Peter T: You write: "I severely doubt that the true Christian stance is that homosexuals are protected by the American Constitution."

To begin with, A Christian is, as the song Poor Wayfaring Stranger says, one who "travels through this world of woe." My citizenship, the citizenship of Christians, is not in this world, it is in heaven. Let me see if I can explain this a little better than I did in my last posting. To begin with, I live in a world where most of the people are not Christians. What then, do I do when I recognize that throughout history, even today, different sects of religions, Shiite and Suni's for example, whenever they get in power, tend to persecute the other, and strip them of their rights? John Locke wrote in his treatise of 1660 "A Letter Concerning Toleration" that true religion can never be coerced. If an apparent evangelist needs to force people to believe in his understanding of Christ's work, he has indeed violated the convert's conscience. In Paul's day, wherever he preached "some believed, and some believed not". May I ask you what you believe about civil rights of humans? No true religion can ever strip a person of his civic rights, or the rights that the State grants him.


To Katlaughing: I have read the book you mentioned, though not in it's entirety. The author makes a tragic mistake in his reasoning. The portion is where he scoffs at the idea that is written by the Apostle Paul in the first chapter of Romans where Paul writes: "(therefore) because (mankind) knew God (for his invisible attributes are clearly seen) they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful...(and) God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves...(giving) them up to vile passions. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." (Romans 1:18-27) There are difficulties in living a pure and holy life, but they are made possible by the receiving of the Holy Spirit. There is only one person who can live the Christian life, and that is Jesus Christ Himself; He will give Himself to anyone who wants to follow Him.