Letters: Christianity's dubious offer to gays

Richard Lucas (Letters, 27 May) eloquently, if inadvertently, demonstrates the point of my previous letter (26 May). Christianity has nothing to offer gay people. His uncompromising stance is that a gay person must stop being gay, or be celibate, if they are to enjoy the dubious privilege of an eternity of boredom in the company of his disapproving God.

Lucas's claim that people have changed their orientation is mere anecdote, with no objective proof. Some of these "ex-gays" have later been caught with their pants down - literally - with persons of the same gender.

In the most advanced (that is, least religious) countries, the most Mr Lucas's faith can offer gays is a patronising tolerance if they remain celibate. In countries where his religion has free reign, it offers the prison cell, the lynch mob and the machete.

The one thing biblical Christianity can never offer gay people is acceptance as they are.

(Dr) Stephen Moreton

Marina Avenue

Warrington, Cheshire

Promoting the printed Bible as the inviolable "word of God" is a tantalising argument, given that the book is largely historical, with not that many direct divine proclamations.

Assuming the reference to be essentially to the commandments passed on through Moses, and including such prohibitions as boiling a kid in its mother's milk, it must be remembered that these were directed at early Israelites, not Christians, nor indeed those of any other persuasion.

At all events, belief in the absolute truth of biblical terminology would surely have to be tempered by the fact of its repeated editing and translation from one ancient language to another on its way to modern English.

This suggests to me ample scope for misunderstanding far beyond the scale of the fabled despatch from battlefront to HQ: "Send three and fourpence: we're going to a dance."

Robert Dow

Ormiston Road

Tranent, East Lothian

We should not be surprised at the amount of prejudice, bigotry and discrimination that still exists within the Christian church if the views expressed by Michael Kelly (Perspective, 26 May) and Richard Lucas represent its teachings.

If they must believe in a God, could they not at least credit him with some intelligence and the ability to show more compassion and tolerance to the humans they claim their God created?

I understood their bible claimed man was made in God's image. It is obvious that they have created a God in their own image. They must change their views and their God will follow.

Jim Carson

Larchfield

Balerno, Midlothian