July 1, 1995
Letters to The Editor, San Mateo Times
P.O. Box 5400, San Mateo, CA 94402

Editor:

In a letter (June 27) asking whether homosexuals are Christians, Harry Berg quotes overused biblical passages on forbidden relations, and selective penalties for various sins, from Leviticus -- the Holiness Code, originating in earlier Hebrew writings.

When Rev. Lou Sheldon promises swift execution of gays in his "kingdom of God", we know exactly what he means; Berg isn't saying. Readers already know these passages would have force of law in an Iran-style religious dictatorship. "Homosexuals shall not inherit the kingdom of God," Berg cites, concluding, "Who said God loves homosexuals?"

The term 'homosexual' wasn't originally used in Corinthians as cited, but was coined in the 20th Century. Real religious scholars might be able to show how the Bible could help us interpret some related contemporary issues:

1. hiding behind one's religion
2. imposing one's beliefs upon others
3. promoting prejudice and bigotry
4. class judgments against individuals
5. "moral monopoly" political sectarianism
6. convenient Biblical literalism

The command to love one's neighbor is found in Leviticus (19.18). Most Christians loathe appropriation of the Bible to preach an orthodoxy of persecution and illegal violence. Most people see letters like this as thinly-disguised hatemongering, and why shouldn't they?

This kind of class defamation is now being used in eastern Europe to justify class warfare and "ethnic cleansing". In America, Lou Sheldon and his ilk promote political fear and profound ignorance, exploiting rabid cells of righteous brown-shirts to dirty their hands, hearts and reputations with this creepy, un-American business of "fag-baiting" and specifically anti-gay target group legislation.

The biblical reference to the "curse of Ham" (Gen. 10.6-14) has been used to legitimatize racism and slavery, too. One should ask if substitution of "African" for "homosexual", in a letter such as Berg's, might have been an acceptable class judgment. Who says Christ preached intolerance?