Letters to the Editor

Cause for concern

We have enjoyed receiving The Plain Truth over the past few years. However, I am writing to ask you to take us off your mailing list.

The readers we have [at this Christian Holiday site] are constantly scrutinising the literature we put out, and have raised a few concerns over the content of certain issues. So in response to their concerns, I would ask that you cease from sending us The Plain Truth.

Mr JB Conwy

Wishing to know more, we wrote back to Mr JB: ‘We are saddened to hear that you wish to cancel your subscription due to pressure from some of your visitors at your establishment. You mention your readers there as “constantly scrutinising literature” and that “a few have raised concerns over the content of certain issues” – which has led you to requesting that we stop sending copies of The Plain Truth. (Which, of course we will do.) But it would be helpful to understand the nature of the dissatisfaction shared by those few – and if you felt minded to respond, we'd be most appreciative.

In the meantime, we too wish you all the very best in the service you're providing by enabling Christians to holiday in your beautiful surroundings. (And all the best in trying to keep most of the people happy – most of the time. A tough call!)'

Thank you readers!

We were delighted with the response from your readers to the article Best Yarn Forward in your November-December issue regarding our knitting pattern book! Thanks for your support with the publicity.

Kim Tame, Marketing Executive, Feed The Children

We are always happy to support other charities, especially the smaller ones who have to compete for space with the many high-profile ones.

An answered prayer

Wishing you continued success with The Plain Truth. It's a fantastic and insightful read, and a great help to me on my Christian journey. In fact, it was a particular article in the magazine that answered a prayer for help, which finally brought me to Christ – as well as bringing me to floods of tears in the rush-hour in London. (But that's another story!)

Mr PD via email

We'd love to know which article was the ‘answer to prayer'.

Cover to cover

Recently, on holiday in Mallorca – beside a pool – I was reading from cover-to-cover some four or five past copies of The Plain Truth, when I realised what a truly good Christian magazine yours is. Giving well-balanced, informative and non-pushy points of view on all aspects of Christianity.

I'm now fully-retired from 30 years of police work and will have more time to read The Plain Truth regularly as it arrives. Wishing you well – and all the best to keep financially afloat. (I have increased my monthly standing order from £1 to £5.)

They do say, when you reach retirement, you then wonder how you ever had time to go out to work! Happy retirement.

A great influence

The Jan-Feb issue's article Lovers of pleasure by Dr. Archibald Hart has answered a question my 17 year-old son asked a few weeks back.

His question was ‘Why is life so fast?' and then his declaration ‘I don't like it, I liked my nursery days'. I answered his question as best as I could by saying that too much stress is caused by their iPods, mobile phones, computer games, hi-tech music systems, and television programmes etc., not to mention eating out, watching movies, going for a spin in their friend's car.

This article has now had a great impact on my daughter who is in her final year of studying a BSc Hons. She has now stopped saying that she is ‘bored' and it has become an embarrassing word in our household. thinks twice before he engages into too many ‘pleasures' for the sake of seeking pleasure.

And the wonderful thing is that twice last week he refused to go to movies with his friends as he said that he wanted to just come home after college and spend time with the family. Also, my daughter gets reminded of this article when she starts talking of ‘living out of the box' (as Dr. Hart says). And the good thing is that she also has taken this article seriously and has calmed down. I have noticed that she has not made many demands recently. Astonishing! Or what.

Dr. Hart I am really thankful to you and The Plain Truth for this story. I plan to read and discuss this story with my nieces and nephews. I am sure they will be shocked too and will try and slow down and start ‘living inside the box'.

Mrs ZR

This is just the sort of feedback that lets us know we're ‘on the right track' and also are greatly encouraged that the impact this magazine has goes far beyond our direct subscribers – to their families, friends and hopefully others too. We'll send your comment onto Dr Hart, who we know will also be encouraged to read your letter.

Don't agree

I believe Gavin Henderson [Faith and photons, Jan-Feb 2008] is mistaken to claim that God is ‘creating thousands of new species every day' and ‘billions of stars and planets every day'

Where is the evidence for this? I don't believe that creation is ongoing, or an ‘unfinished masterpiece'.

Genesis says it was ‘completed', and although it has been corrupted by human sin, it will be restored and recreated (see Romans 8: 18-25). Evolution undermines the whole Christian Gospel, since it denies a literal Adam and Eve and an historic ‘Fall'. (see Romans 5: 12-17 and 1 Corinthians 15: 20-49).

If God used an evolutionary process, that would mean that he instigated millions of years of death and struggle to produce humankind. That would have been immensely cruel and inefficient, and he could hardly have called a world that already had death and suffering present ‘very good' (Genesis 1: 31).

Evolution is based on ‘the survival of the fittest', hardly compatible with the teaching of Jesus Christ, who taught us to support the weak and powerless. Jesus was the Creator – as you rightly pointed out by quoting Colossians 1: 15 – and he showed us how God works when he performed his miracles. God only has to speak, and things happen! How can denying evolution be described as ‘limiting God'?

Why can't we simply accept the clear teaching of the Bible, a truth that never changes, rather than the ever-changing, highly speculative theories of the evolutionists?

Surely it's high time you balanced things out by publishing some article by a young-earth creationist scientist?

Geoff Chapman, Director, Creation Resources Trust, www.crt.org.uk

 

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