By: Rod Swift
Re: Love The Sinner debunked

I just thought that you all might benefit from this thorough and complete
debunking of the ideology that Ken spreads here about loving the sinner
but hating the sin...

... the best bit is that the letter is from a devout Christian, claiming
that Christians have no right to claim that they know what love is about.

Rod "...enjoy!" Swift :)

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THE STOCKTON RECORD, MARCH 10, 1997
530 E. Market St.,Stockton,CA,95202

Arguments are indefensible

Elma Mae Henderson's letter published Feb. 22 brought to light yet
another way in which sexually diverse people can be discriminated
against in the name of Christian love. Henderson clearly is not
mean-spirited. I believe she really doesn't wish ill on anyone.

owever, the view she takes is one that is often used by Christians
to put people who do not fit their standard of normal into a morally
justifiable closet when there is absolutely no legitimate, intellect-
ually defensible way, even spiritually, to do so. The essence of the
discrimination is still ignorance of who the people really are, what
they represent as human beings, and what they deserve in the way of
basic human rights in a supposedly free society.

This "love the person and hate the sin" approach is fundamentalist
in nature, and fundamentalism is generally viewed by many scholars,
spiritual and otherwise, as lacking in common sense and defensibility
either from a theological or humanistic standpoint. If one believes
that God is all-powerful, all-good and the prime spiritual power in
the universe, and that God is the prime element in the creation of
life, then one cannot logically or morally conclude that another's
expression of love can be faulted. Procreation is not the primary
function of love. Love is the primary function of love. Putting
other conditions on it is spiritually and intellectually invalid.

Love produces its own products and benefits, which have no dependence
or bearing whatsoever on secular conditions generated by the narrow
mind of mankind.

Elaine Albertson
Stockton
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