Mailbag

The president and the pew

July 17—Richard Rozman/Batesville, Ind.

“The eye is the lamp of the body.” Abortion is such a heinous and dark evil. The rendering of  President Joe Biden’s eyes on the cover is quite chilling.

Jim Irish/Bastrop, Texas

The Roman Catholic Church has no moral authority in terms of making President Biden aware of his support of abortion and the consequences of it. And he knows it. Like most of the kings in ancient Judah and Israel, Biden “did evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Standing on Genesis

July 17—Janet Hunter/Lake Bluff, Ill.

I was so grateful for this article. Many believe that evolution or theistic evolution is no big deal, but I beg to differ. Evolution is an idol because it puts man’s thoughts higher than God’s. I prefer to take God at His word.

Neil Thompson/Littleton, Colo.

Thank you for your excellent article on creation. I thought you summarized WORLD’s fidelity to creation very well without getting too deep into one version or another.

A new leader in a contentious age

July 17—Joe Lund/Hendersonville, N.C.

As a Southern Baptist Convention pastor who is concerned about what is taking place in the denomination, I commend Sophia Lee on her interview with new SBC President Ed Litton. I specifically appreciated her short ­follow-up questions that drilled down on his answers.

Seeking accommodation

July 17—Jim Schultz/Decatur, Ill.

To Catholic Social Services: Thank you for sticking to your core principles. To Bethany Christian Services: Please drop the name Christian from your name. To Catholic bishops: Take a lesson from Catholic Social Services and stand up for what is right.

Our democracy recession

July 17—James D. Marshall/Concord, N.C.

Only 20 percent of the world’s population is “free” because we have turned our backs on the true source of morality and religion: the Christian faith as rooted in God’s Word. What we see in our nation today is the result of our discounting the value of a moral foundation for our families and leaders.

Menders or splitters?

July 17—Barbara Miller/Middlebury, Ind.

Regrettably, the Church has failed to be a light to the nations during the pandemic. Christians could have shown concern for one another by adhering to proven preventive measures enacted by medical experts. Instead, too many were more concerned with their prideful politics or selfish self-righteousness.

One year to go

July 17—Pat Stimers/Harrisonburg, Va.

The preparations being made for Marvin Olasky’s retirement as editor made my heart sing! Unhurried and thoughtful, they sound like I can look forward to this reliable and honest source of current information in the years ahead. I’m grateful.

Thoughts at a wedding

July 17—Mike Maloney/Larkspur, Colo.

Andrée Seu Peterson rightfully credits an old Prairie Home Companion sketch for the six-month relationship/oil change thoughts of a couple, but the story originally appeared in Dave ­Barry’s Complete Guide to Guys.

Social economics

July 17—Stephen Leonard/Vidalia, Ga.

Kudos to Marvin Olasky for his book column on Thomas Sowell, a brilliant voice crying in the wilderness. One must hope for and certainly wonder if any like replacements will appear before Sowell leaves us.

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

The president and the pew

July 17—Darla Dykstra/Kansas City, Mo.

The other members of the church where President Biden takes the sacrament should abstain in protest. He is cheapening their worship experience with his blatant disregard for the life and liberty of U.S. citizens—born and unborn.

Standing on Genesis

July 17—Michael DuMez/Oostburg, Wis.

Theistic evolution injects God into a concept that denies Him. Literal, six-day, young-earth creation is entirely consistent with inspired Scripture.

Translation manipulation

July 17—Linda Groothuis/Lincoln, Neb.

The battle for the Bible is still not over.

Menders or splitters?

July 17—Gail Miloch/Vermontville Mich.

I was stopped in my tracks when Joel Belz wrote, “Liberals, by definition, tend to be a good bit more tolerant.” That has been the liberal bumper-sticker narrative for years, but in the current era of progressive politics, liberals are tolerant only of those who agree with their agenda.

Meg Ishikawa/Okinawa, Japan

We cannot be about unity “at all costs.” Truth is unaffected by cultural shifts—even the ones that come into the Church. Do not be apologetic about Biblical standing in a body. The gospel is the price you will pay if you “go along to get along.”

Our democracy recession

July 17—Michael Owens/Denver, Pa.

The internal evidence—Anne Applebaum’s character requirements cited by Mindy Belz—and the external evidence—the historical trends Mindy cited—suggest that democracy is impossible to sustain unless much of the population is Christian, is regenerate, or at least has a Christian worldview.

One year to go

July 17—Jason Simpson/Tulsa, Okla.

In a world where our culture seemingly thrives on conflict and people draw lines in the sand before we can come to a place of common understanding, WORLD’s refusal to become tribalistic despite the loneliness that surely follows paves the way for our faith to shine ever more brightly.

Homeland

July 17—Gheorghe Rosca Jr./Brea, Calif.

My family immigrated to the United States from Romania in 1991. One thing many Americans miss is perspective. If they would only have a general knowledge of other countries and their cultures, governance structure, and major societal defects, they would quickly realize how blessed and advanced America is as a nation.

Thoughts at a wedding

July 17—Michael Kelly/Fishersville, Va.

I am leading a men’s discussion group on being an exemplary husband. Remembering our diligence in maintaining Christ as our primary focus in all relationships and all aspects of our lives is so crucial in maintaining healthy relationships. Thanks, Andrée Seu Peterson, for a view from the “other side.”

Keep pressing on

Gregg Hutton/Kyōtanabe, Kyoto, Japan

I would like to thank the WORLD team for the great podcasts, digital content, WORLD Watch, and the magazine! Your Biblical perspective and great reporting have blessed our family for several decades. We had God’s Big World sent to us to stimulate our daughters’ exploration of our wonderful world and what goes on in it about 27 years ago. Please keep pressing on and following the Lord. Also, please lift up the people of Japan as you pray together. May the light and love of Jesus penetrate the spiritual darkness and may these dear people find hope and peace in Jesus.