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.