See past the bugs

"Iraq's anguish" (Oct. 2) was a good, balanced article. Good reports about Iraq in the news media are seldom heard, sadly. It reminds me of the first time we saw the Teton Mountains. Our windshield was totally covered with bugs, but we didn't even notice because our focus was riveted on the horizon as we rounded a sharp curve and were confronted with our first view of the Tetons. We did need to take care of the bugs, but at a more appropriate time. That's how many of my friends from Iraq feel. -Lyle Beardslee; Livonia, Mich.

Mindy Belz's cover story opened with the negative-sounding headlines of articles in other magazines, but noted the positive changes and potential outcomes in Iraq. Perhaps a better choice for your headline would have been "It's not as bad as you think"-a twist on Newsweek's headline. -Nancy McClanahan; Linden, Texas

Share unalike

Many years ago I looked into a Christian medical "share" health program similar to the one Andree Seu joined ("Elegant solutions," Oct. 2). When I found they would not cover my son because he was born with several problems, the biggest being a hole in his heart, I decided not to join a group that discriminates against people with medical problems not of their own making. I understand that "healthy" people would have to pay more if the group covered people with illnesses, but isn't that the point of "sharing the burden"? -Janet Neidhardt; Branchville, N.J.

Thanks to Mrs. Seu for discussing the health insurance alternative, a kind of Christian co-op. It makes sense. -Carolyn Young; Waxhaw, N.C.

There are so many reasons why Christian health share programs just sound like a bad idea. What happens if one contracts the AIDS virus in a way not related to their lifestyle, such as from a blood transfusion or an accident? Secular insurance companies, as flawed as they are, also offer catastrophic insurance plans. For the most part, you know up front what they'll cover and how much they'll pay, unlike the gamble of the Christian program. -Gena Kemp; University Place, Wash.

Falling further

Thank you for "Loosening ties" (Oct. 2). Many of us outside the Anglican Communion have watched with sadness as the denomination falls further away from biblical truth by permitting openly homosexual leaders in the church. -Curt Karg; Idaho Falls, Idaho

Chasing pucks

I lived in Warroad, Minn., for eight years. This small town six miles south of the Manitoba border dubs itself Hockey Town USA. I referred to its ice arena as a worship center. The pressure on parents and boys is exactly what you described in "The System" (Oct. 2). We attempted to work with the system by inviting Hockey Ministries International to do an annual hockey camp, but it's hard to compete one week out of 52 with a community that puts hockey before God. If only believers pursued Christ with the same fervor. -Gary S. Karwoski; Stickney, Ill.

Worth of a picture

About a year ago I received a card in the mail from Fetal Fotos and was so excited to have a 3D ultrasound done that I made appointments for myself and my sister, who was also pregnant ("Weary in well-doing," Oct. 2). The day my husband, our 3-year-old, and I went to see our new little boy (Christian, now 8 months old) face to face was an incredibly touching experience. I am so sorry to hear that the business is suffering and I will be praying for it and the Kuznetsov family. -Heather Boesch-Wages; Litchfield, Conn.

But is that rodeo?

"Horse play" (Oct. 2) said that rodeo is a Western Hemisphere sport. I beg to differ. Our son and daughter-in-law and their friends in Augsburg, Germany, are avid rodeo-goers. However, the animal-rights people have their grip on the sport. One rule is that the calves cannot be thrown down to tie their legs after being roped because it might hurt the little guys. -Anita Wolfenberger; Smithville, Texas

Dropping the ball

I find the tone of "Irreligious studies" (Sept. 25) troubling. I am quoted in it. So many evangelical students find religion classes like Dr. White's troubling because they enter university with a certain arrogance that comes with being told that with Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel in hand they can neatly do away with any "challenge" to their faith. The real issue is that conservative churches have dropped the ball when it comes to engaging in scholarship; some condemn for a lack of faith students who bring such questions from their classes. Dr. White has profoundly challenged me with his classes but also allowed me to disagree with him in ways churches consistently failed to do. -Gene Fojtik; Austin, Texas

John Dawson brings to light a glaring weakness in the church today-the teaching of apologetics. Sending an uninformed 18-year-old student to university can be equivalent to sending an unarmed soldier into battle. -Doug Messersmith; Palm Springs, Calif.

Parents, not churches, are to blame for young people being unprepared for the hostile environment in college classrooms. I believe parents need to handle the responsibility to "train up children in the way they should go." -Christi Burnett; Williston, N.D.

Striving

I congratulate WestBow and WORLD for the fiction contest ("Novel approach," July 3). I was one of many entrants. From the comments on worldmagblog.com, I see how Christian writers are striving to perfect their craft, make it more relevant, and to write from a Christian worldview. -Dina Puleo; Jacksonville, Fla.

Con and pro

Please cancel my subscription. I am an evangelical Christian and was attracted to your publication feeling that you would be an objective magazine, but some right-winger seems to have imposed his personal and political ideas on it. -John E. Taylor; Penney Farms, Fla.

I love getting your magazine each week and make every effort to read it cover to cover. We subscribed to Newsweek several months ago because my husband "likes to know what the other side is saying." I don't even read it anymore. It is frustratingly biased and filled with propaganda while claiming to be a "news" magazine. -Christine Gauthier; Cheboygan, Mich.

Correction

The executive director of the National Center for Science Education is Ms. Eugenie C. Scott ("Unfashionable genes," Oct. 9, p. 28).