LETTERS

AND GOD SAID...

Mainstream Christians have long considered Genesis stories [RELIGION, Oct. 28] such as Adam and Eve to be allegories, designed to convey a vivid and profound truth, making questions as to whether the events in fact occurred irrelevant. If we want to know what God is like, we need only look to Christ. CHARLES A. GRICE Nashville, Tennessee

Little did our ladies' group know when we decided to study Genesis that we would be on the cutting edge of our culture. Every Tuesday morning we dissect a chapter to uncover the deep truths locked inside. We have learned that human nature hasn't really changed; that God never tires of showing mercy to those who walk with him; and that his redemption, which climaxes so forcefully in Revelation, began in Genesis 2. KATHIE HARRIS Columbia, Maryland

I teach world history, and my students are frequently surprised to learn that the Jewish, Christian and Muslim representations of God show the same deity, culturally and historically. The term Judeo-Christian is often used when a more appropriate phrase would be Judeo-Christian-Muslim. Your inclusion of Muslim perspectives in your article on Genesis certainly supports the understanding of the shared experiences of these three religions. THOM LABARBERA Newark, Delaware

One thing is more unbelievable than Genesis itself: the degree to which intelligent people recast it to conform with their views of the universe and humanity. Diverse interpretations undoubtedly speak to the brilliance of Genesis as a work of literature; also, its historical impact and philosophical value cannot be denied. For some, however, faith in an almighty God requires a stronger foundation, one less dependent on interpretations and more reliant on facts. People's unceasing need to look outside themselves for morals, guidance and a meaning to life is why Genesis was written in the first place. Perhaps one day we will progress a little further. STEPHEN G. COX Boston I'm tired of hearing about what God said in the Bible. Who can prove that God has ever said anything? The Bible is simply a storybook written by scribes. The spirited debate on Genesis should be about who actually wrote these stories and for what purpose. Too many bloody wars, genocides, crusades, missionary atrocities and persecutions have taken place because of "God's word." How about a new perspective? SHARON JENNINGS Albuquerque, New Mexico Via E-mail

For years I have told amazed and disbelieving friends that the exploits Old Testament folks get up to in Genesis (and elsewhere) are far more lurid and diverting than anything on television. The point of Genesis and many of the other colorful, anecdotal tales in the Old Testament is that God keeps his promises, even though people often do not. Throughout history God has shown that he can use ordinary folks and even some truly unsavory types to accomplish his purposes. I call that good news. AMY T. KERNS Columbus, Ohio Genesis answers some of the most vital questions every person asks at some point in his life: Who am I? Where do I come from? Why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? Is there any purpose to life? Science, with all its factual trappings, has failed miserably to answer these crucial questions. RAJENDRA PILLAI St. Davids, Pennsylvania Via E-mail

For one who claims that "as a story of creation, the book of Genesis long, long ago crumbled under the weight of science," writer Robert Wright displays a puzzling selectivity in then declaring that "the Christian doctrine of original sin makes more sense as evolutionary psychologists learn more about why people do bad things." If Genesis has even a smidgen of relevance in helping us grasp the concept of original sin, why are the scientifically enlightened so adamant that Genesis' assertions regarding origins in general are unreliable? TIM CALLAWAY Calgary, Canada

Are there limits to the knowledge that we can gain? If one believes God controls or monitors the affairs of mankind, the account of his defeat of those who wanted to build the Tower of Babel would indicate that there are boundaries. One lesson in Genesis is that history often repeats itself. Could science get to the point where our attempts to learn could get cut off again? By turning off all the electricity, God could throw us back to the Stone Age overnight. KENNETH BERRY Riverview, New Brunswick Via E-mail

EAST TIMOR'S IMPORTANT DAY

The day Jose Ramos-Horta and Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was probably the most important day in the history of East Timor [WORLD, Oct. 21]. After more than 20 years of Indonesian occupation, the country and the East Timorese deserved this award. Now the world can no longer pretend that conflict in East Timor does not exist. MARGARIDA SERRA Odivelas, Portugal

You mentioned the struggle that led to East Timor's declaration of independence and emphasized the (flimsy) differences between Ramos-Horta and Bishop Belo concerning the future of their country. However, you failed to report two key pieces of information: that more than 100,000 and possibly as many as 200,000 East Timorese have died of violence, disease or starvation under Indonesian rule since 1975, and that the Portuguese government transferred the legal representation of the Timorese people to the independent Republic of East Timor in 1975. No country but Australia has formally recognized the annexation of East Timor by Indonesia. The sad truth is that for the past 20 years, Portugal has been alone in defending the rights of the Timorese people, which have been overlooked by more powerful countries for economic reasons. The decision of the Nobel Committee should be praised, not treated as a controversial issue. CARLO PESCE Genoa, Italy

One issue uniting Bishop Belo and Ramos-Horta is that both want to see the backs of their Indonesian colonizers. The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to both is a vindication of their courageous struggle for peace and justice. TOM HYLAND, Director East Timor-Ireland Solidarity Campaign Dublin

JEWISH GOLD IN SWISS BANKS

It would have been wise of the Swiss bankers to hand over to the victims of the Holocaust or their heirs what was rightfully theirs as soon as possible after World War II ended [WORLD, Oct. 28]. The Swiss have been quite self-righteous about their neutrality during the war. Now with the spotlight being turned onto their little piece of the world stage, I am sure they are experiencing a certain degree of angst for fear that the world will learn of their misdeeds. NELLIE RAISBECK Calgary, Canada

The gold the Nazis looted from banks and private holdings that was put in Swiss bank accounts should be given to the people of Israel and to Jewish communities all over the world. They are the legal heirs. Not giving back the loot stolen by the Nazis is almost like denying the Holocaust ever happened. HANNAH THOMPSON Sydney

ENOUGH MUDSLINGING

I was outraged by the negative reaction of right-wing political leaders to the Jack Kemp-Al Gore debate as presented in your article "From Savior to Scapegoat" [NATION, Oct. 21]. It seems to me that any decent human being would commend a man like Kemp, who has the integrity to carry out a moral and honest election debate. It has been made quite evident in recent years that the general public does not wish to see mudslinging in U.S. presidential elections.

And now a man like Kemp comes along with the courage to stick to his principles. He refuses to participate in the destruction of the President's image by critiquing his ethics and dealing low blows to his integrity. But top right-wing figures say Kemp is "concerned too much about being 'nice' and not enough about winning," and verges on being "incoherent." I found Kemp's behavior in the debate professional, mature and responsible. I may not necessarily agree with what Jack Kemp had to say, but he has one thing no other current U.S. political figure has: my respect. JONATHAN HORTON Fredericia, Denmark Via E-mail

LEBED'S OUSTER

The reason Alexander Lebed was chosen to be Russia's national security adviser in the first place is clear [WORLD, Oct. 28]: President Boris Yeltsin needed to win the election, and the only way to get his major opponent, Lebed, out of the way was to join forces with him and put him into one of the highest positions in the country. Because of this smooth move, Yeltsin won the presidential election, while Lebed walked right into a trap. He was too blind and inexperienced politically to see that dropping out of the race for President and going to work for Yeltsin was putting his fate in the hands of his rival. Yeltsin got what he wanted: a second term as President of Russia. And once he had won the election, he dismissed Lebed.

Lebed failed to notice the approaching danger and even dug his own grave by starting quarrels with major political figures like Interior Minister Anatoli Kulikov and presidential chief of staff Anatoli Chubais. And although Yeltsin has had trouble with his health and with control of the Kremlin, firing Lebed was not risky, since most of the Kremlin's leading figures wanted him out anyway. Yeltsin planned the coming and going of Lebed from the very beginning, and Lebed naively gave him a helping hand. SANDER ANTEN Amsterdam Via E-mail

HATEFUL LETTER

I must presume that in printing Shahrukh Malik's rude description of John Kennedy Jr.'s bride, Carolyn Bessette [LETTERS, Oct. 28], your intention was to show that the gentleman had absolutely no taste in women. At the risk of offending our sensibilities, he certainly succeeded--and how! What came through more pungently than anything else, however, was that Malik has even less manners than taste. IMOHIMI AIG-IMOUKHUEDE Lagos

I am sure most American and European women felt the way I did when I read Malik's letter on Carolyn Bessette. Who does he think he is to take it upon himself to judge a woman on only her external appearance? We who are over 14 years of age know that there is more to a person than just how he or she looks. Malik may think he knows about women, but he badly needs to learn about women's hearts. NANCY MEUNIER Braine-le-Comte, Belgium

INDIFFERENT JAPANESE VOTERS?

The general election in Japan ended as anticipated [WORLD, Oct. 21] with a record low voter turnout, for which analysts gave various plausible explanations. But the overall apathy toward political matters concerns me because it emphasizes an irresponsible attitude. It is not only Japan's voters who don't accept responsibility; politicians, bureaucrats and corporations also seem quite good at evading responsibilities they are paid to shoulder. Have we been spoiled for too long by a half-century of postwar peace and prosperity? KAYOKO KITADA Osaka, Japan Via E-mail

I don't believe we Japanese are indifferent to politics, but rather that we are independent from politicians. Even though the country has had four Prime Ministers in three years, we've seen little change in our life. Most Japanese are laid back and say, "Who cares about the Prime Minister or the ruling party? Everything stays the same." KEIKO KIKAWADA Shizuoka, Japan

Although some may think the streets of Japan were alive with the sounds of democracy during the campaign, I disagree. Prior to the election, loudspeaker trucks shattered the early-morning (and afternoon and evening) air with cries of "Good morning!" or "Good evening!" or "Thank you very much! Please! Thank you very much!" These greetings were punctuated by constant repetition of a candidate's name and produced not the sound of democracy but an unbearable cacophony. Such racket is the implacable enemy of the reflection that democracy should encourage. I fear that despite the political correctness in some of its outward forms, Japan remains at heart and in spirit a profoundly undemocratic country. MICHAEL HOFFMAN Hokkaido, Japan

ADVANCES IN MEDICAL SCIENCE

Thank you for the special issue "The Frontiers of Medicine" [Fall 1996]. Please produce more in this style. I work in the auction business, and it has been more than 20 years since I was in college. I'm curious about advances in science but find it difficult to get a comprehensive view from snippets in the newspaper and regular monthly or weekly magazines. On the other hand, I don't have the patience or technical knowledge to work my way through Scientific American. REDGE A. MARTIN Oakland, California I was impressed with the advances you reported but surprised that medical nutrition therapy was not mentioned. This is a necessary and cost-effective way to treat and control myriad diseases and conditions, including heart disease, diabetes, cancer, AIDS, burns and pediatric failure to thrive. Comprehensive nutrition services delivered by registered dietitians on medical teams save patients' health and wealth. In fact, an analysis of more than 2,400 patient case studies by the American Dietetic Association showed an average saving of $8,000 per patient when medical nutrition therapy is used as part of disease treatment. Nutrition therapy, health promotion and disease prevention will probably have as much impact on the quality of life for Americans as all the treatments selected for your special issue, if not more. RONNI CHERNOFF, President American Dietetic Association Chicago Via E-mail

A little over one year ago, my mother had what we thought was a stroke. However, a cat scan done immediately following this event showed no evidence that a stroke had occurred. But my mother continued to have slurred speech and memory loss. I was told there was no way she could have had a stroke, since no evidence of one was seen on the scan. However, when I read your article on strokes, I was struck by the statement that conventional scans done immediately after a stroke will not always show that one has taken place. I called my mother's new doctor, who agreed that an additional test was probably in order. This mri confirmed that there had actually been two significant strokes and possibly a third smaller one. Because of these findings, further testing was done that showed my mother was at very high risk for another, more massive stroke. Within four days, she had surgery and is now recovering well. My family can never thank you enough! Keep up the good work in helping all of us be more informed. HEIDI CHRISTENSEN Newbury Park, California Via E-mail

As the parent of a child with a brain tumor, I have been immersed in the anguished world of pediatric oncology for the past 4 1/2 years. It is true that through the decades we have made great progress, but at what cost? Though some survivors of childhood cancers will go on to lead a normal, healthy life, many will not. The laundry list of possible problems includes secondary cancers, major-organ problems, infertility, learning disabilities and stunted growth. Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and bone-marrow transplants may seem expensive, but it could be that our children are paying an even higher price for our success in the laboratories. Perhaps we need to rethink where and how we are expending our energies. It seems that research in alternative therapies receives too little funding and is surrounded by too much red tape. There's got to be a better way. JANET CAVALIERE HAWKINS West Simsbury, Connecticut Via E-mail

You listed hepatitis C as one of the world's great killers, but you underestimated the extent of this plague. Hepatitis C affects 400 million people worldwide, and researchers believe that as many as 20% of victims will develop life-threatening liver disease and that 80 million people could die from it. While it is not as prevalent in the U.S. as elsewhere, it is still a major problem. Almost 4 million Americans suffer from it. There are 150,000 new cases and 10,000 deaths a year; it is now the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. KEN BENJAMIN May Day Hepatitis Action Committee Seattle

As a fairly recent graduate of a chiropractic college and a practicing chiropractor, I must disagree with your statement that chiropractic has "a stubborn insistence that spinal misalignments cause or underlie most ailments." This may have been true 50 or 100 years ago, but it certainly is not the case today. Modern chiropractic education does not teach us that misalignments cause all the body's ailments but that they can be the cause of various musculoskeletal complaints. There may be some physicians out there claiming that adjustments are a cure-all, but they are surely in the minority. Given the vast amount of literature on the benefits of chiropractic manipulative therapy and the wide coverage of chiropractic by third-party insurance payers, it seems outdated even to call chiropractic medicine an alternative therapy. SCOTT J. TESORO, D.C. Carbondale, Colorado

CORRECTION

The item on the treatment of asthma in the Health Roundup section of our special report stated that a quick squirt from a steroid inhaler usually relaxes constricted breathing passages. That is not an appropriate treatment for an acute asthma attack. Corticosteroids treat inflammation but do not open constricted breathing passages quickly. Generally, a short-acting bronchodilator should be used to open the airways rapidly.

DON'T FORGET MOM

Your local heroes item on my father and the Valerie Fund [NOTEBOOK, Oct. 28], named for my late sister, which raises money to help establish local pediatric-cancer centers, had a huge omission: my mother Sue Goldstein. It was her idea to start the fund. Independent of each other, my parents are dynamic people. Together they are extraordinary. Side by side, and with the help of many dedicated people, they built the Valerie Fund. The Valerie Fund and I are lucky to have Sue and Ed Goldstein as parents. STACY GOLDSTEIN East Hanover, New Jersey

WORTHWHILE READING

I'm a college student, and my bookshelf is lined with translations by Robert Fagles, who, as you noted, has just published a new translation of Homer's Odyssey [CULTURE, Oct. 28]. The Homeric epic narrative is the foundation on which the modern novel and film action are built. Fagles' earlier translations are fun, interesting and easy to read, and I'm sure his Odyssey will be no different. I hope your article will inspire people to pick up worthwhile reading (such as Fagles') instead of the waste of trees that covers the exploits of Hollywood streetwalker Divine Brown or O.J. Simpson attorney Johnnie Cochran. ERIC S. ARNOLD Boston

SPYMASTER AT HIS BEST

So John Le Carre's new novel, The Tailor of Panama [BOOKS, Oct. 28], is about a befuddled expatriate who, when recruited by a dubiously competent spy, makes up information that gets London's knickers in a twist. Is it possible that Le Carre has read Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana? Or could it be that I am just imagining a conspiracy? KIMBERLY CARSON Holderness, New Hampshire

TAKING AIM AT HUNTING

As a lifelong hunter and now a professional conservationist, I read with interest your article on states' efforts to ban some deplorable hunting practices [ENVIRONMENT, Oct. 28]. My father, grandfathers and uncle instilled in me a hunting ethic: respect for wildlife and habitat, fair chase, safety and reverence for the bounty and wonder of nature. Individuals involved with bear baiting, hounding and same-day, airborne hunting are not true hunters. Shame on them for their vicious slaughter of wildlife! But shame on us, the upstanding hunters, too for not pursuing these individuals. The hunting community should be the leading voice calling for immediate bans on these practices and criminal penalties against those who use them. CHADWIN B. SMITH Arlington, Virginia Via E-mail

Your article "Hunting's Bad Sports" was biased and unfair. While you presented the anti-hunter's side of the issue very clearly, you failed to tell the sportsman's side at all. The bears being hunted are not friendly, huggable dolls; they are extremely dangerous animals, and if their population is not kept under control, they will begin to endanger the lives of human beings. The sport of bear hunting has not killed off the species. On the contrary, bear-population levels in Michigan are at an all-time high. Bears are extremely clever animals and are not easily hunted, even with bait and dogs, the best feasible method. Licenses to kill these animals are not given freely either; very few hunters actually receive such licenses. The bear population needs to be controlled for the safety of all people. Let's put humans first. MICHAEL YONKMAN Boon, Michigan Via E-mail

I've got an idea. let's cover the hunters with peanut butter, tie them to a tree and set the black bears loose. MICHAEL GLORIEUX New York City Via E-mail

Apparently the hunters who use bait to lure game into an ambush don't know the definition of hunting. It is the pursuit of game; the bears are not supposed to come to the hunters. If the "long hours and exhausting effort" required are too much for these mighty woodsmen, they should take themselves to a shooting gallery--although the targets are rather small. MARY KRESIN New York City

We hunters are interested not in cheap thrills, as alleged, but rather in the challenge of training hounds and the excitement of a fair chase with the odds in favor of a large and powerful carnivore. As in sport fishing, success in game hunting is measured in the catching of the quarry, not in its killing. Although the animal is often dispatched for human consumption, catch-and-release hunting is a common practice and a central part of the trail-hound ethic, unmatched by any other hunting sport. Our centuries-old American trail-hound tradition sets the standard for hunting ethics. DANIEL A. TICHENOR Castro Valley, California Via E-mail