Mailbag

'Effective compassion'

June 16 I love horses, I love Wyoming, and I loved learning about Fathers in the Field, the West Region winner of WORLD's Hope Awards. I want to have a part in it and intend to support it. This is the body of Christ working as it is designed to do. -Katie Maddox, Gray, Ga.

'The politicized pulpit'

June 16 Marvin Olasky dealt quite well with two of the three statements in the Belgic Confession regarding how to recognize the true church but did not focus on the third: "it practices church discipline for correcting faults." Many of our churches have failed in their responsibility to discipline both individual leaders and members, much as some Christian parents have left their parenting responsibilities up to social institutions such as schools. Surely God will hold both churches and parents accountable. -Don Youts, Wichita, Kan.

As a pastor and a former president of the Southern Baptist Convention, I have seen firsthand the dangers Olasky described, and his balanced words of advice were spot on. -James Merritt, Duluth, Ga.

As a pastor and writer, I do not endorse candidates or policies. However, I will respond when anyone makes statements that challenge the biblical worldview. If that person is running for public office, that is incidental. -Gary B. King, Lake City, Fla.

'The poor in mind'

June 16 I really liked Janie B. Cheaney's insights into the real reason for poverty in America. As a pastor for many years in a low-income area of our town, I know. Those who work with the poor must ask all who come in their doors seeking help, "Do you want to be well?" Many are poor and remain poor because they are not willing to give up their lifestyles and addictions to truly live. We always give them food and invite them in, but will not invest any more time or resources until by their actions they say, "Yes, I want to be well." -Jerry Cole, Reno, Nev.

I agree that churches are the best way to help the poor, and it certainly does take more than responding to a pulling of our heart strings to decide where to apply charity. I pray we use the brains and wisdom God gives us before we open our wallets. -Don Spencer, Lake Tapps, Wash.

'Kid-glove treatment'

June 16 Come November, a theologically vetted Romney is far and away preferable to President Obama, still unvetted thanks to the fawning and complicit liberal media. With our nation poised at a crossroads, it will be disastrous for America if evangelical Christians seeking doctrinal purity sit on the sidelines and don't vote for the resoundingly better of the two choices in November. -Peter Kushkowski, Portland, Conn.

'A great divorce'

June 16 Emily Belz's poignant piece reminded me of the sorrow I felt after my own exodus from The Episcopal Church. The way she took us through all the details, worldly and spiritual, were heart-wrenching, but in the end the grace and mercy shown by The Falls Church overwhelmingly surpassed all else. The love of Christ won the day. -Kristine Wessler, Yorktown, Va.

'Mind changes'

June 16 This article is a relevant heads-up. It introduces the question of whether a government agency should have some role, along with psychiatrists themselves, in making changes to the guidelines for diagnosing mental illness and prescribing psychiatric medications. These decisions should not be made solely by psychiatrists, who may tend to over-medicate large segments of our population. But under the authority of the government the guidelines would be vulnerable to political misuse. Can we do anything to reduce the chances of having governmental authority over yet another part of our lives? -Janice S. Garey, Decatur, Ga.

'Songs with staying power'

June 16 I noticed that WORLD's iPad app had in this article an embedded recording of the Bach motet you mentioned. For a few minutes, the article became a concert and my doctor's office was lifted up with "alleluias." The ability to supplement information and ideas with sound and video is exciting, but the format would be of no value without the God-honoring content, which I cherish. -John Monroe, Carrollton, Texas

WORLD has figured out how to publish for Kindle in a way that is practical, interesting, and user-friendly. Also, I have noticed a real increase in the volume and quality of your information in various media formats. The websites, political cartoons, and print and digital publications you produce all have a subtle Christ-centered focus. It is so refreshing in this age. -Stephen W. Williams, Bandera, Texas

'Fracking: fact or fiction?'

June 16 This article cleared up a lot of fiction I had heard about fracking and explained it in layman's terms. I've sent the information to local and state representatives to help them make wise decisions. -Jone H. Reid, Winston-Salem, N.C.

'Ruling on counseling'

June 16 Thanks to the efforts of those tolerance fighters in Britain and in many declining Western societies, progressives (including homosexuals, atheists, and feminists) soon may not have to suffer the indignities of those pesky Christian moralists. Instead they'll have to deal with Sharia law, which is so much more accommodating. -Alex Gorski, Sudbury, Ontario

'Quite a perk'

June 2 Identifying presidential perks funded by taxpayers is a great start. However, why not broaden the scope and identify nonessential benefits received by all government service personnel? Perhaps our esteemed living presidents will support Rep. Jason Chaffetz and his bipartisan colleagues. United leadership might achieve a greater benefit for us all. -Marlene Zengel, Gretna, La. -Betty Brian, Greenbrier, Tenn.

'Just for men'

June 2 Yes, in a democratic society, any club reserves the right to choose its members, but this does not excuse discrimination. For the Augusta National Golf Club to refuse membership to the CEO of IBM simply because she is a woman is discrimination, and discrimination is harmful to women. And I completely fail to see the correlation between the CEO of IBM and circus clowns and plumbers. -Bryanna Lindberg, Galax, Va.

'Ticket talking'

May 5 The choice of a presidential candidate's running mate is usually a pandering attempt to balance a ticket, but Mitt Romney's choice is a chance to show whether his conservative change of heart in 2008 was real or just Etch A Sketch rhetoric. The choice is also important because the next VP may have an active role in the legislative process if the Senate splits 50-50, a not unlikely scenario. From Chapman's list I'd say this favors Sen. Portman or Rep. Ryan, but others to consider are Sens. John Thune, Rand Paul, or Pat Toomey. -Josiah Peterson, Brooklyn, N.Y.

'In the shadow of war'

May 5 Thank you to Jamie Dean for her coverage of the refugee camps in South Sudan. The statement of the little boy who had had only a cup of boiled sorghum to eat that day has often echoed in my mind. Asked if he would get any dinner, he replied, "No, that's all for today." -Meghan Bowker, Wasilla, Alaska

Corrections

The name of the musical directed by Michelle McCarten, children's choir director at The Falls Church, is Joseph: From the Pit to the Palace ("A great divorce," June 16, p. 57).

Rick Santorum won the 2012 Iowa caucus ("The brain trust," June 30, p. 36).

WORLD around the world

Karen, Kenya Submitted by LeRoy Judd

Send photos to: mailbag@worldmag.com