Letters

Threading a Solid Line

Kelly Brown Douglas’ article “How Evangelicals Became White” (April 2018) is fascinating. I have studied colonial American history and American religious history, and it’s clear that Douglas threads a solid line through our nation’s heritage. In a single article, it’s impossible to widen a line that encompasses hundreds of years beyond a well-presented opinion, but it is possible to present a thesis that causes the reader to think, pause, and perhaps look further into the topic. Douglas does this.

Brett Watson
New Castle, Delaware

Don’t Forget Oregon

I greatly appreciated Cathy Lynn Grossman’s article “Wrestling with the Angel of Death” (April 2018). I have long been a supporter of this end-of-life option. However, Grossman left out an important piece of information. She failed to mention Oregon in the list of states allowing medically assisted suicide. Oregon was one of the first states to adopt this option and did so back in 1994 by ballot. Various groups have tried to get this “death option” repealed, but Oregon reaffirmed its commitment to medically assisted suicide in 1997 with the “Death with Dignity Act.” As an Oregonian, I am proud of this state’s progressive stance on this highly debated issue. As a pastor, I do not hesitate to offer this option to terminally ill patients. We do not have the option to choose life (birth) but, except for war, accident, and violence, we can choose when and how we transition from this life to the next. I believe that grace abounds, even when we choose to drink the hemlock.

Curt McCormack
Keizer, Oregon