Wednesday, January 21, 2004

Within a decade, gays will get equal rights

After reading Dr. Throckmorton’s column (“Howard Dean, biotheologian,” The Citizen, Jan. 14, 2004) I was left to wonder as to his intended purpose of the column.

He started out by quoting Mr. Dean’s answer to a reporter’s question about his view of homosexuality. Mr. Dean said, “The overwhelming evidence is that there is a very significant, substantial genetic component to homosexuality. From a religious point of view, if God had thought homosexuality is a sin, he would not have created gay people.”

Dr. Throckmorton then went to great lengths to ridicule Howard Dean’s personal theology. Why would he attack a man’s personal theology? Mr. Dean wasn’t giving a speech or writing an open letter to the public but merely stating his view of homosexuality in response to a reporter’s question.

Therefore, I’m left with only two reasons for why Dr. Throckmorton wrote the column. The first was to discredit Howard Dean because he openly criticizes President Bush at all levels.

However, I believe the main reason was a veiled attempt to have us believe that the Bible shows that God really does not like gay people and is ready to punch their first-class tickets to hell.

I suppose if you believe that to be Scriptural truth, then in the minds of well-meaning Christians, it might justify their un-Christian behavior.

In this country, you have every legal right to keep those you don’t like out of your church (I will leave the moral issue between you and God). However, you don’t have the legal right to deny them equal rights under the law and that is where all of this is going.

Anybody that is a student of history of this great country knows that America eventually “gets it right.” It will be a heated and sometimes ugly process, but we know how to correct ourselves. We have the freedom of speech that ultimately shines the light of truth on all things. You can count on equal rights under the law for our gay and lesbian citizens before the end of this decade.

I know that thought causes many to cringe. The thought of equal rights for our African-American citizens did the same thing to racists some 40 years ago. It is just old-fashioned prejudice raising its ugly head. There is no need to worry because we can all overcome prejudice.

At the end of the article, Dr. Throckmorton comes to the opposite conclusion than Howard Dean, “Apparently then God does not make people gay.” It is strange that he becomes such an expert since no one has been able to prove or disprove that homosexuality is genetic.

The sad fact is that religious prejudice will always trump emerging science that is contrary to the Bible. Let us not forget that the church imprisoned and almost executed Galileo for claiming that his studies led him to the conclusion that the earth was not the center of the universe. The church leaders attacked his credibility by quoting a verse from the book of Joshua to prove that the earth was in fact the center of the universe. Who still believes that to be true?

In the end, I think the real question that would be the litmus test for all of us would be: If God himself told you that he created some of his children straight and some gay for His own reasons, would that really change how you feel and treat homosexuals? Unfortunately for our family, which includes a gay son, I think I know the real answer.

Jeff Ellis

www.familyacceptace.com