LETTERS

A breath of fresh air

Tom Cotton’s new ad featuring his former drill sergeant is a pleasant break from all of the recent negative political ads that have been airing on TV. I love that Cotton’s new ad is not centered solely on smearing his opponent, Mark Pryor. Instead, it is a lighthearted attempt to mock Pryor’s comment that Cotton feels entitled to a Senate seat due to his military service. I like how the ad defends the positive values that Cotton gained through his time in the military-values that are respectable and shouldn’t be mocked.

Maybe if more politicians had values like Tom Cotton, Congress would be a more respectable institution. This ad is a breath of fresh air; let’s hope there will be others who do the same.

JUDY and TRACY COLEMAN Hot Springs

Choices are limited

Though interesting, the letters on a recent Voices page concerning chemicals and global warming left out some fundamentals.

Man has acquired much knowledge about chemicals/gasses, but I believe the complexities of their creation, substance and interaction far exceed what is known.

Vision-you can do the math, the atmospheric layers extending several hundred miles above the Earth’s surface and then comparing it to perhaps less than 1 percent of the Earth’s mass where there is subterranean life.

If you accept the theory that life and matter are inseparable, that leaves some limited choices: 1. Reincarnation. 2. Jesus is coming back to turn Earth into heaven. 3. Jesus said follow me, no return. 4. Paradise, with 40 virgins, but after a couple of weeks, then what? 5. Then the other letter. You know, God may be more favorable toward a sincere atheist than a willful fraud. 6. Then we have Mark Twain’s contention that it is all an allegorical dream.

At least death is a great leveler for the dead. Appearance won’t matter and we won’t be bombarded daily with who hates whom, along with a little weather and news.

To be continued.

DON RICHARDSON Ash Flat

Photos works of art

The photojournalism in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is the best! And it continues to expand in both quality and space.

Benjamin Krain consistently produces photographs that grab the moment and are works of art. His works have ranged from Afghanistan to Vilonia. Is the moon next?

He should be given major exhibits at both the Arkansas Arts Center and Crystal Bridges Museum.

Well done.

JIM CONNER Cammack Village

Sponsored by letter D

In the April 30 issue, all of the letters to the editor have names that start with the letter D: Donald, David, David, Dale, Donald and Donald.

That is very unusual. Did someone plan that?

LLOYD HENNING Hot Springs Village

The perils of disbelief

The Bible states that the natural man does not receive the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. I think this completely describes Al Case of Conway. I believe he has cut himself off from all understanding of scripture because he does not choose to believe in God.

God is holy, and he has determined how man should live and respond to him. The Old Testament is full of instances that show God’s mercy and care for his people. Those who were destroyed in the Old Testament were guilty of atrocious acts of worshiping idols with sexual perversions and human sacrifices. They were guilty of attacking the Jews and trying to destroy them.

I believe what was true back then is still true today. God loves us, but God is holy and will judge evil among us.

I think Mr. Case does not understand salvation, which depends on faith in Jesus, who paid the price for our sins and forgives us. It does not depend on our morality or lack of it. Christians strive to live as Christ wants, but we will never fully do that until we get to heaven.

I believe God is real, heaven is real, and hell is real; someday all will know this to be true. My prayer for Mr. Case is that he will discover this while he is still among the living. God loves him and does not want him to die without knowing him.

JUDY STARRETT Little Rock

The fate of liberalism

Bradley Gitz in a recent column asked what happened to traditional liberalism. His fourth tenet, militant atheism grounded in anti-Christian sentiment, probably had most Christians agreeing with him. But did anyone ask why so many people are mad at the church?

I suggest that all Christians watch a movie called Philomena. It takes place in the Roman Catholic Church, but this is not an indictment of the church. It is to remind all Christians that we are called to be little Christs, as Paultell us in Ephesians. We are to “get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

I don’t know if it is atheism, but it seems the media-both the entertainment and the news wings-have a new liberal bias that definitely leans left, often sending an anti-church message. Recently in Stephen Pastis’ cartoon Pearls Before Swine, we learn of the Church of Cheese and bringing folks the Gouda News.

The television series Bones has a heroine who is very vocal about being anti-church and its mythology. However, Islam gets a pass with a member of the Jeffersonian team being a liberal Muslim in a sexual relationship with the head of the team.

And maybe it’s just me, but I thought the cable station running the stories on Salem witchcraft, not one of the church’s finest moments, starting on Easter Sunday-the holiest day of the church-was not in the best of taste.

THOM LAKSO Russellville