Your views: Readers' letters

Hospital art

It is nice that Fiona Donne and her husband have been donating paintings to various hospitals (letter, November 15) and unfortunate that they have issues with the Whanganui DHB.

Art, however, is in the eye of the beholder. I happened to be in the bed area at WAM a couple of weeks ago, and on the wall facing the beds was an artwork depicting purple, yellow and green circle-like forms, splashed with copious dollops of blood-coloured red.
Straight away I thought that if I had been there with an upset stomach, one look at that picture would have made me fear the worst.

It reminded me of when I was a child, sick in bed staring at the — then in vogue — patterned wallpaper. The patterns would turn into shapes, and then into scary monsters etc.

I would have been happier staring at a blank wall.

So my point is that sometimes blank walls are more therapeutic and helpful to the healing process
.
DOUG PRICE
Castlecliff

Old question

Your correspondent Paul Evans asked a question with regard to Christians believing the "consecrated host" is the "body of Christ". He asked if this makes them cannibals when they take "Holy Communion"?

Funnily enough, pagan Romans of the first and second centuries asked the same question of and about Christians, and for the same reasons.

The answer given them would be the same answer for Paul Evans. Simply put, no, it doesn't.

K A BENFELL
Gonville

Prison payback

I write in reply to Grey Woodcock's letter of November 13.

He asks why inmates are not made to literally pay for their crimes.

A number of years ago, as prison chaplain, I came up with a scheme to do just that.
What if the convicting judge gave the offender a monetary target to work for? The length of his sentence would be of the offender's making. "Earn and pay, and then you can go free."

Then one day an inmate said to me, "You say that Jesus died for my sins, and I accept that, so why can't I go home now?" It is true that in church we are told that we are made right with God by our faith. "Faith alone", says the preacher.

But what is faith? It is not some simple acceptance of some truth. You have faith when you are, in fact, faithful. The old song of Billy Graham days says, "Trust and obey, for there's no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey."

TOM PITTAMS
Whanganui

Christmas bears

I was very pleasantly surprised today, upon paying for a few cards and a book, at Whitcoulls.

They said I could buy a soft bear with a friendly face for $10 and donate it on my till slip to the Children's Ward at the Whanganui Hospital.

No contest! What child stuck in hospital at Christmas would not love such a toy to cuddle? I still have my own teddy (so well-loved that he has lost most of his fur after 74 years or so in various cupboards but now out again) and know how important such a pal can be when you are seriously ill.

Congratulations to someone for coming up with an idea like this.

Perhaps the bears might also find good homes in the wards with very elderly patients who are hospitalised for long periods of time?

ANNE RAVN
Fordell

Easter Sunday

I am delighted that the shops in Wanganui will not be opening on Easter Sunday.
Thank you, Whanganui District Council. Well done!

JENNY WHITLOCK
Whanganui East

Library charge

Would somebody on the district council explain why, if I take out a library book in large print, there is no charge?

I read approximately a book per week, which means, because of large print, I don't contribute $26 per annum to the city funds, which seems a bit ludicrous to me.
I would be interested to know the reasoning.

On an entirely different subject, I do not walk on the Avenue footpath from London St to Plymouth St (either side) because the surface is too dangerous.

What should be a showcase entrance is an absolute disgrace.

P SMITH
Wanganui