‘2017 Deaths’

Dec. 30 It was well worth reading through these names and reflecting on our transient stay on earth. How do I want to be remembered? What am I living for today? —Steve Shive on wng.org

‘A great sexual reckoning’

Dec. 30 Mindy Belz articulated so well how single women need to be able to interact with married men in churches and the workforce with respect and within reasonable boundaries. As a 44-year-old single, my heart was singing when I read her reminder that Genesis through Revelation is a story of love and redemption. —Jennifer L. Wilson / San Antonio, Texas

Thank you for an excellent article. I would disagree only with your take on the “Pence rule.” My husband is a pastor and is very cautious. An innocent “I saw the pastor at Starbucks with Sue” can turn deadly down the line. —Jo Ann Shugert on wng.org

Although God blessed me in many ways as an engineer in nuclear power plants from 1976 to 2012, as a single woman I still faced challenges, including sexual harassment. I coped, but saying “no” affected my advancement. I wish I had found more support in church. —Cynthia Tully on wng.org

Knowing that we are all made in the image of God, and that Christ-followers are brothers and sisters instead of “potential romantic partners,” must change the way we interact with each other. —Kirk Frambes on wng.org

‘Fewer is Moore’

Dec. 30 Without Roy Moore in the Senate, Democrats can still force the GOP to defend Trump. If Christians are unwilling to defend Moore even if he is falsely accused, how will they defend the best Christian candidates in November? —Joel Vanderzee on wng.org

Moore’s loss in Alabama will not make false accusations go away in the 2018 elections; it will make them more prevalent. —Charles Hodges on wng.org

If Moore truly is a righteous man unjustly persecuted, it would have helped bolster his tarnished image if he had lost graciously. Contrary to President Trump, it takes more guts to be a good loser than to be a winner. —Wayne Asbury on wng.org

My parents ran off a 20-year-old who wanted to date me at 13. I believe the women who accused Moore; they had nothing to gain and everything to lose. —Rosa Edwards on wng.org

This somewhat hysterical witch-hunt atmosphere in which people are fired based on allegations instead of facts is very concerning. It will be interesting to see how this all works out. —Doug Wallace on wng.org

‘Santa stops here’

Dec. 30 I agree that many children can be confused about Jesus when confronted with Santa. Jesus should be the center of Christmas, and it is very hard, in the mind of a child, for a baby in a manger to compete with a jolly magic man who brings gifts in a flying sled. —Susan McKenney Jarvis / Ocean Springs, Miss.

It is a lame excuse to say that your disbelief in God derives from your parents “lying” to you about Santa Claus, and the idea that children would conflate a fantasy about a gift-giving magic man with the omnipotent Creator is absurd. —Daniel Fisher on wng.org

I figured out that there is no Santa at a very early age. We were very poor, and better-off families got more “stuff,” and of course the delivery of presents was impossible. Christians should not help further that crazy myth. —Pat Jacobs / Snohomish, Wash.

In our home Santa bowed before Jesus, as it should be, considering that the true Nicholas at Nicaea was a staunch defender of the Trinity. Now with my four children we use Santa decorations to talk about church history, the supremacy of Christ, and how loving Jesus creates an outflow of generosity in His name. —Rick Witmer on wng.org

‘Young conservatism’s firebrand’

Dec. 30 I’m impressed with Ben Shapiro, especially that he recognizes the difference between Judaism and Christianity. I would add that a Christianity that is “largely” grace-based isn’t true Christianity at all. As Jonathan Edwards wrote, “You contribute nothing to salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” —Liza Zajac Whitehead on Facebook

Shapiro stated, “God does not take human form.” That question is settled by the resurrection. If Jesus rose from the dead, He was God; if He didn’t, He was not. —James (Jamie) Orr / Grove City, Pa.

I learned of Shapiro from my 16-year-old son. It’s encouraging to see his appeal to teens and young adults. —Jeannine Liebmann / Eureka, Mo.

‘Minute by minute’

Dec. 30 This column reminds me of when my husband was in the cancer ward. I would get up each morning and put my “cosmos” in order, never knowing where the day would end. But God is reminding me that life is finite. I still get up and put my world in order, but not with the same urgency. —Jody Fayman / Lincoln, Neb.

‘Finding Jesus after the Summer of Love’

Dec. 9 I think back to the early 1970s and am still amazed at what God did in our lives, and also in the lives of those many hitchhikers who passed through our small mountain town. We can never underestimate the power of God’s Word and grace poured out on us during that exciting time. —Rick Merriam / Arcadia, Okla.

‘Not invisible’

Dec. 9 I truly appreciate Medicaid for its coverage of my mother-in-law’s nursing home and my autistic son’s needs, but I am embarrassed that Medicare and Medicaid cover only a fraction of what the services cost. My son’s dental office tearfully notified us one evening that due to Obamacare and Medicaid regulations they would have to terminate my son’s care, and it’s very difficult here to find a dentist who will accept Medicaid patients. —Jim Craig / Richland Center, Wis.

Corrections

Kevin Durant was the MVP of the 2017 NBA Finals (“2017 News of the Year,” Dec. 30, p. 56).

Parents at Hasedera Temple in Japan pay 3,000 to 80,000 yen ($30 to $800) for a mizuko-jizo statue (“Guilt offerings,” Jan. 20, p. 48).

Moody Radio fired Julie Roys on Jan. 8 (“Moody blues,” Feb. 3, p. 34).

More letters, emails, and comments we didn’t have space for in the print edition:

‘A great sexual reckoning’

Dec. 30 This otherwise thoughtful article advises us to “lust only after your one spouse.” But in Biblical usage lust is an illicit desire, so the desire for intimacy within a God-honoring marriage is not lust. —Curt Wagoner / West Alexandria, Ohio

‘More than inspirational’

Nov. 25 I was struck by Joni Eareckson Tada’s beautiful smile that demonstrates her inner joy and peace. She embodies what C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity, that God will make the “feeblest and filthiest” person into a “dazzling, radiant, immortal creature … a bright stainless mirror which reflects back to God perfectly … His own boundless power and delight and goodness.” —Darryl Cook / Williamsburg, Va.