From Our Readers

Perfume I can’t tell you how disappointed I was when I read the article “Those Costly Perfumes.” (October 8, 1991) It actually tells people how to choose perfume without any warnings about how adversely it affects the countless individuals suffering from environmental illness! Thousands are severely or mildly allergic to perfumes. Why add to the problem?

C. M., United States

We appreciate these comments. However, the Bible does not condemn the use of fragrances, so individuals can make a personal decision in this regard. (Compare Exodus 30:7; John 12:3-5.) Nevertheless, a Christian would certainly want to take into consideration the adverse effects perfume might have on others, for example in congregation meetings.​—ED.

Religiously Divided Homes Thank you for the article “Young People Ask . . . What if My Parents Don’t Support Me in My Faith?” (January 8, 1992) Serving God without family support is often very difficult and sometimes discouraging. You helped me appreciate that I have a lot of “family” support in the Christian congregation.

S. H., United States

Being married to an unbelieving mate, I have experienced a similar lack of support. The article helped me realize that I was contributing to the problem by being sullen and argumentative. I needed the simple but sound advice to take the initiative to get help in the congregation. Thank you for helping me step back and take an objective look at my situation.

K. V., United States

Radon You made a mistake in your article “Radon​—A Danger in Your Home?” (October 22, 1991) You state: “The rate at which a radioactive substance decays is called its half-​life.” Although the rate of decay and half-​life are related, they are not the same.

J. G., United States

Thank you for pointing this out. It would have been more accurate to say that the half-​life is the time it takes for half of the atoms in a radioactive substance to decay. The rate of decay (number of atoms disintegrating per second) actually decreases as the number of radioactive atoms remaining decreases.​—ED.

Sports As a physical education and sports teacher, I paid particular attention to the series “Sports​—What Place Do They Have?” (August 22, 1991) You correctly identify the perversities and dangers of modern sports, such as excessive competition, commercial interests, violence, and cheating. However, there is an appreciable difference in the way sports are approached in Europe and in the United States; your articles referred almost exclusively to American sports.

S. O.,France

“Awake!” has often published articles on sports that present an international point of view, including a number of first-​person accounts by European, African, and Latin-​American athletes. And while the current articles focused on U.S. sports, we believe that readers in various lands can benefit from applying the Bible principles discussed therein.​—ED.

I am living testimony that sports, or “bodily training,” is “beneficial for a little.” During my school years, I was on the school’s volleyball team and played intensely in games and competitions. My associations were not good, however, and I became spiritually weak. Much time was therefore wasted. After finishing school, I decided to dedicate myself to Jehovah and took up the full-​time ministry. Today I find much joy in this, since “godly devotion is beneficial for all things.”​—1 Timothy 4:8.

P. G., Brazil