Cleaning time

Perhaps the C Street house ("All in the family," Aug. 29) needs an old-fashioned, top-to-bottom house cleaning. Begin in the attic by sweeping out the cobwebs of intrigue and secrecy, then on to the main level to ­vacuum up the dust of deceit. The windows must be cleaned to restore transparency, the mattresses checked for any mites of fiscal impropriety, and the foundations inspected for signs of crumbling or decay. As the old saying goes, "Cleanliness is next to godliness." -G. Eldon Carey; North Chili, N.Y.

Your reporting on C Street only dealt with half of the story. I have known many involved in the Fellowship for over 35 years. I cannot think of a group less interested in power or money, and it has disciplined thousands of men and women to grow in Christ. They choose to keep a low profile, not because of secrecy about clandestine plans, but to be private and focus on individual relationships. -Paul Goodman; Tulsa, Okla.

I appreciated the tone and research on the C Street group. However, these men may well return to their home churches and not be placed under anything resembling church discipline. Many if not most churches have abandoned church discipline; how can we expect parachurch organizations to do a better job? -Steve Holle; Billings, Mont.

I'm sorry you did the article on C Street. It was a great ministry to our leaders in Congress and around the world. It has to be done quietly. Doug Coe wouldn't talk; would a pastor in that situation? -Dick Borchard; Wichita, Kan.

Your piece was objective and factual. I am not sure if one can say how much good the Fellowship is doing, but it is for certain a powerful organization and power must be submitted to God completely or be in danger of corruption. -Elayne Barnett; Valencia, Calif.

We don't minister to critically poor or needy communities the same way we do in our "regular" churches, so doesn't it make sense that ministry to the powerful and socially visible members of our society would look different as well? The Fellowship's insistence on privacy is necessary to allow our leaders to have their spiritual growth and accountability that is inaccessible to the news media. The Fellowship provides a critical ministry to government leaders, and we support it wholeheartedly. -Ron & Sharon Gherman; Fairbanks, Alaska

An eye-opener

As the only person I know my age who pays attention to any issue in the government, thank you for voicing the problems of ignorance my generation faces ("Debt reversal," Aug. 29). God's World News opened my eyes to the world around me. -Jack Pigott, 13; Highland Village, Texas

Joel Belz says that "we Americans have done an abysmal job of passing on . . . our heritage." Au contraire. Conservatives have failed, but liberals have done exactly as they planned. For years I fought the liberal takeover of schools that began with Carter's Department of Education. We were simply worn down by a massive enemy and neither the Reagan nor Bush administrations seemed to notice. -T.L. Hoke; Farmington, Minn.

Thank you for the column discussing God's World News. We are a homeschooling family who uses your publication weekly as part of our curriculum. I welcome a more direct focus on teaching our kids about the consequences of past and present decisions. They need to learn about why our country began and where it needs to go to keep it great. -Marianne Stroud; Milwaukee, Wis.

The gift

Thank you so much for your wonderful article about immigration ("A million unborn tomorrows," Aug. 29). Having been born an American, I don't understand the whole immigration process. However, having lived in Peru for three years, I have a whole new appreciation for the gift of being born an American citizen. -Rachel S. Behr; Knoxville, Tenn.

My grandparents immigrated from Sicily in 1898 and I bounce back and forth between "there are too many immigrants" and "I am the grandchild of immigrants." However, my grandparents embraced their new country and culture, whereas some of today's immigrants seem to want to retain their old culture and language. My late father was adamant: He thought that if Americans didn't quit hyphenating themselves, we'd end up like Yugoslavia. -JoAnna A. Williams; Madison, Miss.

Why?

While I agree that Julie and Julia was a tour de force for Meryl Streep ("The joy of Julia," Aug. 29), and I concur that this is one of the best films that affirms marriage, my question is, why do we have to see a couple's intimate mating rituals? What has happened to modesty and decorum? -J.A. Scott; Peachtree Corners, Ga.

Turf protection

The Empire State Building was built in a little over a year, while Rudy's Bar and Grill can't complete a fire exit and two bathrooms in 10 months because of red tape ("Ruled out," Aug 25). It just goes to show that most regulations a government puts out are to protect its agencies' turf. -William Heyns; Cape Coral, Fla.

Money saved

I saw an ad for The Lost World of Genesis One but, thankfully, I saw your column about the book ("Appearances matter," Aug. 29) before I wasted $16 on yet another "academic" attempt to convince me that Genesis 1 surely cannot mean what it seems plainly to state. -Rick S. Jones; Michigan City, Ind.

Infinite mileage

Regarding "Volt jolt" (Aug. 29): So General Motors is rating the mileage of an electric car in miles per gallon of gasoline? There will be strong competition from Fred Flintstone's car, which by that same metric gets an infinite number of miles per gallon. -Bruce Lindbloom; Eden Prairie, Minn.

A vote not squandered

With all due respect to Tim LaHaye, I disagree that the choice in the 2008 presidential election was "McCain, Obama, or squander your vote" ("Influence & action," Aug. 29). I voted for the man whose stance on biblical truth was the strongest. I don't feel I "squandered" my vote simply because my candidate lost. -Dee Terry; Mulberry Grove, Ill.

Nothing new

Today I read "Secret plans" (Aug. 29) and actually cheered out loud. I've written off most conspiracy theories, but I have no idea what to think about secret power brokers pulling the strings behind the scenes. I do know that there is more than what we see on our television sets. Andrée Seu's column helped me not to feel like a lunatic and reminded me that conspiracies are nothing new. -Jay Sanders; Jackson, Ga.

Families first

Excellent column, and excellent idea ("Freedom from fear," July 18). I am approaching retirement age and do not believe that government has jurisdiction for either elder care or healthcare. It is time for Christians to go back to what Scripture says about taking care of the elderly and the sick: families first, and then the church. -Winston Platt; Warsaw, N.Y.

"Freedom from fear" is excellent. There is a critical situation at hand. Who will make the choices? As a Christian physician, I have tried to steer people away from unnecessary and impractical healthcare. What will I do when and if I am the one who is in need? -D.L. Seibel; Vineland, N.J.

Treasured greatly

Words cannot express the thankfulness to God that I have for your magazine. You deal succinctly with many issues that have not yet come to the forefront, preparing us to advance biblical ideals. -Michael T. Pike; Des Moines, Iowa

Congratulations to Joel Belz and the WORLD staff on the 1,000th issue. Your magazine is unique in so many ways, and more needed today than ever. Thank you so much for your biweekly gift of news, features, and viewpoint from a Christian perspective. We treasure it greatly. -Steve Brown; Moravian Falls, N.C.