Pathfinders On Fire

I’m glad that we were in the article [“Pathfinders Learn to be On Fire with Jesus,” Jan. 2004]. I was there, too. It was so wonderful. We had a good time just trying [to raise the money] to go to Oshkosh, which is really gonna be fun. Thanks.

Jasmine K.

Via e-mail

Saddam Should Die

Mark F. Carr, Ph.D., writes [“Kill him? Forgive him? Or Both?” Feb. 2004]: “Seeing him like this, a man in his tragedy, despite all the heavy blame he bears, I had a sense of compassion for him.” Carr … never mentioned once in his article the millions of murders Saddam was responsible for…. never mentioned once in his article whether Saddam was sorry for his actions, and their results…. does not understand the dynamics of sin and forgiveness! Unless the murderer asked for sincere forgiveness he is unforgiven, undeserving of life, and deserves to die. For murderers, being forgiven is not an excuse for non-punishment. In the interest of fairness and justice Saddam must be executed, forgiven or unforgiven.

Roli Antonio

Highgrove, Calif.

Chaplains for Jesus

The article you wrote [“Chaplains: Quietly Doing the Work of Jesus,” Karen Haley-Clark, Feb. 2004] had a purpose—to tell about the importance of the chaplain. You told the story in an uplifting way with moving examples. Job well done.

Greg Clemensen

Via e-mail

Ms. Haley-Clark brought a tear to my eye when I read about the selfless job your chaplains do...they run to a job that most of us in the west run away from. I think about how we tend to push death and the dying off in some hidden place as not to offend. But your chaplains and hospice workers overcome that feeling and comfort those that are most in need.

Lenny Clark

Cleveland, Ohio

Religious Liberty Balance

I appreciate the good work our Religious Liberty department does as watchdog over our freedoms in these last days. Ironically, the department seems to give little more than lip service to the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, except in cases where an employee seeks Sabbath accommodations. Paul, in Romans 13, stated that God institutes civil authority on behalf of the public good. The Religious Liberty department need not become paranoid that nativity scenes in public arenas, voluntary prayers in public schools and displays of the Ten Commandments in court rooms are against the public good, or constitute a violation of church and state, or will lead to the prophetic end time scenario. Congress begins each session with prayer, and “In God We Trust” was inscribed on U.S. coinage long before the insertion of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance. It doesn’t matter that the phrase was included to counter atheistic communism or that our nation is only nominally Christian at best. Saying the Pledge of Allegiance, as we have been doing for nearly 50 years, is no sign of the end.

David Veglahn

Colton, Calif.

Rosa Banks Responds

I was never at a seminar at La Sierra University [as implied in the article, “Sexual Ethics for Ministers Discussed,” December 2003, pg. 38]. A [reporter in Silver Spring] asked me to comment on sexual misconduct among ministers. This is a subject that I know much about as I deal with it almost on a daily basis. I had hit the pastor so hard [during the interview] that the question was asked, “Is there any time that the woman can be considered the initiator of the sexual abuse?” My response was that even if the woman does initiate the encounter, it is still the pastor’s fault. A woman might try to seduce a pastor (I know of several cases). I told him, however, that even if the woman is the seducer, it is still the pastor’s fault for the abuse. I see nothing wrong with this comment. I do agree that [in the article] it was not presented in the context of our conversation.

Rosa Banks

North American Division