrorists. It also addressed the issue we all, as Christians, need to face: How do we help those in desperate need when a few among them might be evil? I appreciated simple facts told well.

Sharon Gamble on wng.org

We should not confuse one role of government—protecting citizens—with the role of faith. Those who believe the government can adequately vet so many immigrants have way more faith in it than I can muster. Christians should be willing to serve without regard to cost, but that is their responsibility, not the government’s.

Jennifer Murray on wng.org

God has graciously sent people here from all over the world so we can pass along the message of reconciliation. And now even the American church is wanting to shut them out? As for the threat of terrorism, God doesn’t promise us safety—He promises to be with us.

Nancy Stewart / Houston, Texas

We, as citizens of the United States, have an obligation not to commit cultural, religious, or economic suicide because we are supposed be “good neighbors.” There are far more Muslim refugees than Christian refugees; where are the Muslim countries in this effort?

Dave Hackley on wng.org

I share the security concerns and think our government needs to do a better job assuring us that it is checking the backgrounds of refugees from the Middle East. This administration has squandered much of our trust; but most refugees are fleeing chaos, and in Christian compassion we should reach out to them.

Beth Daranciang on wng.org

‘Looking for Mr. Butterfield’

In Hillary Clinton’s case, her technical people pleaded the Fifth, unlike Butterfield who told us what happened with Nixon. I think Obama should arrest Clinton, but he seems not to care about her violations of the law. That’s no surprise; he isn’t concerned about his own violations of the law.

Bill Taylor on wng.org

Congress should pass a law revoking access to classified information for anyone who holds a security clearance and invokes the Fifth Amendment. This would allow the agency involved to investigate.

Glenn Tuley / West Melbourne, Fla.

I agree that who knew what and when are extremely important questions. Another question is, why was Ambassador Stevens in Benghazi? Did it involve a U.S.-facilitated transfer of $1 billion in weapons from Qatar to Libya, with many of those weapons ending up in Syria? And who gave the orders not to send help?

Douglas D. Strandness / St. Paul, Minn.

‘Houses taken over’

Andrée Seu Peterson objected to mandated criminal background checks for those working with children in her church. I couldn’t disagree more. There is no way a church can know enough about all its members to ensure no molesters are in the crowd.

Joy Berends / Galveston, Texas

Our state is encroaching, but this background check requirement is not political or racial. It’s a secular state’s attempt to prevent abuse because local churches have shown they cannot be trusted to know their flocks. Inevitably, when the church abandons God’s law and gospel, the state steps in.

Michael Owens / Denver, Pa.

‘Loving your neighbor and your gender’

I read the Reinke family’s story three times in one sitting, weeping. Jay Reinke has a prophetic message to us in the body of Christ.

Lisa Jacobson / Kansas City, Mo.

Churches that, in the name of mercy, turn from the male-female paradigm and endorse homosexuality are “undoing creation and the cross,” said Reinke. Thanks for that new insight.

Marle Fenno on wng.org

‘Blaming the meds’

Regarding the studies about antidepressants and mass murders, it’s almost as if there’s a correlation between mass shooters and mentally ill people.

David Penner on Facebook

‘Grace vs. Greece’

Christians looking for God’s truth can find good things in Aquinas, but the argument that his classical syncretism set the stage for lasting (and ongoing) damage to Western culture is a strong one, as Francis Schaeffer and others have shown.

Nick Gibson on wng.org

‘Along for the ride’

Self-driving cars will only get cooler as the technology gets more advanced. We shouldn’t shy away from it although, admittedly, it’s still freaky.

Ben Kauffman on wng.org

October 31

Dispatches

I thought of Jonathan Swift’s “modest proposal,” in which he satirically suggests that the starving people of Ireland eat their own children, when I read about how some people are concerned whether the chickens McDonald’s serves are treated humanely. Perhaps if a small body part from each of the 1.5 million children slaughtered each year in North America were served up, they might be treated as humanely as chickens. Swift might have had something to say about this.

John Hultink / St. Catharines, Ontario

‘Far side Christians’

What a sensational interview with Albert Mohler describing the intellectual challenge of moving from the simplistic side of an argument to the complex side without getting mired in the uncertainty. That is what WORLD is helping us all do.

William Buchalter / Middletown, N.Y.

‘The Sgt. Schultz generation’

I appreciated this column, but there is a difference between the show’s character and this generation: Schultz knew what was going on and pretended to be ignorant out of self-interest, but the conscience of this generation has become so seared that it really sees nothing wrong. This does not bode well.

John Nelson / San Antonio, Texas

‘Squandered gifts’

This column is beautiful, a lovely and poetic description of our triune God, the Creation, and God-ordained love between a man and a woman.

Trena M. Stooksberry / Macon, Ga.

October 17

‘What’s next for marriage?’

Once society accepts that the definition of marriage can be changed, others will want to put forward other versions of marriage. God is not mocked; you reap what you sow.

Lewis Earl Twine Jr. on wng.org

October 3

‘Recycling a tragedy’

This article moved me to tears in describing tragic lives of lust. Then I cried tears of joy reading about “Priscilla,” the compassionate doctor who shares the love of Christ through her listening ear and healing skills while reminding patients of their worth to their Creator. She inspires me to be more like Christ to those who try to fill the void with people and things.

Carla Cooper-Hicks / Marble Falls, Texas

Correction

The “Bridgegate” traffic snarl was allegedly intended to punish the mayor of Fort Lee, N.J., for failing to endorse Gov. Chris Christie (“Offers they can’t refuse,” Nov. 28, 2015).

WORLD Around the World

Rome, Italy Submitted by Marc and Rose DeWever

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