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Voice your Opinion! All submissions must include your major and year at Temple and a phone number or email address where you can be reached. |
In Response to Joseph Christian’s Oct. 18 Letter to the Editor
Dear Board of Editors:
After reading the letter by “Joseph Christian” (clever pseudonym, perhaps?), it is clear that this person has not learned anything valuable from his Christianity.
Firstly, Joseph declares, “Why does God not tolerate the homosexual lifestyle? It is because he is a holy God and a righteous God.” Joseph, I am sorry but your explanation does not address the original question you posed. If God were a holy and righteous God, He would not discriminate against the people that love Him. “Also, the Bible makes it clearly known that homosexuality is a sin that goes against God.” Again, this does not explain why God Himself does not tolerate the homosexual “lifestyle”, since God did not write the Bible.
Secondly, Joseph says, “It seems that many care more about their sexual preference then they do about their creator and savior Jesus.” I don’t think you understood the point of the articles at all. A person’s sexual preference is not associated with their love for God. In fact, it might surprise you that gays, just like straights, believe in God. That’s right. But I guess, “Joseph”, you’re too blinded by your “love” for God to embrace people different from yourself.
I do want to ask though: are you this passionate against other religions, races, ethnicities, cultures, or ideas? “Please open your eyes to what you are doing.” Perhaps you should heed your own advice, as it does seem as though you have never explored the world around you. I could suggest that you are also a bit insecure with yourself and are hiding behind scripture to validate your fears. Rest assured, Joseph, God sees beyond cowardice.
Erin Dyer
Junior
Applied Communication Sciences
Dear Board of Editors,
I’m writing in response to Joseph Christian’s anti-Gay Pride letter to the editors. First I would like to say, I appreciate your devoting a section of The Temple News to Gay Pride. I’m sure you had an idea that not everyone would be comfortable with that, for whatever silly reason. I’m glad you decided to go ahead with it anyway.
You would think, we as a modern society would be able to escape the Bible-humping thought process of a lot, but not all, Christian people. I was raised Catholic and went through 13 years of Catholic education. As a result, I’m no stranger to the Bible. The Bible, in theory, is a great book. It’s got a lot of valuable community strengthening metaphors if you choose to follow them. The reality though is, as helpful as the Bible can be to people; it truly is extremely problematic. It at times is more vague than not. This allows people to read into it and basically promote hate.
I don’t know Joseph Christian’s race but I wonder if he’s aware that the same Bible that he’s quoting to prove God’s stance on homosexuality was quoted to justify African-Americans being enslaved in the Civil War era. It was also used to justify segregation prior the Civil Rights movement. Regardless of his race, I would hope he’s capable of acknowledging that clearly segregation and slavery are horrible things, things that can’t and shouldn’t have been justified on any level.
Besides issues of race the Bible was used, and still is to a degree, to justify sexism in society and man’s so called “holy supremacy” over woman.
To quote the band Jawbreaker, “you can turn a phrase until it reads a million ways.” That’s exactly the problem with interpreting the Bible and his argument.
It’s truly ridiculous for him to try and justify his own personal homophobia with the Bible. It’s close-minded and ignorant. If for some reason he’s uncomfortable with the homosexual lifestyle, he should try to come to terms with that, find the origin of it, and possibly try and overcome it. Despite his faith, isn’t the idea of personal growth at all important?
Isn’t Christianity all about “do onto others as you would like done onto you”?
There are so many terrible double standards in the Christian mentality (generally said not specifically). I wonder when the ideas of tolerance and understanding were lost. It really seems like a shame to me.
R.J. Bernocco
Freshman
Film and Media Arts
Dear Board of Editors,
Although Joseph Christian has a right to his opinion, (even if I do believe it is wrong), I just felt compelled to respond to his letter because it seems as though it will breed hate and resentment among Temple students. I think a letter should be printed that supports gays and lesbians to balance out the hateful letter printed last issue.
God is a loving god (almost every religion says so) and She does not punish anyone who shows love, compassion, and respect to their fellow human beings. Sexual orientation does not matter. It bothers me when people use God as an excuse to promote hatred of a group of people, for God never said that we should force all people to believe the same things. You cannot force a straight person to become a homosexual; why would you want to force a gay or lesbian person to behave in a manner against their natures by threatening them with damnation in Hell?
Sure, people may use biblical quotes to say that God hates homosexuals and wants them to burn in Hell, but one can use the Bible to prove anything if one looks hard enough. Plus, the Bible isn’t exactly the most up-to-date piece of literature out there. Things have changed a lot in society since the birth of Jesus, if you haven’t noticed.
Bottom line: God loves all people, no matter what lifestyle they choose because She is very accepting and forgiving. This newspaper’s Gay Pride month feature was an excellent idea, and I support homosexuals 100%
(NOTE: I don’t want to offend anyone who doesn’t believe in God, so I apologize if I did.)
Jessica A. White
Journalism/French Major
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