Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 764 Plough Quarterly • Winter 2015 Readers Respond  L E T T E R S T O T H E E D I T O R The Joy of Confession First of all I wish to express my wholehearted agreement with Steve Clifford’s “Purity in a Porn Age” [Summer 2014]. Porn coupled with the com- puter is surely one of the disasters of our age. What adds to that danger is that little ones can see it without their parents’ control. Porn indeed reduces the human being to a Thing. And then there is the tragedy of addiction. Steve’s “four steps” reflect Catholic teaching, particularly the last step, which for us Catholics is the Sacrament of Confession (or “Reconcilia- tion” as it is named after Vatican II). Even from a purely human point of view, “a joy shared is a joy doubled; a burden shared is a burden halved.” In fact, through the priest confessor we share this burden directly with Jesus. And we take courage in the words of Jesus, “There will be greater joy in heaven at the conversion of one sinner than over a hundred just men.” Frank Mascarenhas Pacifists in Alcatraz On Duane Stoltzfus’s “The Martyrs of Alcatraz,” Summer 2014: I left the Marine Corps as a consci- entious objector after fifteen years, and joined the Mennonite Church in October 2001. Even today being a conscientious objector is difficult. I am ridi­ culed by many Christians because I will no longer fight and kill for an earthly empire. Micheal J. McEvoy Bonhoeffer among the Assassins This debate, like most debates on Christian paci- fism, misses the point [Charles Moore, “Was Bonhoeffer Willing to Kill?”, Summer 2014]. The biblical Christ did not teach “pacifism” or resis- tance to evil by nonviolent means. If you want to follow Christ, then “love your enemies.” That’s the cost of discipleship. I wouldn’t look to ­ Bonhoeffer for an example though. Nor the rest of us. ­ Christopher Russell Katharina Hutter, Tyrolean Martyr On Jason Landsel’s “Katharina Hutter, Heroine of the Radical Reformation,” Summer 2014: We are counseled in God’s Word to buy from him “gold refined by fire” (Revelation 3:18). Katharina and Jakob understood the eternal value of the Gospel of the kingdom of God. Their sacrifice for the living of a life of genuine faith showed forth the full value of being willing to give up everything, in order to gain everything. May such an example reach through the ages and warm our hearts and spirits to live life today with similar dedication to our God. Randy Hall What Kind of Church Did Jesus Want? Kwon Jeong-saeng’s words are beautiful and true [“The Church I Dreamed Of,” Autumn 2014]. How often do we look elsewhere for God’s kingdom rather than right in front of our eyes! In the Lord’s Prayer we pray: “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Do we believe that in heaven some people will be living in mansions while others will be living in garbage dumps? Do we believe that a few will be feast- ing while others are starving? Do we believe that in the kingdom it will be God’s will to destroy the lands and pollute the waters? Do we believe that in heaven there will be walls and borders to separate people? If we do not believe that it is God’s will in heaven, why do think it is acceptable here on God’s earth? Patrick Carolan Real Heroes This “post-heroic age” logic has been applied within Christianity, too [Maximilian Probst, “Heroes: Now It’s Your Turn,” Autumn 2014]. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the words, “But Jesus doesn’t mean we’re all supposed to do this,” or “By ‘sell all you have and give to the poor,’ he meant to not make an idol out of money.” It’s as if giving your life completely to Jesus is an out- dated and extreme response. We do still need heroes, like Mother Teresa and Saint Patrick; I just wish Christians wouldn’t preach as though the heroic characteristics of such people were no longer achievable, or even desirable!  Ryan Albosta We welcome letters to the editor. Letters and web comments may be edited for length and clarity, and may be published in any medium. Letters should be sent with the writer’s name and address to letters@plough.com.