From an anarchist
I wanted to thank you for sending me the December issue of The Witness (Recovering from human evil). I have to admit, as much contempt as I have for religionists, your publication manages to isolate the positive in religion and stick to issues that are important now, here, today, in this world. As an "anarchist," I feel that religion is often used as an excuse not to think or act, even morally, or lose standing with your peers. But you have helped me to understand religionists a little better, and I use your magazine here to interest the others in today's challenges. I hope you will keep me on the mailing list.
Jon Shepherd #77134
PO Box 9200, Telford Unit
New Boston, TX 75570

Simon Chiwanga
Thanks for the interview with Bishop Simon E. Chiwanga in the March 2000 issue. I'd like permission to reprint it for use in an upcoming diocesan meeting. Great model of leadership and community!
Lynne Wilson
Ministries Development Coordinator
Diocese of Wyoming

A clarification
I enjoyed the March 2000 issue and am glad to have been included as part of it. However, I notice that in the editing process you made two errors. First, my reference to Steve Kelsey was incorrectly changed to Jim Kelsey [see correction below]. Second, you edited my text to read, "It is not uncommon to hear seminary-trained clergy, for example, question this new order's influence in diocesan decision-making ..." My suggestion would have been: "It is not uncommon to hear seminary-trained clergy, for example, question the influence of Canon 9 clergy in diocesan decision-making ..."
I was very careful not to treat this development as a "new order." I believe that Canon 9 priests are every bit as much priests as those who are seminary-trained. There is a danger in thinking the priesthood of these individuals is somehow different, and perhaps deficient. The real change, I believe, is the change in the ownership of the priesthood by the congregation and the revaluing of all other ministries. This happens through the training, on the local level, of several people together for various ministries -- including priesthood and diaconate. This latter point is well made in the final sentence of the article. I suspect you understand this. I am just concerned how people will read "new order."
The Witness is a fine magazine and a very important voice in the church. Thanks for your leadership.
William Kondrath
Cambridge, MA

[Ed. note: We made an editing error in William Kondrath's sidebar, "Creating a ministering community," in the March 2000 issue when we "corrected" Kondrath's reference to Steve Kelsey by changing it to Jim Kelsey. We didn't realize that Jim Kelsey, the Bishop of Northern Michigan, has a twin brother named Steve who also is an advocate for mutual ministry. Steve Kelsey is missioner with the Middlesex Area Cluster Ministry and convener of Leaveners (a cooperative of ministry developers from the Northeastern U.S.). We apologize to Steve, Jim and William.]

Entangled authority
I wanted to compliment you and Bill Countryman for his excellent article, "Anglicanism's Entangled Sense of Authority" (March 2000). I plan to use this article for a Bible study class that will be starting soon at my parish.
Janet Fischer
<jlfisch@pacbell.net>

Nuclearism and gene-spliced foods
We have long appreciated your fine magazine. I was particularly grateful for the October 1999 (Nuclearism Today) and the November 1999 (Harvest feast?) issues, educating us about the very real nuclear threat and genetically engineered or modified foods.
It is no accident that Europeans are rejecting genetically modified foods. Popular magazines alerted their readers about the subject over a dozen years ago. Here, however, giant corporations, be they defense contractors or agro-giants, can operate mostly behind the scenes since our corporate-owned media makes sure the public remains uninformed. Is it any wonder then that the public -- as Monsanto says -- "has accepted gene-spliced foods" and it has accepted the myth that the nuclear threat ended with the end of the Cold War?
Thank you, Witness, for throwing some much needed light on these two vitally important subjects.
Sigrid Dale
Warren, MI
P.S. Representatives David Bonior and Dennis Cucinich of Michigan have introduced legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives that calls for genetically engineered foods to be labeled.

Time and freedom
Thanks for a first-rate issue of The Witness on Time and freedom. I was delighted by the combination of articles and moved by Bishop DeWitt's insights into his wife's medical situation. Great going!
Mary E. Hunt
Silver Spring, MD

A fair share of the wealth
I'm impressed with the depth and breadth of social concern in the January/February 2000 issue on Time and freedom. If I had time to read any more magazines than already come to our house, I would subscribe! I was very moved, also, by the more personal article, "Three Hands Bridge an Abyss," by Robert DeWitt. My sister and I helped care for our mother, who also had Alzheimer's. I will send a copy of the article to her and will share it with a friend here who is presently caring for his wife who has the disease.
The idea that every person has a right to a fair share of income from our common heritage of wealth is a profound idea. We try to envision ways in which this idea might be embodied, but we are humble about such efforts. What we feel is most needed at this time is to introduce the idea to those who yearn for economic justice, knowing that it will need the efforts of many knowledgeable thinkers and doers to bring about its eventual realization.
Dorothy N. Andersen
Tom Paine Institute
<www.csf.colorado.edu/sustainable-justice>
Euguene, OR