Mailbag

A history of violence

I was disappointed in Jill Nelson’s failure to report in some detail the horrendous atrocities committed on the Israelis on Oct. 7. This was not just another Hamas incursion.
         Fredrick Aldridge Sr. / Russiaville, Ind.

Jill Nelson summed up the barbaric atrocities committed by Hamas fighters with the muted phrase “the ensuing death and carnage.” If that doesn’t sound muted to you, try reading about some of the things Hamas terrorists did to the Israelis they murdered, raped, tortured, and kidnapped. I expected better of WORLD.
         Eric Eipper / Eden, Md.

The final salute

In this world of so much negativity, it was a breath of fresh air to read about Air Force veteran Hal Smarkola and his touching visits to the dying. Well done, Colonel.
         Dave Dahlke / Port Orchard, Wash.

Living in primary reality

Andrée Seu Peterson has amazing insight into life. I was astounded at the naming of what is a primary reality as opposed to a secondary reality. Many of us are spinning our wheels for that ­secondary reality. It’s time to reassess what we value most and work for the primary.
         Lucy Sharkey / Youngstown, Ohio

How true it is that many professing Christians live lives governed by secondary realities instead of the ­primary reality. And how true, “Getting old is God’s natural aid toward focusing on primary reality, but even that’s no guarantee.” Amen!
         Dwight Oswald / Council Bluffs, Iowa

The democracy of the dead

As a daily reader of Proverbs, I appreciated the way Lynn Vincent explained that the deficiency of progressive thinking is its lack of wisdom.
         Mike Sharrett / Forest, Va.

What to do about bad manners?

I saw things start to fall apart in the 1970s when women lambasted men for holding doors open for them. Men became afraid to show the courtesy their fathers had taught them.
         Cheryl Irish / Bastrop, Texas

Engine trouble

The last two issues of the magazine had photos of snakes, and I don’t even like to touch a picture of a snake. It would do me and other squeamish ones a favor if you placed photos of those creatures on the inside ­columns so we wouldn’t have to touch them (yuck!) when we turn the pages.
         Joyce DeVivo / Grand Gorge, N.Y.

A house for the centuries

I bought North Woods by Daniel Mason on the recommendation of David Kern’s review. I was about halfway through the book and decided it wasn’t worth reading. There was no warning there would be so much immoral behavior described in detail. My husband and I were highly disappointed with this review.
         Carla White / Westerly, R.I.

Words matter

Words mean something, and we are losing that and losing truth. The Palestinian protest mentioned in your cover story didn’t “evolve,” it degenerated. And the hiding place in the review of Daniel Mason’s book didn’t “evolve,” it became. Using evolve ­normalizes the atheistic term and subtly replaces God-given human choice or influence with blind chance.
         Dave Greig / Virginia Beach, Va.

Corrections

Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., denies ever having an official chapter of the pro-LGBT group Embracing the Journey (“Mainline slide,” Oct. 21, p. 47).

Retirees make up about half of the congregants at Crums Church (“Emergency exit,” Dec. 2, p. 61).