All right! Enough is enough! I've been reading this "discussion" ad-nauseam concerning "homosexual sin or no sin."

First of all to you in the "gay lifestyle," does it really make any difference what an "old-fashioned thinker" or a Christian or for that matter God really thinks? Would it change your behavior? Do you really care if there is a heaven or a hell or a judgment or eternal life? If not, why worry about it?

For some discussion contributors, perhaps using a Bible or Internet Bible research for the first time, (only my assumption) to suggest that 1. homosexuality is not a sin and 2. all Christians are sinners, bigots, and hypocrites, I too at least partially agree with you.

Let me answer item 2. first. There isn't a single person on this planet who can guarantee the validity of any "church-goers" relationship with God. It would be "Pollyanna" to believe that worship services are filled 100 percent with believers. It would be just as silly to believe that even those who do have a right relationship with God are perfect or infallible. Quite frankly the local church has its fair share of bigots and hypocrites and I was tempted at this point to try to defend the local churches with all their foibles but decided to just say it's a "human institution" and leave it at that!

More importantly though is the fact that EVERY Christian inside EVERY Christian church EVERYWHERE in the world knows they are a sinner! They've admitted it and not passed it off as anything but a sin! And they have realized their only hope for victory, if desired, is through Jesus. But, beyond what society would determine to be "normal" Christian moral behavior, a recent opinion piece suggested that our list of sins should be much longer.

A recent "My Turn" column additionally suggested (?) that the moral standard that we Christians thought we were being measured against included a few extra sins we weren't aware of. The article suggested that Christians should abstain from certain foods and that even touching these foods was considered to be a sin. This is correct for the Jews according to the dietary laws in Leviticus Chapter 11 of the Old Testament. However, if the writer of the "My Turn" article was to continue his due diligence he would have found in Acts Chapter 10 of the New Testament (I would give you the verses but context is always important) that Peter, a Jew, received new directions concerning "clean vs. unclean."

What needs to be conveyed to readers involved in these discussions, especially those digging into the Bible for the first time, is that when Christ came in the New Testament He fulfilled much of the Old Testament requirements. To do justice to the requirements of the OT you have to look to the NT to see how a particular subject is spoken to. Often Christ has fulfilled a requirement of the law, often He gives a whole new meaning or perspective to a command or a promise, and often He simply reinforces His position as stated in the Old Testament.

Hence, we come to item 1. Unfortunately the homosexual (correctly noted this word is not in the Bible therefore not in the concordance therefore no Bible reference to homosexuality, does that make you feel better?) lifestyle is not one of those that Christ sought to alter. He did however, choose to reinforce His feelings about that particular sin in Romans Chapter 1. Again read it for context. Now, let me state, although not a homosexual, you will see that many other sins, including mine, are also covered by Romans 1. The difference between the "propaganda" of the LGBT and the truth is sin is a reality to ALL people, whether you're willing to admit or not. To deny it is simply... denial!

Unfortunately the reading community, I believe, is seeing the Christian community as trying to rain down fire and brimstone on the homosexual community. The truth is Christians should be seeing the homosexual (singular) as a sinner worthy of grace and the homosexual should see himself or herself as a sinner worthy of grace...Just as Christ does!

Charlie Zeits is a Hayden resident.