Latest news with #ReadingEagle
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2 days ago
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Letter: Death penalty is in keeping with principles of Bible
I'm writing in response to 'The time to end the death penalty in Pennsylvania is at hand' (Reading Eagle, May 31). While one sympathizes with Vicki and Sylvester Schieber, whose daughter died at the hands of a serial rapist, their opposition to the death penalty may have been grounded in the teaching of the Catholic Church, but it was not based on the Bible. If anything, it is not capital punishment that is 'an assault on human dignity' (Pope John Paul II), but murder itself; it is because life is sacred and people are made in the image of God that he called for the death penalty in Genesis 9:6 ('Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed'), just after he had destroyed the world by a flood because 'the earth was filled with violence (Genesis 6:11).' The intent of the regulations in the Law of Moses was to see to it that justice was done. If restitution was possible — as in the case of robbery or neglect — it was demanded; if not, the penalty was death. When a killing was premeditated (Exodus 21:14), or a rape was committed (Deuteronomy 22:25), there was no way someone's life or virginity could be restored, so the death of the perpetrator was required. The apostle Paul in his explanation of the role of human government (Romans 13:1-7) stated that ruling authorities do not 'bear the sword in vain (verse 4); he is, in fact, 'God's minister,' an instrument in God's hand to 'execute wrath on him who practices evil.' Greg Wasser Colebrookdale Township
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2 days ago
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Renovations underway for 117-year-old pagoda in Pennsylvania
(WHTM) — Renovations are underway for a historic, 117-year-old pagoda in Pennsylvania. According to the pagoda's website, the 117-year-old pagoda located atop Mount Penn in Reading is being renovated in a broader effort to enhance the structure and the surrounding Skyline Drive Park. The pagoda's website says construction crews will install a new HVAC system, electrical system, and plumbing systems to meet code requirements to reopen to the public. The site says cosmetic fixes will also be done to the interior and exterior, including paint, wood refinishing, and restoring other details. Renovation began on April 1 and is planned to be finished in October 2025. The project cost $4.8 million, awarded by the American Rescue Plan Act and unspent 2024 capital improvement funds, the site added. The Reading Eagle recently reported that unexpected gaps were found in the pagoda's stone foundation. Workers will inject lime-based grout to fill some of the holes in the foundation, then the grout will level out and fill in the rest of them. According to the Berks History Center, the Reading Pagoda was first erected in 1908 as a hotel for a luxury resort, however the plans for the resort were abandoned, but the building remained and became a monument of the City of Reading. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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3 days ago
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Letter: Interviews offer key insights on reforming criminal justice
Here are a few observations about the criminal justice system after reading 'Inside look' (Reading Eagle, May 25). The people interviewed did us a favor by sharing insights on how they lost their way in life. One said he received little to no moral guidance from his 'checked out' parents and then realized he lacked the moral authority to guide his own offspring. He then decided to change and receive help in getting that to happen. Congratulations to him for mentoring youth in the fundamentals of life and showing them a better way. Thanks to Real Church, Connections Work, Treatment Court and employers willing to risk hiring those on the edge, opportunities do exist. I have found over the decades that most who work in the system do care and offer their best, though sadly there are a few exceptions. Until the person fears consequences and prison enough to want internal change, many good opportunities will fall short. Due to COVID-19 prisons cut back on programming like Yokefellowship Prison Ministry, in which volunteers entered weekly to model and teach good living. They have not been invited to reenter and resume their successful outreach. All good efforts locally and statewide deserve an open door to serve all of us for a better, safer, godly future. This report reminds us how our influence, good and bad, impacts all of us, like a stone sending ripples on the surface of a quiet lake. Psalm 1 gives good advice for today. John Rush Cumru Township
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29-05-2025
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Letter: Corrupt corporation at root of so many veterans' plights
Those who serve in the military take an oath to support and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. 'Nothing easy about all this' (Reading Eagle, May 26) aptly notes that for many Vietnam veterans the domestic enemies were the most formidable. Dow Chemical reaped huge profits and bears responsibility for years of suffering and painful deaths for veterans. The defoliant Agent Orange was sprayed directly into areas occupied by our troops. No scientific studies were required before its utilization. As the article noted, surviving the rigors of combat was only the beginning of a tortuous existence for veterans who contracted deadly diseases. Dementia has occurred for many who were 'lucky' enough to survive until midlife. Veterans who visit long-term care facilities see the excruciating impact corporate America has had on their brothers in arms. Dow and other companies made a fortune at the expense of our troops. Those lucky enough to come out of the jungle alive sometimes faced another impediment. Many were charged with petty offenses that resulted in a less than an honorable discharge. Only later did the reason become obvious. Veterans who received a general discharge were ineligible for health benefits when they reentered civilian life. Vietnam presented a myriad of challenges, both foreign and domestic, for so many young Americans. Jay N. Abramowitch Wyomissing
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28-05-2025
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Letter: There's no need for debate about antisemitic protests
'Definition debate' (Reading Eagle, May 15) in essence disputed accusations of antisemitism in the anti-Israel protests at American universities. Among the chants at those protests is the phrase 'globalize the intifada.' This is commonly heard at these events (which are not quite as peaceful as the article portrayed), and last week we saw what 'globalize the intifada' really means when a man calling out 'free Palestine' shot and killed two Israeli embassy workers in cold blood. One of them was a 25-year-old Jewish American citizen. The article implied that the protests are peaceful. At Columbia University and UCLA (among many other schools), Jewish students were harassed and prevented from accessing parts of the campus. In many cases the protests and encampments were in violation of campus rules. Buildings were illegally occupied. Calling these protests peaceful reminds me of the reporting on 'mostly peaceful protests' in 2020 with burning buildings in the background. I don't believe most of the protesters are Jew haters, but many of the organizers most definitely are. Organizations such as CU Apartheid Divest at Columbia and Students for Justice in Palestine nationwide promote Hamas talking points, and many protesters wear Hamas symbols. I found the article to be profoundly disingenuous. Philip Pomerantz Wyomissing
