Deserved leadership

I fail to see why Kofi Annan should resign as head of the United Nations just because he is corrupt ("Kofi's crisis," Dec. 18). The United Nations is arguably the most corrupt entity on the planet. Its leaders and officials have been trained in some of the leading schools of corruption in the world, namely, Third World governments. Why shouldn't it be led by a corrupt leader? They deserve each other. The question is, why are we supporting it? -Bill Caruth; Dallas, Texas

Dance fever

If Andree Seu wants to dance, fine ("The dance," Dec. 18). But don't waste space in WORLD to justify "shaking a leg" with Jesus or doing the "dosey doe" with God. -Doug Nichols; Mountlake Terrace, Wash.

I'm a former avid dancer and I wept after reading "The dance." Multiple knee injuries, several children, and some extra pounds later, my dancing days are now mournfully rare. I had not realized how much I missed them until I read about Mrs. Seu's evening out, and I especially enjoyed how she connected the night of dancing with, as C.S. Lewis described it, "the Last, Great Gathering." -Cathy Groves; Kearney, Neb.

Mrs. Seu, who has highlighted so many Scripture verses wondrously, has disappointed us. Let us look forward to a dance in heaven, not fraught with the weakness of human emotion or male/female entanglements. -Laura Lameyer; Caledonia, Mich.

"The dance" was the most beautiful and inspiring thing I have read in a long time. To read it was to feel the touch of the mystery oneself. I look forward to my own experience on the dance floor. -Lindy Denton; Fort Wayne, Ind.

Not on my campus

I am a junior majoring in biology at Purdue University, and I recognized nothing of my campus in "Conformity on campus" (Dec. 18). I have never been subject to ridicule or discrimination because of my Christian beliefs. I have never felt threatened, intellectually stifled, liberally indoctrinated, or educationally unsupported by my teachers. I have never witnessed the sort of student behavior you described and have been supported by a thriving Christian subculture. Local churches and parachurch organizations do a fantastic job of ministering to the student population. I feel that God has given Christian students a unique opportunity to minister and witness to our peers, and we do so joyfully. -Margie Steenbergen; West Lafayette, Ind.

I thoroughly enjoy your magazine but am surprised at the antagonism it exhibits through its articles and Mailbag letters toward professionals labeled as "academics." I am a conservative Christian tenured at a state-supported, land-grant university. There are many conservative Christian faculty, staff, and students here. God has placed us within the university system to be researchers, teachers, mentors, advisors, witnesses, and sometimes safe havens for your children. -Charles L. Stoltenow; Fargo, N.D.

Putrid pursuit?

Kudos to Lauren Winner for "In pursuit of Bridget & Carrie" (Dec. 18). As a 20-something, I have long asserted that many (although not all) congregations have dropped the ball in reaching those "out-of-college-but-not-yet-started-a-family" young people. People of my generation desire authentic community and, sadly, often end up searching for it outside the church. -Angie French; Waco, Texas

I found "In pursuit of Bridget & Carrie" rather disturbing. Are we to be so carefree with the Lord's Supper as to invite people to join us as if it were a mere supper and not a sacrament for God's people? I suggest joyful and obedient living, along with the ability to defend the faith with Scripture, rather than treading water in the putrid cesspool of pop-culture, hoping that some lost soul will allow me to share my knowledge of Bridget Jones with her. -Andrew P. Samuelsen; Carlisle, Pa.

Incensed

It's interesting that Mr. Dawson manages to make the ACLU out to be the aggressor in "Off-base attack" (Dec. 11). As a spiritual individual who values her own religious freedom, I am incensed that other religious individuals would happily trample civil liberties to protect the Boy Scouts' use of federal facilities. -Amy B. Cole; Houston, Texas

I read "Off-base attack" with interest because I recently learned that, in some cases, our tax dollars can go to the ACLU when it represents plaintiffs in civil-rights cases. If this law could be changed so that it costs the ACLU as much to go to court as those they target, it will discourage some of these things from happening. -J. Douglas Hallman; Snydertown, Pa.

Discussion question

Realistic dialogue with Muslims ("Beyond wishful thinking," Dec. 11)? What do you discuss with those who are committed to your annihilation? We can only hope and pray for their conversion to Christianity, and that our leaders might have a realistic assessment of the situation and abandon the Pollyanna position that Islam is a religion of peace. But I am not hopeful about this; we've just spent a generation in dialogue and discussions with Yasser Arafat. -Mickey O'Neill; Yukon, Okla.

As an American living in Scotland, I am grateful for your news and editorials from a biblical perspective, but your statement that "Christ's teaching eventually led to the development of complementary roles for men and women" brought me up short. The roles for men and women were set up by God Himself in Genesis 2, before the Fall, and have always been complementary. -Karen Reyburn; Airdrie, Scotland

True

Marc Davis's column, "Waiting for the Son" (Dec. 11), was excellent. It shows us that our true identity isn't in this world but in Christ. -Tim Ross; Boise, Idaho

Desultory result

Upon first reading "The results of a dog going blind" (Nov. 20), we feared that we had missed the point-surely there was something more in this "Christian short story." A second reading proved even more confusing. We disagreed with all the judges' comments, except that it breaks out of the Christian "mold." If this is the pinnacle of Christian literature, we might as well stop now. -Aaron Speer & Stephen Wirth; Columbia Falls & Whitefish, Mont.

Clarification and correction

Baseball star and admitted steroid user Ken Caminiti died of a drug overdose on Oct. 10, 2004 ("Imperfect game," Dec. 18).

The New England Patriots won the Super Bowl in 2002 and 2004 ("NFL dynasty," Jan 1).

Judge Charles Pickering resigned last month from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ("Recess appointments," Jan. 1).