Age of Robots

To the Editors:

"The Robot Revolution" [Dec. 8] graphically illustrates a couple of phenomenal achievements--microcomputers and computer imaging--that came out of the space program. Americans who have been grumbling for years that the only thing we got out of the space program was a bunch of rocks should have their calculators repossessed.

Jim Wood Lumberton, N.C.

The ultimate insult to the blue-collar workers standing in long lines at the unemployment office will be a Civil Service robot electronically reporting, "Your claim has run out, run out, run out..."

James M. Kahn Portland, Ore.

One area where robots could free humans from a task that is "intrinsically human" is fighting wars. Imagine a war in which no one bleeds and no one dies.

Christopher Carlson New York City

I can see it now--TIME'S cover story for the year 1999, written by a robot, informing us that the magazine is planning to experiment once again with human reporters.

Norm Eklund Sumner, Wash.

As robots take over more and more of our tasks, we must be sure that we never allow the mechanical grasp to exceed our reach.

Joshua B. Fraimow Oberlin, Ohio

Unmanly Bible

The King James version of the Bible is good enough for me without any de-sexing [Dec. 8], but it looks as though feminist nitpickers are going to keep sending Moses back up the mountain for those tab lets until he finally gets it right! God must be shaking his head wondering if Eve was such a good idea.

Eleanor M. Cockerline Warren, Mich.

Perhaps those who are revising the Bible could get rid of the word sin and still retain the "flavor" of the King James. The Scriptures would be more universally palatable without reference to sin.

Ann Fife Bryan, Texas

It seems to me wrong to make a tendentious translation in order to support a social movement or to avoid offending some readers.

More troubling is the spectacle of a church council giving translators directives that represent in effect a censorship of the Scriptures. Such conduct by ecclesiastical authorities, always for motives that appeared laudable at the time, has a long and unhappy history.

The Rev. E. Earle Ellis

New Brunswick Theological Seminary New Brunswick, N.J.

Last night I prayed to "God the Parent, God the Offspring and God the Holy Ghost." I hope it heard me.

Paul B. Norton Sun City, Ariz.

People should not change the Bible. The Bible should change people.

Robert Hinkley San Jose, Calif.

The Grand Gesture

Your Essay "The Sad Truth About Big Spenders" [Dec. 8] gets me where it hurts. Most of us are your average Joes. We like grand gestures. Big spenders are our fantasies realized. Somewhere along the line they broke out of the mold and temporarily excelled. Now they can throw their money around. Just as we would, if we too made the big time.

P. Claire Calvert-Tait Montreal

Your Essay on big spenders missed a key point. The rich of past eras--European aristocrats, Chinese emperors, American industrialists--at least in theory earned their positions by providing leadership to their societies.

It is not wealth that people resent. What inflames their passions is the irresponsible use of wealth and the decadence of the jet-set hedonists.

William R. Hawkins Asheville, N.C.

Do-It-Yourself Law

One wonders about the good accomplished by these manuals for so-called do-it-yourself lawyers [Dec. 8]. Instead of saving legal costs, they often end by generating far more attorneys' fees--because real lawyers have to straighten out relatively routine matters that have become mired by well-intentioned laymen.

David W. Knight Norman, Okla.

It is not so much being a lawyer that counts as knowing the law. Any lay person willing to take enough time and buy enough books can eventually learn. But a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Claude Y. Paquin Marietta, Ga.

Where do lawyers get off sneering at the competence of laymen? Lawyers' competence is too often reserved for wheeling, dealing and flimflam rather than law and justice. People should not be merely fair game for the legal profession to prey on.

Dale Hagedorn Nutter Fort, W. Va.

Man of the Year?

I nominate Leonid Brezhnev for Man of the Year. He could be Man of the Decade. Hasn't one of the main criteria for being a U.S. President, the most powerful job on earth, been whether he can confront Brezhnev eyeball to eyeball?

C.P. Belliappa Coorg, India

If we don't honor the freedom-fighting Afghan mujahidin soon, there won't be any left alive.

Ojars Kalnins Chicago

Anwar Sadat, the only leader who has guts, grit, integrity and intelligence.

Alfred Wendell Reasor Washington, D.C.

Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe for Man of the Year. He bridged the gap between black extremists on his left and white extremists on his right, while retaining free enterprise and democracy as the dominant political system in Zimbabwe.

Kenneth F. Dunn Chicago

Canada's Terry Fox, for his run across Canada on one healthy leg before being stricken a second time with cancer.

Edna and John Catley Ottawa

Walter Cronkite?

Nader Mehravari Ithica, NY

Thousands of laid-off auto workers.

Neil A. Miller Southfield, Mich.

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