‘Block by block’

Aug. 5 Great article. One of the main reasons Chicago and the state of Illinois are failing is decades of Democratic Party control. The state has nearly $15 billion in unpaid bills, and the Legislature cannot cut or balance the budget. These are the good days for Chicago because the worst is yet to come. —Bruce Oosterhouse / Rockford, Mich.

‘An ethical blemish’

Aug. 5 I don’t see any ethical blemish here on Donald Trump, but I do see WORLD assisting the mainstream media in putting him and his family under a microscope. —T. Austin on wng.org

“Ethical blemish”? Is that all you can muster here? You once called him “unfit,” and now you shrug off this dumpster fire. Evangelicals should be abandoning this president in droves, and instead they prop him up. —Darrell Lackey / Gustine, Calif.

WORLD’s bias against Trump was again on display in this column. Playing into the left’s narrative that this is a “scandal” and “collusion” with the Russians is unfortunate. At worst, Donald Trump Jr. may have been naïve about Russian meddling. —Igor Shpudejko / Goodyear, Ariz.

It concerns me that Christians are so adamant in their defense of Trump. We have as leader what Proverbs would call a fool: arrogant, quick-tempered, greedy, and sexually immoral. I am thankful for his appointments and executive orders so far, and a sovereign God can use even fools, but I fear we have damaged our witness. —Thomas Farr on wng.org

Give me a break, WORLD. We cannot forget that Satan and the world are trying to destroy us by destroying President Trump. —Terry Hyde / Calgary, Alberta

A poisonous atmosphere has developed in which any criticism of Trump is considered an attack. The surest way for Christians to be taken for granted by a political leader is to praise him no matter what. —Tom Hanks on wng.org

WORLD has gone above and beyond in treating President Trump with respect and has given him the benefit of doubt to the point it sometimes felt a little biased, but you had the courage to report on evidence that Donald Jr. used very bad judgment. —Elizabeth Cole on wng.org

‘Is cash an endangered species?’

Aug. 5 You write that “moving from cash does decrease crime,” but what about fraudulent use of EBT cards and how phishing scams and stolen identities involve electronic financial tools? —Scott Printz / Abilene, Kan.

I am surprised that this article did not refer to the prophecy in Revelation that in the end times “no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark.” Yes, for centuries Christians have predicted that the end is near, but new technology makes it so easy to imagine. —Paul Boone on wng.org

‘Sheltered’

Aug. 5 “No Kill” cities for animals have bothered me for years. Ironically, some of the loudest voices advocating for animals are also the loudest pro-abortion voices. I don’t get it. —Sara Lusk Moll on Facebook

I love animals as much as the next person, but there seems to be a trend of humanizing them to an extreme degree. —Elizabeth Pennington-Butler on Facebook

‘White House connection’

Aug. 5 How do evangelicals who have “access” to the White House apply Proverbs’ condemnation of arrogance to their relationship with President Trump? Is the counsel of Proverbs 26 about dealing with fools outdated and irrelevant? Do I make up my own rules for applying Scripture because the fool is someone important, or take a stand for my Biblical worldview? —Carl Johnson / Bremerton, Wash.

‘Land, sea, and air’

Aug. 5 The portrayal in Dunkirk of a young soldier who wasn’t sure if fellow Englishmen were going to spit on him when he returned is preposterous. The British army had been miraculously saved and were now going to defend England; the population would stand with them. —Anthony Brooks / Leesburg, Ga.

‘Clerical errors’

Aug. 5 Thank you for reporting the travesty of these church leaders caving in to the culture. The Old Testament is a clarion call to today’s church to remember Israel’s cycle of rebellion and repentance. —Brenda Sistler on Facebook

‘July 4, 10, 30, 31’

Aug. 5 Joni Eareckson Tada may be right that her disability is God’s “discipline.” However, we often bring calamity on ourselves by ignoring His instructions for living life and then attribute it to God’s will. How we respond to these consequences plays a major role in determining whether God is glorified in our lives. —Don Wilkinson / East Berlin, Pa.

By the Numbers

Aug. 5 The report that Americans on average spend 17 hours per year looking for parking was good for a giggle. Maybe that average American could take that spot way out in never-never land and walk for a few minutes instead of circling, and circling, and circling. —Steve Avey / San Diego, Calif.

‘Blue-collar concerns’

Aug. 5 Marvin Olasky mentions that he considered going to Washington to promote compassionate conservatism, but I’m thankful for his leadership with WORLD and for the influence he has had with national leaders to promote sound Biblical thought. —Troy Petty on Facebook

‘Three looks at cremation’

July 22 The controversy over burying vs. burning is much ado about nothing. The human body does have dignity—when it’s alive. As for fire being a symbol of torment and contempt, what about the passages of Scripture that portray God as fire, such as the burning bush, the pillar of fire, and at Mount Sinai? —Jerry Thompson / Livonia, Mich.

Correction

The letter writer proposing conservatives start considering alternatives to Trump for the 2020 presidential primary was Laura Weieneth (Mailbag, Aug. 19, 2017).

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

‘Admission of bias’

Aug. 5 As Joel Belz says, you have a bias based on fundamental Christian principles, and you write honestly and objectively. Thank you for making me a better Christian and a better citizen. —Gisele Clancy / Wyandotte, Mich.

‘To the Bone’

Aug. 5 I am one of many who struggle with anorexia, self-harm, and other issues. Our solutions to our unbearable pain may not be optimistic, or ordinary, or healthy, but they’re solutions. Using words such as “lunacy” and “twisted” to describe the illness we struggle with makes us feel even more alone. —Shannon Morris / Fort Worth, Texas

‘The pluribus and the unum’

Aug. 5 Janie B. Cheaney stated it so well. I'm sending this column to someone who is a contributing millennial to the anti-marriage problem. —Berry Stubbs / Charlotte, N.C.

‘Being in hate’

July 1 Andrée Seu Peterson is correct; far too often I've seen the consequences of family members trapped in hate. I'm grateful for all the many life transformations I've seen, but too often I watch the third generation of children raised in anger devolve into hatred. —Scott Volltrauer / Edina, Minn.