Does everyone deserve dignity and respect?

Craig James and Ted Cruz are taking all kinds of flak because they've dared to question Tom Leppert's wisdom in participating in a gay pride parade. My evidence is a sampling from some of the recent letters to the editor:

Joel Hale opines: "Most Christians would agree that all parades are full of sinners, so it's interesting to note that only sinners of the homosexual variety are being singled out." No, Joel, only sinners of the homosexual variety have the audacity to make their depravity the focus of a parade. Joel says even religious people can't agree on what is sinful. If God says it's a sin, doesn't matter whether we agree with Him or not -- it's a sin.

Howard Shapiro writes: "Members of the GLBT community, like all members of the community, deserve to be treated with dignity and respect." All members of the community? So I guess that means that if NAMBLA (that's the group that thinks homosexual activity with children is doing the child a favor) has a pedophilia pride parade, we should all rush to join in? And if a group of adulterers has a swingers pride parade, we should join in and commend them? And if we don't, we are being disrespectful?

John Igou writes: "I pray that someday they realize the bigoted views they hold can and do destroy lives and that they soon realize the error of their ways." I wonder if John includes the heavenly Father in that group, because He's the one who said homosexuality is an abomination. Maybe if John prays really hard he can get God to see the "error of his ways" and help Him to be less bigoted.

Ken Aten says that Jesus came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. I agree 100%, Ken. Ken says he has a hunch that the sinners were better company than the Pharisees. Ken has missed the point entirely -- Jesus dined with sinners to lead them to REPENTANCE -- not to convince the people that their sin was OK. I seriously doubt the queers would let Tom Leppert in their parade if he carried a "Repent" sign.

Diana Farrar writes: "I do not agree with the words of hatred, judgment and division that are consistently propagated by the Republican Party . . . read Micah 6:8 for a very brief synopsis of what living a Christian life is about. . . same-sex couples deserve equality." Well, first of all Diana, Micah was written to the Jewish people a long time before there were Christians. Though we can learn from it and the principles it lays down, it was not aimed at Christians. Second of all, Diana, if you'll read the first few chapters, they're about God's judgment on a disobedient people -- people who were engaging in gross sin such as idolatry and homosexuality. And lastly, Diana, what gives you the authority to proclaim good what God has called abomination and to call evil those who stand up for right?

You better be careful, Diana and Ken and John and Joel . . . you tread on dangerous ground when you pervert the Scripture.



"Sunday Letters." The Dallas Morning News; February 26, 2012; p. 3P.