December 12

‘Unconquered’

These are heartbreaking stories of Christians martyred by the Islamic State. They are a wonderful choice to be honored as your Daniels of the Year. I pray that if God calls me to suffer as they did, I too will be able to stand firm, trusting only in my Savior.

Jennifer Murray on wng.org

These people took the same path as Stephen. They too “gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus.” Some golden daybreak they will be reunited with their wives and children. They are Daniels—they stood firm.

Jim Schultz on wng.org

This issue of WORLD arrived the same week our Bible study discussed Revelation Chapter 6. We have now seen the faces John describes, “the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained.”

Jill Kaltenthaler / Dewitt, Mich.

President Obama’s refusal to acknowledge the religious nature of the attacks is very disturbing. It is not difficult to identify this enemy—radical Islamic terrorism—and it is not just “sectarian violence,” as some news outlets describe it.

Dale Murrish on wng.org

Quotables

Kentucky Democrat Adam Edelen said the electoral losses of potential party leaders during Obama’s tenure “will have very long-term consequences.” Apparently throwing a well-meaning Christian in jail because she doesn’t follow the Democratic Party’s cultural strip mining agenda doesn’t play well in Kentucky. Who knew?

Dean Bruckner on wng.org

‘The real me’

This simple yet profound explanation of the battle between our two natures gives me great hope. Andrée Seu Peterson’s transparent honesty is so encouraging; evidently she lives her Christian life in the same tangles as the rest of us.

Angela Norell / Bloomington, Minn.

Through 20 years as an angry and self-righteous homeschooling mom, I felt like an impostor when I tried to have Jesus’ hands and words. This reminder helped me realize that I should lay aside my feelings and put on the mind of Christ.

Amy Drummond / Harleysville, Pa.

‘Welding and philosophy’

I doubt that our culture will ever be able to reconnect head, heart, and hands, given our splintered thinking, worship of pseudo tolerance, and easily offended egos. Higher education in general is a rudderless vessel adrift on a sea of ever-changing social causes, and anyone who dares to jump ship faces sharklike cultural, media, and legal systems.

Tim Bouffard on wng.org

‘The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 2’

Good review. I’ll wait for the $1 DVD rental. You just saved us $40 plus the cost of concessions.

Denelle Christine Bratcher on Facebook

I’m baffled by the reviewer’s complaint that this movie isn’t “fun.” There are laugh-out-loud moments, and it’s at times exciting and intense, but I’m unsure how anyone could get the impression that a series about televised murder, ethics in war, and PTSD was supposed to be fun.

Sarah Parks on wng.org

‘Tuned in one direction’

I suppose environmental alarmist Dr. Dee Eggers was not open at her lecture for questions such as, “Are there any positive effects of global warming?” or, “Has this ever happened before?”

Bob Barnes on wng.org

‘You paid how much?’

The high-end art market may be awash in money, but the market for art by living artists is not. Still, contemporary artists with the highest quality work are more likely to survive; in the market for “dead” artists, prices are rarely based on quality.

John Cogan on wng.org

‘Amateur missionaries’

I love it! This story reminds me of when Matthew invited the tax collectors and sinners to dine with Jesus.

Tom Pella on wng.org

‘Be not afraid’

Every Christian who complains about liberal media bias should discover WORLD. In a culture dominated by shallow, readily available entertainment, getting people to subscribe won’t be easy, but WORLD has an essential mission to counter our slow but relentless cultural destruction.

Linda Ames Nicolosi / Thousand Oaks, Calif.

‘Secret burden’

Megan Basham’s observation that God claims vengeance for Himself because we can’t bear that burden captures a biblical truth that is often misunderstood. God can “exact vengeance without sinning while we really cannot,” but His vengeance is an act of love for us as much as a recognition of our sinful inclinations.

Tim Price on wng.org

‘Children’s books’

Thank you for a wonderful feature on children’s books. I requested all titles from your article that our library system had available, and the next day my oldest was enjoying them all.

Emily Hughes / Fuquay-Varina, N.C.

November 28

‘A Thanksgiving meditation’

I agree that God put Hazael in power to punish Israel, but the point of God’s words to Elijah and to us, pardon my paraphrase, was, “What are you doing down there, Elijah? You are not the only faithful one. Get rid of that fear, go back up north, and stop complaining.”

Deac Heath / Banner Elk, N.C.

‘Just-so Houston’

In the 1990s I noticed that the Burke Baker Planetarium in Houston had a Bible verse over the door that attributed creation of the heavens to God. Later I noticed a temporary sign that blocked the view of the verse, and still later the verse was gone, gradually removed from the museum just as from American culture.

John W. Bennett / Marble Falls, Texas

‘Southeast Asian squeeze’

Islam is a religion but also a political/military/creedal entity, which, when it becomes a majority, uses force rather than persuasion to proselytize. When our courts and government fail to distinguish between a religion and Islam, Islamists can use our own Constitution against us. As pressure to impose Sharia mounts, we must make that distinction and define as illegal honor killing, wife beating, conjugal rape, and prescriptive dress codes for women. Wherever true Christianity has gone, the status of women has been elevated as its followers see and emulate Jesus’ treatment of women.

Douglas Reiman on wng.org

November 14

‘Along for the ride’

I, for one, am not in favor of automobiles that drive themselves. If these programs work as well as the applications on my iPhone, iPad, and computer, I want nothing to do with them.

Jim Richardson / Oro Valley, Ariz.

October 17

‘Highs and lows’

Thank you for your book recommendations. In the last few months I have read Ally, along with Dead Wake, The Great Leader and the Fighter Pilot, Team of Teams, and now The Matheny Manifesto. They were fantastic.

Jim Greeley / Catonsville, Md.

Correction

In the movie I Saw the Light, when asked why he writes songs, the Hank Williams character replies, “I show it to ’em, and they hear, and they don’t have to take it home” (“I Saw the Light,” Dec. 12, 2015).

WORLD Around the World

Liowonde, Malawi Submitted by Michael and Toni Rhoads

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