Public school seniors?

I wish you had included a fourth graduating senior, one from a public high school. The published students credited their Catholic education with “deepening their faith and commitment to living out its principles.” What about the countless Catholic students that are off the radar attending public schools? Where is their chance to share their faith in education if they are omitted by The Catholic Spirit? Let’s acknowledge not all Catholics can or want to send their children to private education. Let’s also acknowledge that there’s social repercussions for such decisions and then reflect on the unfairness of this. Please consider broadening the scope of your questions in the future. Don’t throw softball pitches to professional hitters. Consider pitching to those who you don’t know if they’ll strike out, foul or knock it out of the park. I think you’d be surprised how many MVPs are playing in the minor leagues.

Hans Molenaar
St. John the Baptist, New Brighton

Abortion and death penalty

The May 26 issue letter “Death penalty positions” compares ad nauseam the death penalty to abortion. She (the writer) castigates Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone for his stand against preborn dismemberment. The death penalty is rare justice for a heinous crime by a guilty person. Abortion is a heinous crime against innocent life. Jesus Christ was the first Christian victim of capital punishment: “a Lamb led to the slaughter.” Archbishop Cordileone recognizes this barbarity, by denying Nancy Pelosi the Bread of Life, saving her from profanation. Abortion is the fatal strike against the core of creation.

Everett C. Dehmer
Cathedral of St. Paul, St. Paul

Death penalty defense?

(Re: “Death penalty,” Letters, June 16) To the gentleman who recently defended the death penalty, writing, “God places such a high value on human life that he commands the death penalty for those who murder,” citing passages from Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy: I can’t wait until you meet this Jesus character later in the book. I won’t spoil it for you, but it’s quite the twist so make sure to keep reading.

Joe Eiden
Annunciation, Minneapolis

Shame and modesty

A few thoughts prompted by last week’s pieces on pornography and swimsuit modesty (Pope Francis’ quote on 2B, and “Feminine, modest: A better swimsuit” in Commentary, June 16). In Genesis 2:25, we read that Adam and his wife were both naked and yet felt no shame. Just a few verses later we find them covering themselves and hiding from God. Why? Adam explains, ” I heard the sound of you in the garden and was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.” What caused this change? It was their encounter with the Father of Lies. Clearly the author of Genesis saw this shame as false and in no way God’s idea. Sadly, it has been passed down from generation to generation. Pornography capitalizes on our shame. It teases us with it. How else to explain people paying to watch someone else take off their clothes? Can you imagine striptease finding any market in one of the aboriginal cultures where nudity is the norm, where there is no shame in it? It is probably too late in the shame-game to ever return to Eden. But we should do our best not to instill this shame in our children. Yes, we must teach them modesty, but not because there is anything shameful about their bodies. Rather, it is a way to protect them in this fallen world.

Gary J. Mayer
St. Peter, Forest Lake

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