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November 20th, 2008
To the Editor:
A number of misconceptions have arisen recently that need to be corrected.
First, there's the misconception that refusing to recognize homosexual marriage is akin to refusing to allow interracial marriage. In the eyes of the world, the two may be related, but not in the eyes of God. Nowhere in the Bible do we find that it is a sin for people of different races to marry. People who opposed interracial marriage did so simply out of prejudice, not because God says that it's wrong. However, God does condemn homosexuality (Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:18-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Secondly, there's the misconception that homosexual marriage is simply a matter of rights. Actually, it's a matter of morality. Some actions are immoral, and some are not. Murder is immoral; stealing is immoral; lying is immoral; adultery is immoral; sex outside of marriage is immoral; and homosexual activity is immoral. On what basis are they immoral? On the basis of the foundation of our traditional moral standards, the law of God.
Thirdly, there's the misconception that while Jesus was tolerant (i.e. Jesus would OK homosexual marriage), the apostle Paul was not (because in his letters Paul condemns homosexuality), therefore we can listen to Jesus but ignore the writings of Paul. Actually, Jesus said, "Don't think that I came to destroy the law, but to fulfill it." (Matthew 5:17) Jesus did not do away with the moral law (the 10 Commandments and their applications), and Jesus never condoned sin. For to condone sin is sin itself, and Jesus never sinned. Jesus also said to those He sent out (which includes Paul). "He who hears you hears Me, he who rejects you rejects Me, and he who rejects Me rejects Him who sent Me." (Luke 10:16) What Paul writes is the word of Jesus, and whoever rejects Paul's writings rejects Jesus who sent him.
Finally, there are misconceptions of where president-elect Obama stands on the issues of abortion and homosexual marriage.
There's the misconception that Obama opposes partial-birth abortion. He gave that impression in the third presidential debate when he stated that he does not support partial-birth or late-term abortion. The reality is that he not only doesn't oppose partial-birth abortion, but that he supports resumption of the practice in our country. Obama has promised to sign the Freedom of Choice Act, which was drawn up in opposition to the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003. The Freedom of Choice Act would allow partial-birth abortions to resume where the "health" of the mother is involved. Of course, the "health" of the mother can mean any mental or physical discomfort that she suffers, so the "health of the mother" exception clause in effect nullifies the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act and makes it only so much worthless paper. For those who are not aware of what partial-birth abortion actually is, it's a procedure used late in a pregnancy where the child is delivered except for its head. Its skull is then cut open and its brains are sucked out so that it can be delivered dead.
By the way, on the issue of abortion there's a video that I would direct your attention to. It can be seen at www.obamamustsee.com.
There's also the misconception that Obama opposes homosexual marriage. The reality is that he favors repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. DOMA, as it's called, states that the Federal government does not recognize same-sex marriage, nor are the states required to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states. Since the Defense of Marriage Act deals exclusively with denying the validity of homosexual marriage, there's no reason to favor repealing it if one actually opposes homosexual marriage.
Lastly, a word on tolerance. I know several people here in Fillmore who had "Yes on 8" signs stolen from their property. One lady had her sign stolen twice. My wife and I had a different experience. We had roofing nails placed under the tires of our vehicles. A $30 tire repair bill was the price we paid.
Rev. Leslie R. Lanier
Wayfarer's Chapel Lutheran Church
To the Editor:
I know this is a very trivial point but it has been driving me crazy for years so I need to speak out! Can we please let people know that we DON'T have a Shields Park or Shields Drive. We have Shiells Park and Shiells Drive. There is NO "D" just two ll's pleas people pronounce and spell it correctly!!!!
Thank you,
Amy Berger
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Dear Rev. Lanier, thank you
Dear Rev. Lanier, thank you for your letter. I cannot speak for the thousands that will review the Gazette's Letter thread, and read your interesting letter, however accept this as my opinion, if I may share it with you. First, I condone interracial marriages. I married a girl from the Philippines. I met her in Texas, and she was undergoing citizenship to the US at that time, in 1981. Although we "courted" for 5 years, and never, ever had premarital sex, we found our relationship beautiful and rewarding to this day. We could not be happier, and we have a handsome 15-year old son. I have seen many, many, other interracial couples happy. I have been around the globe and never see criticisms of interracial couples going together. There are few people and religions in and for themselves who make criticisms and outward nasty comments and severe restrictions to and about interracial marriages and of these couples, but really, it is no-body's business, less mine, and you are correct, to God and to the Bible's writs, nothing is stated.
However, homosexuality is basically, the nastiest style of life anyone can be into. I really don't understand it, never have, never will; and I have often discussed this with homosexual attorneys during my life, and they, themselves, cannot even justify it. They tell me it is matter of choice for them. Man-to-man, or woman-to- woman, it seems there is more than a human physical attraction at play here, for it must lie in a psychological, emotional and personality disorder type of thing. Anyway, I feel homosexuality is disgusting in any form, just as child pedophilia is. Gays in the military? I spent 29 years in the military and I would say emphatically, NO gays in the military. It's bad enough as it is, and the total mindset, emotionality, self-control,and personality profiles have to be strong enough to handle the severe pressures. Even married gays (same sex) having the rights to adopt young children; I cannot buy into this one, either.
Abortions can evolve from many situations. Rape, for one. So, the woman is impregnated. Depending on her age, could it not be better to have the child in a live-birth, and at least find a relative, friend, or adoption agency that would take the child, rather than to end its life? Remember...it was God who once said, "I knew you before you were born"...and although I'm Roman Catholic, sorry, I do not where that quote is in the Bible. Then, Incest. Same scenario; don't destroy the child's life, let it live, give birth and do the same result as in the first suggestion; adoption. Accident or illness of the mother is varied opinions, and probably left to the medical and theological experts, but in some cases, where death of the child or the mother is at hand, someone must take management control and make a decision. Malformation. Well, through amniocenteses and an amnioscope probe, it could be that there is something wrong with the child. There again, becomes a medical and parental decision. Most continue to have children, albeit malformation or Downs Syndrome, or some medical infraction that becomes apparent to the OB/GYN in their tests. It would be a hard decision to make for me, impossible, maybe, but decisions such as this are so acute, personal and emotional, it is difficult for me to conclude on this one. Seems to me, if gays do not get their way, they act out and dance in the streets, parade around in skimpy clothing, and act like the opposite sex than they really are, wave signs, flags and blow whistles. Too bad they did not have the mind of Lemmings...you know what they did once...
Sorry for your tire problem, Reverend Lanier. There are some people who go through life with quite a sordid, immature, and unfortunate view of people and life in itself, just because they are trying to make a statement on a political reference they don't like, rather than to use common sense and rationality. I had to comment, and sorry for the narration. I'll get over 2000 "points" for this one, if it were in the Blogs and Forums".
Oh, Gee...I did it again!
Oh, Gee...I did it again! The paragraph on abortions, a couple of sentences on OB/GYN's, I commented a few sentences on gays...that should not have been put in the abortion paragraph. Instead, it belongs to the gay paragraph. Sorry, Martin Farrell would NEVER hire me as a proofreader or editorial writer, that's for sure! Sorry for the error.
What a surprise, another
What a surprise, another long letter preaching hate and division from another local church leader. This time it’s Rev. Leslie R. Lanier from Wayfarer's Chapel Lutheran Church in Fillmore.
Rev. Lanier, along with most organized religion, is once again, on the wrong side of history when it comes to human rights. The latest attack is on people in California. Throughout history we have seen religion block marriage for a variety of reasons. Here are just a few:
People of different races
People of a particular race
People of different tribes
People of the same tribe
People of different religions
People that are infertile
People that are disabled
People of the same sex
People of different status (e.g. slave and free)
People of different socio-economic classes
My favorite statement by Rev. Lanier comes in her second paragraph “Some actions are immoral, and some are not. Murder is immoral; stealing is immoral; lying is immoral; adultery is immoral; sex outside of marriage is immoral; and homosexual activity is immoral. On what basis are they immoral? On the basis of the foundation of our traditional moral standards, the law of God.”
Ok Rev., let’s take a quick look at the moral standards and laws of God:
It always amazes me how many times this God orders the killing of innocent people even after the Ten Commandments said “Thou shall not kill”. For example, God kills 70,000 innocent people because David ordered a census of the people (1 Chronicles 21). God also orders the destruction of 60 cities so that the Israelites can live there. He orders the killing of all the men, women, and children of each city, and the looting of all of value (Deuteronomy 3). He orders another attack and the killing of “all the living creatures of the city: men and women, young, and old, as well as oxen sheep, and asses” (Joshua 6). In Judges 21, He orders the murder of all the people of Jabesh-gilead, except for the virgin girls who were taken to be forcibly raped and married. When they wanted more virgins, God told them to hide alongside the road and when they saw a girl they liked, kidnap her and forcibly rape her and make her your wife! Just about every other page in the Old Testament has God killing somebody. In 2 Kings 10:18-27, God orders the murder of all the worshipers of a different god in their very own church! In total God kills 371,186 people directly and orders another 1,862,265 people murdered.
The God of the Bible also allows slavery, including selling your own daughter as a sex slave (Exodus 21:1-11), child abuse (Judges 11:29-40 and Isaiah 13:16), and bashing babies against rocks (Hosea 13:16 & Psalms 137:9).
Modern organized religion will argue that marriage has been defined as only between a man and a woman. What they seem to forget is history. Homosexual marriages have been part of human and religious history for millennia. For example, a book by Yale Historian John Boswell demonstrates that Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches both sanctioned and sanctified unions between partners of the same sex. The churches used ceremonies which were very similar to conventional heterosexual ceremonies. The tomb of a same sex gay married couple named Niankhkhnum and Khnumhotep was discovered in 1964 in the necropolis of Saqqara, Egypt. The tomb dates to the Fifth Dynasty (circa 2,500 BC), and shows that homosexual marriages date back over 4 millennia.
There is nothing new about same sex marriage. In fact, people are people. Some black, some white, some rich, some poor, some gay, some straight. Instead of alienating people, the world would be a better place if we accept people for who they are.
Let’s all pray to stop the fear and hate and that Prop 8 is overturned by our state supreme court!
There is also nothing new
There is also nothing new about God being a "kind and gentle" God, is there? He is not. But, I always thought God was a "fair" God. I will never try or attempt to second-guess God's psychology...He is above all of us; or put myself in the place of having to figure out the mind and methods of our one true God, no matter what religious affiliation we gravitate to or born into. To attempt to even go there and analyze our God is, to me, a ridiculous and futile attempt to purvey our own convincing egocentric beliefs onto others. Reverend Lanier was college-educated, trained for years, and is a person of theology; if anyone is aware of what God's words are, he should be. Sorry to disagree with you in theory, Roberto. I do understand your points however. As a sidebar note, I studied in the past five years, religions and their views of God. Scientology, Catholicism, Judaism, Latter Day Saint's, Muslim, and a couple more Asian and ancient religions now melded into our current religions. I have to tell you this, in all of them, and some of these religions go back past the time of Jesus Christ, homosexuality in any form is forbidden by all churches (unless a person belongs to the affiliation that condones homosexuality).