Inbox

Visions of the Hereafter
Jon Meacham’s article attempts to paint our understanding of heaven as undergoing a new set of changes [“Heaven Can’t Wait,” April 16]. He fails to note, however, that many Christian denominations like the Catholic Church have long taught that the kingdom of heaven encompasses not just the afterlife but also the future earthly ideal that Christians are to be striving toward temporally. The kingdom of heaven is also understood to transcend the here and now. So perhaps a more accurate thesis for the article would be that modern culture is not revolutionizing our concept of heaven so much as it is rediscovering what the faithful have believed for centuries.
Jerry Weis,
Harrison Township, Mich., U.S.

Your story says 85% of Americans believe in heaven. That’s incredible. They think of heaven as quiet and peaceful, with no need to do anything. Sounds pretty dull to me. What do you do with all of that free time? And it goes on forever and ever!
Marc Herbert,
Walnut Creek, Calif., U.S.

Youth Economy
This great scourge of youth unemployment is clearly a persistent international problem [“The Jobless Generation,” April 16]. So why not some international solutions? For instance, create a worldwide, youth-only economic zone — a free market for specified goods and services provided by and sold to young people everywhere. Picture a vibrant parallel economy. By working together, young people might circumvent the severe local barriers they face and become meaningful economic players.
John Haslette,
Bielsko-Biala, Poland

Democracy in the Middle East
In his article “A Region at War with Its History” [April 16], Fareed Zakaria has mistaken the entire concept of democracy in the Middle East. This is an area where religion is of paramount importance to its people; religious parties will inevitably gain a lot of support, and there is absolutely nothing undemocratic about that, as long as the people are granted their freedom from tyranny and majority. We must remember that the people of the Middle East did not rebel against their governments for Western democracy but for freedom.
Yash Chainani,
Singapore

Zakaria’s essay on the struggle of democracy’s survival in the Middle East is enlightening. But I wonder why today’s “democracy deficit” is attributed to historical economic reasons and not, at least in part, to the lack of education of the masses. For centuries, the ignorant commoners prayed, worked and fought for the elite. They had no independent say and did not claim it. What’s happening in Egypt today is a repeat of history. The illiterate masses shouted for liberty but voted mindlessly for the Muslim Brotherhood. It will take a few generations before an educated public will play a defiant role in society and will have constructive opinions beside their faith.
Samih A. Sherif,
Montreux, Switzerland

Confused Conservatism
Conservatives on both sides of the Atlantic are in crisis because they have forgotten what conservatism is about [“Seeking the Right Way to Win,” April 16]. Edmund Burke’s idea of conservatism in the 18th century was a disposition toward slow, organic change rather than risk revolutionary upheaval. The Republicans today are progressives who pursue the ideal of minimal government with zeal. They support unconservative ideas like foreign military intervention. On the other hand, Tory support for gay marriage is not necessarily unconservative, because this view has spread among the British public in a slow, organic way and has now reached a critical mass. There seems to be little that either party can learn from the other, but they could learn some consistency.
Aaron Soans,
Melbourne

Icy Conception
Jay Newton-Small’s article on sperm donation, though very informative, gave me chills [“Frozen Assets,” April 16]. How can an industry with possibly frightening repercussions be allowed to carry on without airtight regulations? Spread of genetic diseases, question of parental rights and risk of incest are all very serious concerns.
Maryam Ashfaq Hussain,
Karachi

A Stomach for Tripe
You posed the question “Does anybody really like tripe?” to which the chef Alain Ducasse replied that “it’s pretty much only the French and the Chinese” [“10 Questions,” April 23]. I would like to add that tripe is considered a delicacy here in Cork. It is traditionally eaten with a type of blood pudding made with sheep’s intestine filled with meal and a mixture of sheep’s and cow’s blood. Enjoy.
Richard O’Halloran,
Cork, Ireland