Having worked as a medical oncologist (cancer specialist) for 35 years, I have found that health oriented Adventists have been some of the most difficult patients for me to relate to. Since they don't smoke, don't eat meat, and exercise regularly, they cannot comprehend how they could possibly get cancer. They often feel that if they can only "do it better" they will be cured.

When I began my career, about 35 percent of patients diagnosed with cancer were alive five years later. Now that figure is about 65 percent. While we haven't yet "won the war" against cancer, we've won many battles. In addition to gains in earlier diagnosis and prevention by lifestyle changes, we now understand much more about the genetic, molecular, enzymatic, and chemical events that lead to cancer cell growth and cancer cell death.

In addition to better surgery and more effective chemotherapy we now have many proven forms of targeted immunotherapy and medicines that turn on and turn off the signals for uncontrolled cell growth.

I would encourage all Seventh-day Adventists to live as healthful a lifestyle as possible. But if you are diagnosed with cancer, remember that there are many compassionate and knowledgeable oncologists who can provide you with the best care available today. Don't turn your back on what God has provided.

Ronald E. Turk, M.D.


RELIGION IN THE WORKPLACE
Many thanks for the fine article, "Salt and Light in the Workplace," by Jerry Chi (Mar. 10, 2005); about Christians and their place in the work environment. I appreciated the four areas in which Christians must prove themselves to be successful in their work situation, but I especially took notice of the section of the article, "malpractice in the workplace."

As a Religious Liberty director, I deal with Sabbath accommodation issues every month. In my seminar presentation, "Religious Liberty in the Workplace," I place special emphasis upon the need to be the best worker you can be for their employer, no matter if it's cleaning toilets or filling managerial positions. Finding accommodation for our members is made 10 times more difficult when they are nominal to poor employees. It's nearly impossible to defend the lazy, whining person who professes strong religious beliefs and practices.

On the other hand, when a Christian employee is truly living God's design as expressed in Colossians 3:22-25 accommodation issues are easily resolved, even to the point of employers asking what can be worked out to retain the employee requesting religious preference. The importance of our people striving to be the best at what they do for they do it for their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, cannot be overstated. If they do, when Sabbath issues arise, the witness required to go through the process will be enhanced, and not jeopardized.

Kevin James
Director, Public Affairs and Religious Liberty
Nevada/Utah Conference


INVOLVED IN THE STRUGGLE
"Desert Storm" by Joel Thomas Ingram (Mar. 10, 2005) is a most helpful article. I read it multiple times so that its truths could sink in. The article clarified that many of my problems emerge from pursuing human solutions to real problems rather than trusting radically in God, what He has shown, what He says, and what He calls me to. I rejoiced as the author called me to allow God to be God, to allow Him to set my agenda, schedule, and map my journey giving only tertiary support to what I may want or demand. Thank you for a great article.

Harvey A. Elder, M.D.
Loma Linda, California


IT CAN HAPPEN HERE
The editor's note preceding the article by Bob Smietana about pastors who steal from congregations (Web exclusive), while technically correct, is misleading and arrogant. While the Seventh-day Adventist "structure" intends to preclude pastors from stealing tithes and offerings, it does happen in Seventh-day Adventist churches. This note implies that it can't happen in Adventist churches. Those "structures" and "internal procedures" are not always followed.

The note sounds like "this can't happen to us, only to them."

Jim Lemasters
Thousand Oaks, California


GOOD NEWS ABOUT THE JUDGMENT
The eye-opening article, "Who Said Judgment is Bad?" (Mar. 2005) had some wonderful thoughts.

Our "Plastic Surgeon" can make us new. Praise God! God is our Judge, Defense Attorney, and I might add, our Jury. How can we lose?

The only reason to fear the judgment is to choose another attorney.

Art Miles
Apison, Tennessee

Roland Hegstad's article, "Who Said Judgment is Bad News?" (Mar. 2005) is surely an emotive piece concerning the plan of salvation. Without wanting to do damage to either grace or faith, I would point out that the plan, made "before the foundation of the world" (Eph. 1:4), has two interrelated parts. Hegstad's piece only does justice to the first part of the plan, which we call "justification."

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, our Master, and our God, and place upon His strong shoulders the totality of our sinful lives, we receive His holy history as our very own in exchange. Our heavenly Father "hath made [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; [that in doing so] we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Cor. 5: 21). We have been set free from the condemnation of second death, and this gift of justification brings with it the "peace with God" (Rom. 5:1).

However, those of us who walk by grace through faith in Jesus, must also be fully aware of the miraculous change that begins at our acceptance of justification. The acceptance of Jesus as Lord, Savior, and God, opens up to us the gift of the Spirit of Christ. This Spirit shows us we too must give all of our selves, by repenting from the habitual sinfulness that formerly exposed us as being totally "carnal, yet in [our] sins" (1 Cor. 15:17).

Just as we receive great peace and joy with God in our understanding of the beauty of justification, we must also be aware that sanctification, also a work of grace through faith, is another wonderful promise Jesus has given us. He "is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).

Justification is indeed most wonderful, yet, if we continually hold up this marvelous gift of faith, without calling forth glory upon the second part of the plan of salvation, our knowledge of the plan will be shaky at best.

The plan of salvation is the most important subject in the entire Bible. We must continually study the cross and what happened there. Scripture teaches us that infused with love, we are to "walk in sanctification," which means that moment by moment we walk in Jesus' footsteps. The Spirit of Christ teaches us to be obedient to Scripture.

If we are ever going to have "the face of the Son," as Hegstad wrote about, it will be because:

1. we have received peace with God through justification,

2. We have learned that God is truly our Best Friend, and only desires our good, and

3. due to our understanding of the righteousness of God toward His creation, revealed most fully at the cross of Calvary, we daily become more like Him in character, so that we too shall show forth the very face of Christ, Who is our Life!

Jim Tilley


PART OF A CURRICULUM?
After reading the article, "It's Not the Message: Thoughts on keeping young people in the church," by Gary Hopkins and Renee Drumm (Mar. 2005), I want to comment upon this article and ask a question:

This article is the best I've ever read on this subject. It says exactly what I've always wanted to say. This brings me to my question:

Would anyone have any information that would help me to put the material in this article into the form of a Sabbath School lesson topic? Or better still, if someone would consider putting the article into the form of a Sabbath School Quarterly topic? For framing the conflict between adults, young people, and new members in the church, this article is great. Yet unless it becomes an in-your-face topic for study, the adults in our church will not recognize it as a problem. We need nuts and bolts studies to help us to recognize and address these problems.

Paul Maziarz
Riverside, Rhode Island


DEFINING OUR TERMS
Regarding the article, "Self-esteem and the Christian" (Feb. 24, 2005): I would kindly suggest that the author check into any good Webster's Dictionary for the meaning of the word "self-esteem," which I found to be "conceit."

Also, she might do some research in the comprehensive index of Ellen G. White's writings, where there are a number of different references to the meaning of the word "self-esteem." For example: "Those who are filled with self-esteem and self-love do not feel the need of a living, personal union with Christ" (Christ's Object Lessons, p. 161). And: "When he [Paul] saw the spiritual nature of the law, sin appeared in its true, hideousness, and his self-esteem was gone" (Steps to Christ, p. 17).

These quotations, and many others like them, long ago settled the issue with me.

Evelyn E. Clark
Groveland, Florida


REDEFINING "MAJORITY"
"The Majority That Matters" (Feb. 2005) is one "amen" sermon. I'm sorry I missed the oral delivery, but reading it in the Review is the next best thing. Thank you.

I like the way Pastor Parkinson stressed the majority that matters. The servant saw two men against the army, and Elijah calmly reassured him, "We're the majority." I sense some humor as Elijah looked out on the futility of the Syrian army. He prayed for his servant to "see" beyond the physical and understand.

Today the majority that matters is not popular, or the way of the world.

Natalie Dodd
Centerville, Ohio


LOOKING AHEAD
The editorial, "Storm Clouds on the Horizon" (Jan. 20, 2005), was a most timely article. I'm thankful that the editor is not only watching, but speaking out about the events occurring so rapidly in our world and especially in our country. The "land of the free and the home of the brave" is swiftly becoming the land of the unfree, who will need to be brave, indeed.

The "Faith-based Initiative," although not passed by congress, is occurring anyway. There is no way there is any control over the way churches spend government money supposed to be for welfare; it will be used for proselytizing. This initiative and the Patriot Act are infringements on my liberties.

Though I do not believe in homosexual "marriage," how could a religious amendment to our constitution even be considered? People are so fearful of terrorism they crave security, even at the loss of some liberty. All too soon they will learn that no one on earth can keep them really secure.

What an opportune time for the antichrist to appear with the message: "I will take care of everything; just trust me."

Dorothy Farley
Grand Terrace, California


GOD AND THE NATIONS
Regarding "How Will God Save the Nations" (Jan. 13, 2005): From a fourth generation Adventist this question: Is Mr. Adams telling readers that all the saved ones have in reality been commandment keepers in accordance with the text that says, "Here are they that keep the commandments"?

We Adventist have published hundreds, if not thousands, of books and articles over the years concerning the Sabbath. And yet, after I read Adams' article, I wondered, why the expense and time? And what do I do with my neighbors, Coptic Christians and wonderful people? Do I keep my eager mouth shut and limit my witness to living an exemplary, neighborly Christian life, and hold my peace about the Sabbath?

Last question: Might we have damaged our reputation with our Sabbath rituals? Ellen G. White wrote about how the Sabbath became a stumbling block to the Jews. There is a great need to understand Sabbath observance in the light Adams shed on the matter of salvation. It wasn't until a decade or so ago that my Sabbath keeping changed from, "in order to be saved" to "because I have salvation." I feel good about the Sabbath. Yet how do I convey that to my neighbors? Or should I just forget it and leave them alone?

H. D. Schmidt
Loma Linda, California