Dear Editor,

There is a vast difference between tolerance and acceptance. Each of us lives, works, and conducts his business among people who are often very different than ourselves. There is difference in cultures, values, and beliefs. We certainly should treat one another with a certain respect and value as fellow human beings.

Recorded in the Bible, Jesus Christ tells the parable or the account of what is commonly known as the Good Samaritan. If you are not familiar with this, you can read it in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 10, verses 25-37. Jesus tells us this in answer to a question, “Who is my neighbor?” There was a man who was robbed, beaten, and left for dead. A priest and a Levite passed by and did nothing. The Samaritan came along, helped him, bound his wounds, and made sure he was taken care of. I suggest to you that in theory, this man could have been known to the Samaritan to be a homosexual, and one even with AIDS. But I ask, that in the helping of this desperately needy man, would that mean that the Samaritan or we ourselves would approve of his lifestyle and behavior? Certainly not. Romans chapter one is also in the Bible.

All people are in some sense equal in value. But all behavior is certainly not equal. As an example, if it were then parents wouldn’t care where their children went, what they did, and with whom they did it.

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in one instance that to deny two people of the same sex the right to marry is a violation of their rights. The fact is, two people of the same sex cannot marry, but it amounts to a pseudo marriage. The dictionary definition of pseudo is sham; false; spurious; pretended; counterfeit. And it quite well describes the wisdom of the Iowa Supreme Court in their decision. Once again, we have in effect,” legislation from the bench.”

The issue is not dictating people’s behavior. The issue is the great State of Iowa in its official capacity putting our affirmation and blessing upon behavior which is clearly unnatural, deviant, and perverse. The leadership of the majority party in the legislature thinks this is a good thing. They believe that it is extending civil rights to minorities.

There is an ideology that says that truth and morality change with the culture, and that man’s chief end is man. It seems to say that whatever makes us happy and feel good is to be the goal as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else.

Let me ask you, is the official recognition of the State of Iowa of same-sex, “marriage” a mark of cultural advance or decline? Will it be a building up of an orderly society or will it be a tearing down? Will it tend to strengthen the sacred institution of marriage or will it make a mock of it? What will be the implications to adoption agencies? What must children in our public schools be taught? We could go on and on.

Representative Betty De Boef referenced the book of Romans, chapter one, in the Bible. I would wish that all would read it carefully. It would answer a lot of questions about how our culture has declined so rapidly in these areas. Then I would urge all to read chapters 2 and 3 to see the blessed remedy to all of our needs personally and as a nation, summed up in chapter 3 and verse 24, “through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”

Brian Squiers

Tama