Homosexuality is not a choice

THE EDITOR: The television interview with The Right Reverend Calvin Bess demonstrates a total lack of understanding of the homosexual issue. Using tired Biblical quotations he condemned homosexuality as an “abomination”. Statistics differ as to the percentage of our population that is homosexual, but it is likely to be in the vicinity of at least 15 percent.

Using the Bible has become the favourite tool of those so-called Christians who seek to justify their prejudices and promote their hate with threats of damnation, the antithesis — as I was taught — of the teachings of Christ, who advocated love, compassion and forgiveness. But then, radical fundamentalism, of whatever persuasion, is increasingly becoming the norm for our society. We live in a sad and violent world, caused almost entirely by religious bigotry and intolerance. What wars have not been fought in the name of God? Religion’s “handbooks to heaven”, whether the Bible, Koran or Torah, are used as weapons to condemn and destroy anyone who disagrees. And the references are always so selective. Ignored are the passages that are now considered less than civilised, in particular, the subjugation of women, methods of revenge, forms of punishment for social transgressions or even what we eat. Pulling dubious quotes from the Bible, I thought, was more a cheap trick of the modern-day tele-evangelists or street orator than the theologically informed.

Homosexuality is not a choice. Condemning the homosexual as an “abomination” is as much justified as condemning the black man for the colour of his skin or those born with a physical or mental handicap. An indictment like this is not what I would expect from a responsible religious leader. Perhaps I can use my own Biblical quote: Judge not that ye may not be judged.

GEOFFREY MACLEAN
Cascade