From Our Readers

The Terrifying Inquisition

As an educator and father, I find your articles interesting and informative. When I came to the articles “The Terrifying Inquisition” and “How Was It Possible?” (April 22, 1986), I read with the exclusive purpose of finding inexactitudes and morbid attacks on the Catholic Church (to which I belong). I did not find any fact that contradicted the historical truth, and to back me up I had my academic studies in the Pontific Bolivar University of Medellín, the Universal Encyclopaedia by César Cántu, and The History of the Catholic Church by Lasallista Eugenio León.

F. J. V., Colombia

No Divorce?

I disagree with your view that the Bible allows the innocent mate to remarry. (January 8, 1986, page 12, footnote) Whoever separates from the other should remain single or else be reconciled. (1 Corinthians 7:10, 11) One should be prepared to forgive the mate.

O. A. F., Nigeria

Forgiveness is proper when the guilty party truly repents. However, at Matthew 19:9 Jesus stated: “I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on the ground of fornication, and marries another commits adultery.” This indicates that if the innocent party gains a divorce on the grounds of fornication, he is free to marry another without that being considered adultery. At 1 Corinthians 7, Paul is referring to a separation rather than a Scriptural divorce.​—ED.

Conventions in Poland

We enjoyed the article on the Polish conventions, but you seem to highlight the tremendous filth of the stadiums in Poland. We have also seen such in the United States, but your article gave the impression that such conditions are found only in Poland.

A Group of Poles, United States

The statements pertaining to the change in the conditions of the stadiums were all made by the news media, a stadium administrator, and a tour guide. Such statements were not used to cast a reflection on Poland but to show the improvement that can take place in a stadium when a group of people all work together. This has been seen in connection with conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses all over the world.​—ED.

Hockey and Immorality

Just because Tom Edur gave up hockey for Jehovah’s Witnesses doesn’t mean that you have to malign the whole sport. All hockey is not riddled with excessive drinking and adultery, and it certainly is more drug free than any other sport.

N. L., United States

Tom Edur did not malign hockey as a sport, even saying: “I enjoyed playing very much and still play on occasion for recreation.” Yet he did find that many professional players, in the environment to which they were exposed, drank excessively and engaged in adultery, and he began to be seriously influenced by all of this. Youths today look up to sports stars as their heroes, and it is really sad that increasing numbers of these stars are bad examples when it comes to use of tobacco, excessive use of alcohol, misuse of drugs, and immoral conduct. Even if the situation in the sports world is not any worse than in other segments of society, it is the example of sports stars that has a great impact on youths. We hope to alert youths and others to the moral dangers involved in pursuing a career in professional sports.​—ED.