Short takes

American troops continue to die in our war on terrorism in Iraq. May we never grow numb to the reports each day but may we not forget the righteous cause behind these sacrifices. These young men and women, personally known and loved by so many of us, have made the world a safer place.

Most of us will witness more faithfully when held accountable for doing so. Doctrinal fidelity, then, is only one reason our overseas personnel need active supervision. Oversight will affect our message and our mission. Those who scoff at our confession of faith and its use by our mission boards often devalue biblical doctrine and biblical evangelism. Each action has an idea behind it. If you despise the idea, you’ll soon despise the action.

Christians can be scary when we disagree. The Sept. 13 issue of World contains a column in which Editor Joel Belz nails an important issue?meanness between Christians who disagree. Richard Land and James Dobson set a high tone in their disagreement over Alabama Supreme Court Judge Roy Moore’s response to federal court rulings that he should remove a stone copy of the Ten Commandments from his lobby. I don’t know many Christians who agree with the federal court ruling. I know several who are uncomfortable with Judge Moore’s response to the ruling. Apart from the example of Drs. Dobson and Land, the level of rancor between the brethren over this was entirely too high. Angry rhetoric and over-the-top accusations should not be mistaken for dialogue.