Three Legged Stool

Alan Reinach’s article [“The Three Legged Stool,” March 2004] was important and timely, but he left out one very important area of representation. The Adventist Church has another facet of bearing witness that was not mentioned in the article: the United Nations. The Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Department of the General Conference maintains an office staffed by interns at the United Nations headquarters in New York. In this capacity we are able to witness and reach out to ambassadors, diplomats and other high-level officials who create and maintain world policy. We participate in a wide range of UN summits, conferences and committees, advising national representatives and non-government organizations of the Church’s global program of education, health and spiritual development from the perspective of religious freedom and human rights, moral and ethical principles, and a commitment to an improved quality of life based on Christian beliefs. For more information, you can visit our website, un.advenist.org.

Rachel Bostic

Liaison Officer

Compassion for Satan?

In response to the article about Saddam Hussein by [Mark] Carr where he states, “Punishment for his crimes in necessary; killing him is not….” I ask the question of Dr. Carr: If you see Satan on judgment day, are you going to be standing next to Jesus saying, “Punishment is necessary, but killing him is not”? Dr. Carr might read the story of David and what he said on his deathbed about his enemies and those who did wrong and killed while not engaged in battle or war (1 Kings 2:5-6).

Martha Webb

Lompoc, Calif.

Justice for Victims

The only people are able to put themselves in the position of offering Saddam forgiveness and mercy are his victims. Since hundreds of thousands of his victims are dead, this is difficult in this life time. … When all we feel is love, we cease to care about the victims of evil. It isn’t up to us to forgive Saddam. All we can do is offer the people of Iraq a chance for justice. My compassion is reserved for them and their families.

Pastor Douglas Elsey

Yucaipa, Calif.

Murderers Deserve Death

[Carr] states “my rage at his [Saddam Hussein’s] crimes moves me toward advocating for his death. But I wonder if this isn’t a purely human—and evil—effort to get revenge.” In Numbers 35:30-31, the Lord Himself gives this counsel. “Anyone who kills a person is to be put to death as a murderer.... Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die.” Should we then take it upon ourselves to decide the fate of the Hitlers, Chedorlaomars and Husseins of the world—or obey the Lord?

Joan Lashier

Ojai, Calif.

Crimes Against Humanity

The thing that intrigues me is the universal belief that only the one wronged can forgive the perpetrator and that, in the case of murder, means there is no forgiveness possible. Period. Apparently God has not gotten that memo. For example, he forgave David for murder and kept him in power. It seems to me that murder, especially mass murder, is a crime against humanity, and the responsibility falls on the survivors to decide the proper fate of the person, whether forgiveness or not, death or not, etc.

Name Withheld

Via e-mail

We Need Caesar

I am a combat veteran of the Korean war, 30 percent disabled because of service to the country I love, even if it is not always right. I am first an American, then a Christian because I choose to be. … I disagree strongly with Alan Reinach’s statement, “The Church does not need Caesar” [“One Nation, Under God?” Jan. 2004]. Who but a God fearing Caesar will see to our freedoms and protections?

Ken Goodman

Arroyo Grande, Calif.