But the fit of female and male genitalia does not lead me to conclude, as she does, that nature only smiles on heterosexual relationships, marriages and families.

Reproduction is not the only value that matters when it comes to blessing marriages and celebrating families.
The Hebrew Bible notes that God created humankind in the divine image, male and female, and blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it" (Genesis 1:27-28a). 

But reproduction run amok threatens our very life on this planet. I believe the still-speaking God has recently said: "Stop! Enough of filling the earth and subduing it. Mission accomplished! Now start taking better care of the Earth and of one another."

If marriage must of necessity lead to a baby carriage, as the old song would suggest, then of course we would never bless or sanction the marriage of couples who choose to remain childless, or to adopt their children; we would never legalize marriage between people past the age of childbearing.

Such a suggestion is offensive. So, too, is the suggestion that same-gender couples are not entitled to the civil rights and privileges of marriage simply because their genitalia don't fit together in a certain way.

Assembly Bill 43 - the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act - is indeed a civil rights issue. I urge your readers to consider it as such.

Marian Conning, Vacaville

The author is pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ in Vacaville.

June 17, 2006

Reporter Editor:

A letter writer ("Christians can't live as gays," The Reporter, June 15) outlines his Christian faith: Scripture as the literal word of God and the crucifixion as a blood sacrifice for human sin so that we may be forgiven and live forever with Jesus in heaven. I think that is a clear summary of what many Christians believe.

Progressive Christians, however, believe that the Bible, while filled with wisdom and divinely-inspired story, is a collection of human documents reflecting the ancient cultures out of which they came - thus the biblical biases against women and in favor of slavery.

We believe that it is our responsibility to use our God-given intelligence to take the Bible seriously through study and interpretation, but not necessarily to take it literally. (And let me note that as we study and interpret, we notice that the Bible says much more about what we should do with our money than it does about what we should do with our sexuality.)

We believe that the ongoing presence of Jesus among us calls us to work for justice within families, communities, nations, social structures and the environment.

We believe that the Holy Spirit enlivens our work for justice and peace.

Most of us believe that eternal life has more to do with a dimension of life, rather than with its duration.

As for Christians living as gays, we believe that a godly sexual ethic has more to do with how one treats one's partner than with the gender of the partner.

And finally, we believe that God is still speaking.

Marian Conning, Vacaville

The author is pastor of Amistad United Church of Christ in Vacaville.

June 17, 2006

Reporter Editor:

Sigh ... As the "false prophet" cited in a recent letter to the editor ("Christians can't live as gays," The Reporter, June 15), I would like to respond.

I couldn't help but think when reading this letter that its author would have fit right in with the Pharisees who condemned Jesus for eating and drinking with sinners.

As our church's guest speaker, Esera Tuaolo, said in his recent autobiography, "Alone in the Trenches, My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL": "Jesus loved everyone. He died on the cross for everyone not just for straight people, but for all people. Some Christians try to exclude some groups from the blood of Christ, but Jesus didn't."

One of the dictionary definitions of "liberal" is "kind, open hearted and generous." Oh for a world where those were the first words one thought of when hearing the word "Christian."

The God I know is in the words of the psalmist, "a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness." If that makes me a false prophet, so be it.

As we say at my church, "Whoever you are, where ever you are on life's journey, know that you are welcome in this church. Jesus welcomes you and so do we."

Jerry DeJong, Vallejo

The author is pastor of the First Samoan and Suisun Congregational United Church of Christ in Suisun City.

Reporter Editor:

The letter "Christians Can't Live as Gays" (The Reporter, June 15) written in response to Esera Tuaolo, a former NFL player who is a gay Christian, is sad and full of narrow-minded hate.

In the 2,000 years since the death of Jesus, we still don't get his message.

What possible difference could it make for two men, two women, or a man and a women to have a relationship and raise a family, such as the one Mr. Tuaolo describes.

His children are being raised learning love and respect for people of all faiths, sexual orientations and cultures. Isn't that the message Jesus brought us?

I don't think Jesus died for our sins. I think he died because the authorities in those days feared his message of love and respect.

I think he died hoping we would learn to live together no matter our status or position.

And in our world, if it takes legalizing marriage for all so all families receive equal protection, then let's do it.

I would much prefer to attend Mr. Tuaolo's church than the letter writer's.

John Working, Vacaville

June 23, 2006

Reporter Editor:

In response to the article about former NFL football player Esera Tuaolo ("Sharing his story," The Reporter, June 10) and subsequent letter to the editor, ("Christians can't live as gays," The Reporter, June 15): Evidently, the letter writer sees himself as the self-appointed expert on who can live as a Christian. He should examine his attitude about who can express Christian faith and realize that he is not the expert here and that no such person exists.

His self-righteous, fundamentalist attitude is the bane of Christianity.

Homosexuality has been with the world forever. It crosses every culture, race and religion, which only shows - as does reliable scientific data - that homosexuality is not a choice. It is who people are and the way God made them.

Think about it. What masochistic person in his right mind would choose to be gay in our homophobic world? And what day in the letter writer's life did he wake up and say to himself, "I think I'll choose to be a straight heterosexual man"? I doubt he ever did. It's simply who he is.

Many homosexuals are very gifted, artistic, sensitive people (think Cole Porter, Truman Capote, Elton John), which also proves God's love and blessings on them.

We should all try to remember that Christianity is about is non-judgmental love and acceptance for all of God's diverse people. And, by the way, I am a heterosexual female, although I can't for the life of me remember when I chose that for myself.

Joan Freer-Thor, Vacaville