May 30

‘The ones who stay’

Some have written off Sandtown in Baltimore as millions of taxpayer dollars wasted. But as this piece described, many great things are happening amid the turmoil through the ministry of New Song and the work of Habitat. Most importantly, the redemption of souls by grace does more than any amount of money.

John Wynn on wng.org

The events of 2015 feel like an assault on my faith and core, so I was very thankful for WORLD’s return barrage of articles and columns in this issue.

Rob Workman / Greenville, S.C.

‘No concessions’

Is not an art exhibit that attempts to offend the very opposite of the Golden Rule? Just because someone legally can do something, such as hold an art exhibit to defame Muhammad, Christians shouldn’t necessarily support his right to do so.

Thomas Cackler on wng.org

In a free society, a person has the right to offend my Lord and my faith, just as I have the right to declare my offense and defend that faith. I agree that an event designed to offend Muslims is not a strategy Christians should employ, but should Christians support the right of others to hold such an event? Absolutely.

Dana Celich on wng.org

Isn’t the real danger to free speech citizens who abuse that freedom? The cartoonists created an exposition to upset Muslims and so endangered the lives of police officers and others. We must support free speech in a way that stresses the responsibility we as citizens have to regulate our speech.

Randon Hoselton / Naples, N.Y.

I love it when WORLD takes a stand in the midst of moral confusion. It is so frightening that so many Americans have been bullied into discarding their First Amendment rights. Our self-censorship now will hasten the demise of our Christian free-speech rights later.

Jon Karn / Montrose, Calif.

Satirists have a legal right to insult Muslims or call a crucifix in a jar of urine “art,” but Christians have to be vocal in insisting that people have no moral right to abuse their freedom. Our culture was once restrained by Judeo-Christian norms that would have made such insults unthinkable.

Linda Ames Nicolosi / Encino, Calif.

‘The couple next door’

Loving our homosexual neighbors means we care enough to tell them the truth; homosexuality is a sin and not God’s design for sexuality.

Jeff Wilbarger / Toledo, Ohio

Thank you, especially for the observation that the fact that other sins aren’t handled well doesn’t justify handling this one badly. That excuse makes no sense.

Joe Bruce on wng.org

I am so tired of Christians who celebrate their homosexuality and claim the Lord made them that way. How do we feel about pedophiliac Christians saying they were born that way? We need to stop celebrating sin and surrender to the One who paid the price to make us whole.

Sam Lochinger on wng.org

‘Deathly fears’

I appreciated Marvin Olasky’s great column on fear of dying. I have worked in an intensive care unit for more than three decades and, having seen enough death for 30 lives, can state that people having faith in the Resurrection generally face death with much more calm. I have been awed at the grace and courage I have seen over these years. It has strengthened my faith immensely.

Richard Hotchkiss / St. Louis, Mo.

When we see Him face to face, those who have trusted in Him will be so satisfied to be in His presence that everything else will pale in comparison.

David Waldrup on wng.org

‘Taken by Raúl’

It warms my heart and encourages my faith to see Christ’s church in Cuba persevere, undeterred by sanctions and prejudice. I now know better how to pray for them.

Jonathan Wedel on wng.org

Ah, the workers’ paradise. There is no such thing as a vacuum. When Christianity and Jesus Christ are pushed aside, the empty space is filled by humanism, the worship of man with its church of public education and sacrament of bloody abortion.

John & Pam Day on Facebook

‘Cloudy forecasts’

Thank you for this well-balanced column on the power of negative thinking. I often try to imagine a worst-case scenario and then ask myself, “Could I still trust God if this happened?”

Joshua Burba / Nashville, Tenn.

After several years when nothing went right, I learned that one cannot expect everything to go right no matter what one does. It’s a good lesson that God is sovereign. Things could go awry again and again, but He is in charge and I can trust Him.

Anastasia Mather on wng.org

‘Selling to shells’

Wow! All I can do is shake my head! Who knew we would become the new Cayman Islands?

Kris Smilko on wng.org

‘Reaching up’

You reported that after the Nepal earthquake an Indian official encouraged “a total legal ban on religious conversions during meetings with senior Nepali leaders.” Good luck stopping the work of the Holy Spirit.

James Techroew on wng.org

‘Dire prediction’

Our administration’s willingness to sacrifice Christian lives overseas should be beyond comprehension, but it is not. While turning a blind eye to the carnage overseas, it is systematically dismantling religious freedoms at home.

Wally Stansbury on wng.org

‘Far from the Madding Crowd’

Thomas Hardy always challenged the Victorian limitations on young women. It wasn’t modern feminism, but he showed in many books the second-class status of women and their plight to survive the “rules of the day.” I love this book and am sad that the movie won’t come to my area.

Paula Parmer Smith on Facebook

‘Wayward shines’

Great news about this show. I saved this promising-looking TV series on DVR but was dreading that, as so often happens, I would have to delete them even before finishing the pilot because it was such utter rubbish.

Lori Baker Galloway on Facebook

‘Suicidal tendencies’

Can an ailing, elderly person really offer anything in this life? Absolutely! God has a history of using the weak, the broken, and the most unlikely to advance His kingdom. If God gives a cup full of pain and suffering, will we turn it away? We must serve Him faithfully until He calls us home.

Kevin Skinner on wng.org

May 16

‘Disorientation’

Transgender issues are so confusing but front and center this year. I have so many questions and am hungry for good answers that are compassionate but truthful. I am worried; will the Christian community be behind on this too?

Alice Kurihara on wng.org

Correction

The medical nonprofit group For Hearts and Souls opened and treated patients in a cath lab in Fallujah the Iraqi government had built (“In extremity, opportunity,” June 13, 2015).

WORLD Around the World

Lusaka, Zambia Submitted by Steve Slater

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