LETTERS
She Ain't Heavy, She's My Sister
In your June 3-9 issue, you reported that London has the lightest single-birth premature child ever born — Christopher Williams (Lifenotes, “Tiniest Premature Baby”). I would like to make a correction to that report. The lightest single-birth premature child ever born is actually in the United States, in Michigan.
My sister Christa Marie Buehler was born at 1 pound, 3 ounces on June 17, 1999. She is now almost 2 years old, weighs around 20 pounds, and is in perfect health. When she was born she was about the size of a dollar bill, and her father's wedding ring fit all the way up her arm with room to spare. Her first bathtub was the size of a butter tub (and we have pictures of all this). What a story that would make to support the pro-life movement!
HOLLY SCHNEIDER Grand Rapids, Michigan
It's Academic
Regarding “Seton Hall Stands By Abortion Supporter,” June 3-9: What (not so) great choices Seton Hall makes! An honorary degree to Dolores Cross.
Robina Schepp, director of public relations at Seton Hall is quoted as follows: “Dr. Cross knows our ethical commitments well and has assured us that she sees no conflict between her public statements and Seton Hall's Catholic mission.”
Now, Robina Schepp, do you know the ethical commitments of Seton Hall? Cross sees no conflict about her public statements and supporting abortion, and she is the president of Morris Brown College. Let me point out to Dr. Cross the conflict: Every teaching of the Catholic Church and the Bible condemns the killing of the unborn child. Just because you don't see any conflict doesn't mean a conflict doesn't exist.
This is just another example of the absurd actions taken by a so-called center of learning that makes the modern day university come in near the bottom of the list as an institution of rational thought.
DON FAHRENKRUG Colorado Springs, Colorado
God Is Testing Seton Hall
Regarding “Seton Hall Stands By Abortion Supporter,” June 3-9: Joshua Mercer's coverage of this issue is most worthy. However, his article is worldly in one significant way.
While there is much reporting and questioning about the political issues, there is none about the most important participant. It strikes me that the sequence of events in the Dolores Cross vs. Seton Hall issue may be described as “God's fault.” Have you not noticed that at such crossroads there is usually an opportunity to make a possible sacrifice, or to risk something valued, to witness to God's will? Why do you suppose that is?
At great risk of appearing naive, which I should not mind — right? — I submit that we are being tested by none other than Almighty God. Why should he do that? So we can see for ourselves how selfish we are. We want to oppose abortion, but without personal or institutional risk of any kind.
Scan the article again and see how careful everyone is to only do what is safe. Is that how the saints and martyrs lived? Is that how Christ lived — and died?
If we would step out, trusting God rather than ourselves, God will instantly make the best of the matter, for all concerned! Notice that I didn't say he would make matters comfortable. But what is a little discomfort compared with the joy of trusting him like the saints do every day?
NORMAN B. KELLER Silver Spring, Maryland
Hope and the Register
It is nice to see “all the news that is really fit to print.”
It is nice to hear that currently there are so many thoughtful, educated converts. Without the Register we would get the impression that evil in the world is winning.
I liked the news of the minister who closed up his church and moved himself, and a lot of his flock, back to the Apostles' Church (“Pastor and Flock Become Catholics This Easter,” April 15-21). What a well-thinking leader and group of people! They certainly must have given a lot of sincere thought before making that move. May God bless them. And you, for keeping us apprised of these pleasant changes.
I'd say there are a lot of well-meaning, good people outside the Church. It is amazing that some have the courage to follow their beliefs back to the Church, often knowing that they are giving up their financially security, and a lot of their friends and acquaintances in doing so.
The world is not lost to evil. The regular news sources would lead us to believe the opposite.
JAMES J. KELLY Feasterville, Pennsylvania
Communications (ahem) Mess-up
I have been receiving your newspaper for almost a year now and read each issue with relish and thanksgiving.
In your front-page story on the recent consistory (“Facing the Future: Cardinals Huddle With the Pope,” June 3-9), however, we read the following: “Cardinal Keeler's comments were backed up, unintentionally, by communications snafus in that gave a confused presentation of consistory information to the world's media.”
The irony here is that one organ of the world's media, namely yours, reports this fact by means of yet another confusing communications “snafu,” an oversight in proofreading. But this is just a quibble in passing.
More important is your use of the obscene expression “snafu.” Has it really come all the way from the battlefields of WWII to infiltrate a family newspaper, without alerting any proofreading reconnaissance? Lest we forget, it began as an apt acronym to describe army confusion in that war: Situation Normal, All [Messed] Up.
Another irony may be my own, of course, focusing young eyes on those brackets.
So let's stop these ironies before our heads start spinning. Please hire a proofreader posthaste.
PATRICK LEE MILLER Chapel Hill, North Carolina
‘Not PC’ Dot-Com?
I was very interested in your article on the James Madison Program at Princeton. They must have a Web site — everyone seems to have one these days.
It would have been helpful if you included it in the article. That would have enabled us to get in touch with them and maybe support them a bit financially.
The Web is our friend. We should make use of it as much as possible to publicize and support and encourage worthy causes. Thanks.
MICHAEL BRENNER Corona Del Mar, California
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- June 17-23, 2001
