Readers write: Not everyone is 'done' with church; Taiwan as a climate actor
Letters to the editor for the Jan. 11, 2016, weekly magazine.
Letters to the editor for the Jan. 11, 2016, weekly magazine.
Not everyone is 鈥榙one鈥� with church
The Dec. 28, 2015 & Jan. 4, 2016, Focus story, 鈥� 鈥楧one鈥� with church, but not with God,鈥� was way too limited to truly give a perspective of churchgoing in the United States. The reporter spoke only to those who are leaving fundamentalist churches. I wish the article had explored the churchgoing habits of Lutherans, Episcopalians, and Methodists. I strongly suspect the reporter would have found worship embracing our 鈥渋ncreasingly pluralistic society.鈥�
Kathy Vohland
Corvallis, Ore.
As a retired former pastor of 38 years in five churches, I have some empathy for those who no longer attend the 鈥淪unday morning experience.鈥� Most churches I have known are set-in-their-ways conservative. Pastors and other parishioners who try to encourage thinking outside the box often run into trouble. But a common theme in the article seems to be 鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 fed.鈥� The worlds of those profiled seem to be somewhat narrow 鈥� their small community of friends and the good deeds they can do around them. As good and satisfying as this truly is, this limits their degree of effectiveness. Many churches, working together and applying their human and financial resources to big problems, can and do make a difference.
The Rev. Bob Hannum (retired)
Lancaster, Pa.
Include Taiwan in climate pact
Regarding the Dec. 28, 2015 & Jan. 4, 2016, Monitor鈥檚 View 鈥淧aris pact on climate change: What鈥檚 fear got to do with it?鈥�: The United Nations climate talks reached a milestone in Paris when envoys adopted the first accord asking all countries to join the fight against global warming. The new climate accord also states, 鈥淐limate change ... requires the widest possible cooperation by all countries.鈥� Regrettably, among the 196 nations that reached the landmark climate agreement in Paris, Taiwan is barred from being recognized as a state 鈥� despite the fact that the island nation is one of the leading economies in the world and willing to reduce its carbon emissions proactively. Let Taiwan join the action so that it, too, can contribute.
Kent Wang
Washington