The point of faith is to have it, not prove it
Danvers, Mass.: I have been watching online videos of various conservative Christian types going to campuses debating college kids as to the existence of God and that God is probably a Republican. These kids are easy pickings for the likes of Charlie Kirk, Cliffe Knechtle and Candace Owens. The entire foundation of their argument is based on the opposite approach of what it means to have faith.
People of faith need to accept that the argument against the existence of God is much more convincing than any argument for it. As an ordained minister, I find the true beauty of faith in the leap. To prove the existence of God or the historical Christ, or even the resurrection of Christ, is an absurd attempt to lessen the leap. Let’s be honest, the Christian faith has no answer for the great evil in this world. The Bible itself is problematic at best: no declarations against slavery; weird language about husbands controlling their wives; stoning for tattoos and cross-stitching different fabrics; an odd obsession with circumcision. I can’t explain the guy living in a fish for three days, the parting of the seas, Virgin Birth or my least favorite story to defend, the Noah’s Ark thing.
There is a great fear at the heart of everyone who believes in God: We could be wrong. As a result, there is a desire to lessen that leap of faith. Obviously, there is evidence that aligns with biblical history, but if we’re honest, there are problems in proving the Bible as true. Faith in God is a leap, no matter what new research is done. Nathaniel Manderson
Mark of the beast
Miami: Donald (6 letters) Johann (6) Drumpf (6) is his German name. President Trump is the “666” Beast/Antichrist who is the “ruler of the world,” the “beast that comes out of the sea” (Mar-a-Lago); “wounded in the head, yet lived” head of the G7 Summit. Elon Musk is the “Second Beast that makes fire come down from the heavens in front of people” with his rockets. Richard Bradshaw Watson II
Hard to believe
Manhattan: I’m sorry, I just can’t believe that this good, Christian nation voted to reelect an incompetent charlatan, and I’m not alone. I don’t know how they did it, but I do know that Lying Donnie and Vlad had four long years to figure it out. The only way for us to know who really won this election is by a hand count of the paper ballots. They can rig the machines but they can’t rig the ballots. I’m just saying! Eugene Rodriguez
Sacred message
Bronx: I applaud Episcopal Bishop Mariann Budde for articulating what I and many faith-driven people believe about the need to show mercy and compassion for the weak and helpless in our country at this time. I see no reason for her to apologize for speaking the truth about the effects of what Trump is doing. As a Catholic, I am saddened about the silence and apparent agreement with these recent orders being demonstrated by our religious leaders like Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who proudly attended the Jan. 20 inauguration without speaking out for the defenseless. I pray for and am hopeful that louder, braver voices will continue to challenge and drown out the evil that is scaring and frightening so many every day. Francine Rogers
It has begun
Flushing: We are off to a flying start with this new Trump administration. The Jan. 6 gangsters are loose and the ICE Gestapo is all set to invade churches and schools looking for big, bad immigrants to deport. Unqualified yahoos are ready to take over cabinet positions while their boss makes noises about acquiring new territory that belongs to other countries. Stand by, folks, the fun has just begun. Lester Simon
Rights question
Auburndale: If Trump’s argument against birthright citizenship is based on a belief that the children of undocumented people are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction, does this mean they have diplomatic immunity? Cathi Venis
Things have changed
Sayville, L.I.: Voicer Carmine E. Esposito wrote a well-reasoned letter. He said that historically, there is a limit on the party in power to affect change. That may have been true previously but isn’t now. We had checks and balances then. Today, Trump — through his mindless minions and the votes they throw away — has corrupted the executive, legislative and judicial branches. We have no more checks and balances. This administration will have a great (negative) effect on the American people. We are in uncharted waters, deeper than the first time. Michael Hooker
Seriously?
Manhattan: Poor Voicer Josh Greenberger! He is terribly bothered by comedians poking healthy and much deserved fun at Trump, but he’s not bothered by the same deranged Trump tweeting degrading, repulsive, obscene and hideous insults, lies and fascistic comments to 350 million Americans (and billions of people around the globe) every day for the past 10 years. That’s the biggest and funniest joke I’ve ever heard. I couldn’t tell if Greenberger was putting us on or if he was really that MAGA cult-nut-loser crazy. Maybe he’ll fess up, if it’s possible. Sam Katz
Corrective action
Manhattan: I am baffled by the talk and lies about affirmative action and DEI. The law was created in 1965 to ensure racial equality in employing the American (then Negro) because white employers would not hire us no matter how qualified we were. The law was supposed to alleviate that, but it did not because white women complained that they were discriminated against because of their gender. They were added to the protected class. Today, we see both AA and DEI benefitting white women more than Blacks or any other groups that, after the 1965 Immigration Act, were added simply for being a “person of color.” I despise Trump, but I think these laws should be reviewed and revised to their intended mission: to help advance and uplift American Descendants of Slavery, the only oppressed group in our country that has never been made whole by our government that caused us irreparable harm and still ignores this every day. Heyward Johnson
Remembered fondly
Bloomfield, N.J.: Remembering the 15th anniversary of the passing of Frank Justich, a 41-year-old Queens sanitation worker who was killed on the job on Jan. 26, 2010. A gifted artist and dedicated family man, he was the nicest and coolest person ever. Whether you knew him for two minutes or 20 years, you could tell he was one of the greats. An angel on Earth, he received Christmas gifts on every block of his route. An Astoria street was renamed for him, underscoring his legacy of kindness and service to others. Frank was loved beyond measure and touched countless lives. We need more people like him in the world today. Missing you, dear friend. Christine Sparta
Think of the children
Fairfield, Conn.: To Voicer Marlene Danoff: In your response to guest columnist Nicolaus Mills (“First-time voters & the new president,” Jan. 20), you state that “because of the end of federal protection of abortion rights, tens of hundreds of thousands of babies will now be born.” I’d like to remind you, Ms. Danoff, that at this time, there are 10 million children living below the poverty level. Why not take care of the many mouths to feed that already exist and leave a woman’s reproductive decisions between her and her physician? Stephen Johnson
Self-determined
Manhattan: Your Jan. 22 article “Why is Israel launching a crackdown in the West Bank after the Gaza ceasefire?” stated that “3 million Palestinians live under seemingly open-ended Israeli military rule.” No, they don’t. Fully 98% of the Palestinian Arabs live under the military rule of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its security forces. The Israeli governor and military administration of those territories departed in 1995. The PA runs the courts, police, unions, media, schools and everything else that makes up daily life— including elections, on the rare occasions they are permitted. Mahmoud Abbas, PA chairman, is now in the 20th year of his four-year term. It is Abbas and his security forces, not the Israelis, who are ruling the PA’s residents. Moshe Phillips