Hypocrisy Lives!!

My local newspaper recently ran a letter to the editor which so inflamed my sense of right and wrong that I have felt obligated to respond. Below is part of the text of that letter form a "James Kestler" from High Point, NC.

"Government, courts infringe on Christians' rights to worship"

"The Democrats have been leaders in promoting homosexual rights, rights for a woman to abort(murder) her unborn child, and for same-sex marriage with man to man, and with woman to woman, which the Bible calls abomination. No amount of white washing can change that."

"The liberals carry to extreme the freedom of speech, even to the exclusion of many of our people. I'm speaking of the second clause of the First Amendment-prohibiting the free exercise thereof. Christians are being denied their right to practice their religion, with the OK from their government and their henchman-liberal judges."

There is more to his diatribe, but I think the gist is self evident.

The following is my letter to the editor of the High Point Enterprise in response to this hateful and vitriolic nonsense:


"I am writing in response to James Kestler's letter of Oct. 26, 2006 specifically and, generally, to the profusion of letters written to the Enterprise on the subject of the evils of gender and sexuality variance. I would make the observation that I have often read letters supporting and advocating homophobia innthis publication, but rarely have seen a letter defending the rights of those in the GLBT community. Does this show a bias on the part of the Enterprise regarding its selection of letters that will reach the local press?"

"Mr. Kestler asserts that the government has infringed upon Christians' rights to worship. I remind Mr. Kestler that the language of the first amendment guarantees the right to worship as one chooses but, equally, debars the federal government from endorsing any religious platform. I would further make the case that it is not within the federal government's bailiwick to pass or deny legislation of a religious nature. He should reread the first amendment and pay attention to the "Establishment" clause."

"Mr. Kestler is evidently confused in his interpretation of the second clause of the first amendment...just because Congress passes legislation on secular issues does not imply any denial of the right to practice ones' faith. The Bible is not an official U.S. document and carries no weight when it comes to legislation and to the judiciary's role of review."

"It is not apparent to me how the government or liberals, in their extreme interpretation of the freedom of speech, have prevented Mr. Kestler from practicing his faith. Nor is it apparent that any of his rights have been denied in any regard. He has not been forced to marry another man. What others do in their personal lives is neither his nor the government's business. When he says he is not free to practice his religion, what he really means is that he is not free to impose his religious values upon society at large."

"The hypocrisy in Mr. Kestler's diatribe is clear. He advocates his entitlement to civil rights while denying them to a subset of the American population. And, Mr. Kestler is evidently not alone in his elitist and exclusionary vision for this country. His vitriol belies everything the founding fathers understood as the spirit of their new country and it's constitution."

"Furthermore, my understanding of the teachings of Jesus evokes a compassionate and loving disposition, not one filled with hateful and judgmental rhetoric. His condemnation of the GLBT community as an abomination in the eyes of the Bible is not only not compatible with my understanding of spirituality, but is reprehensible to any sense of tolerance or true Christian belief. I suggest that Mr. Kestler and others of his ilk take a long look in the mirror of life and see if they can truly abide the hate living within. Their predilection for misogyny and homophobia are entirely appalling and represent what is really deviant in our world."

trickster108