July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Taking issue with Lillard opinion
Letters to the editor
To the editor:
I am responding to Friday's guest opinion in The Commercial Review by Daniel Lillard, formerly of Pennville. I commend him for a well-written letter. However, I have to disagree with his reasoning.
First, I found it interesting that he, at 50 years of age and living in Chicago, should be so concerned with whether or not Jay County should have a Gay-Straight Alliance for our young people.
Many in the area have heard there was to be such an organization as a part of the high school. This would be an advocacy group. My thesaurus gives many terms under "advocate." It means to speak in favor or, to back, to lend one's name to, to champion, etc. So we know it is no accident Mr. Lillard is involving himself in the issue, because he says right up front he is gay. Still, I didn't find his reasoning to be of such magnitude as to draw interest from Chicago.
His first point was that our world is changing, therefore we need to keep up. I don't think parents are trying to shield their children from diversity, but to protect them from people with views that destroy the values they have instilled in their children. When he addresses diversity he includes "persons with various sexual preferences," alongside people of different races and religions. That may apply to religion, but as to race, you can't choose that.
He informs us that gays are out there now, "self-confident, open about being gay, and demand inclusion." Personally, I think words like demand turn people off.
His next point concerned bullying. I had bullying, ridiculing and name-calling. They are usually done by cowards, accompanied by their buddies. However, most kids get teased and called names. But the teacher who called him a "sissy" should have been reprimanded.
The dragging up of the gay teen, Matthew Shepard (who was killed in Wyoming in 1998), is expected in spite of the fact that none I've heard of in the past 11 years have been killed. It was a tragedy, but doesn't warrant an "urgent need for action."
Point four pointed out that if we had a friendlier, more comfortable atmosphere for gays to come out, we could retain more of our talented graduates in Jay County.
It's my belief that they go to cities not just for jobs, but so they can assimilate into the city where they aren't known. A place where they can "hide out," as it were.
This might be a good place to add a personal story from my family. You see, I have a beloved niece in another state who is a lesbian. We all adore her, but she has broken the hearts of her parents. She left their sizable city for one of half a million. She lives there with another lesbian. She will never give them grandchildren.
I also want to address the conversation Mr. Lillard had with his pastor in 1994. He says the pastor told him since he had come out as gay, he would not be permitted to hold any office at his church. I'm sorry it happened while it was in the hospital, but the pastor had every right to make this clear. I noted the pastor didn't tell him he couldn't come to church, just that he couldn't hold an office.
His last point was that expecting gays to marry a person of the opposite sex leads to divorce.
Heaven knows we have enough divorce among Christians as well as non-Christians, but I doubt this raises the rate that much.
My belief that homosexuality is wrong is grounded in my Christian values, but there are other reasons. It is just plain unhealthy. Our bodies weren't made for these practices.
God made our bodies to fit together, male to female. But do you hear admonitions from gay groups informing them for their own good? No, if you suggest that such unhealthy practices promote HIV, you are homophobic. It is no accident that it is so unhealthy; it's against God's plan for his people.
I know advocates of gays reject the scriptures which address this. They claim God's love is more important than old laws. They say, "it's not in red letters, therefore Jesus didn't say it.
However, in the first chapter of John it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God ... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth." That is Jesus. He authored all of the word.
We don't need gay adults telling our youth who may be struggling with their sexuality at a vulnerable time that it's O.K. Leave the direction to their parents, church youth leaders and pastors. We don't need a Gay-Straight Alliance in Jay County, especially in our high school.
The upcoming concert (Oct. 24) by Ray Boltz, a former gospel singer now out of the closet, is a fundraiser and kickoff for the GSA.
Linda Peters
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
I am responding to Friday's guest opinion in The Commercial Review by Daniel Lillard, formerly of Pennville. I commend him for a well-written letter. However, I have to disagree with his reasoning.
First, I found it interesting that he, at 50 years of age and living in Chicago, should be so concerned with whether or not Jay County should have a Gay-Straight Alliance for our young people.
Many in the area have heard there was to be such an organization as a part of the high school. This would be an advocacy group. My thesaurus gives many terms under "advocate." It means to speak in favor or, to back, to lend one's name to, to champion, etc. So we know it is no accident Mr. Lillard is involving himself in the issue, because he says right up front he is gay. Still, I didn't find his reasoning to be of such magnitude as to draw interest from Chicago.
His first point was that our world is changing, therefore we need to keep up. I don't think parents are trying to shield their children from diversity, but to protect them from people with views that destroy the values they have instilled in their children. When he addresses diversity he includes "persons with various sexual preferences," alongside people of different races and religions. That may apply to religion, but as to race, you can't choose that.
He informs us that gays are out there now, "self-confident, open about being gay, and demand inclusion." Personally, I think words like demand turn people off.
His next point concerned bullying. I had bullying, ridiculing and name-calling. They are usually done by cowards, accompanied by their buddies. However, most kids get teased and called names. But the teacher who called him a "sissy" should have been reprimanded.
The dragging up of the gay teen, Matthew Shepard (who was killed in Wyoming in 1998), is expected in spite of the fact that none I've heard of in the past 11 years have been killed. It was a tragedy, but doesn't warrant an "urgent need for action."
Point four pointed out that if we had a friendlier, more comfortable atmosphere for gays to come out, we could retain more of our talented graduates in Jay County.
It's my belief that they go to cities not just for jobs, but so they can assimilate into the city where they aren't known. A place where they can "hide out," as it were.
This might be a good place to add a personal story from my family. You see, I have a beloved niece in another state who is a lesbian. We all adore her, but she has broken the hearts of her parents. She left their sizable city for one of half a million. She lives there with another lesbian. She will never give them grandchildren.
I also want to address the conversation Mr. Lillard had with his pastor in 1994. He says the pastor told him since he had come out as gay, he would not be permitted to hold any office at his church. I'm sorry it happened while it was in the hospital, but the pastor had every right to make this clear. I noted the pastor didn't tell him he couldn't come to church, just that he couldn't hold an office.
His last point was that expecting gays to marry a person of the opposite sex leads to divorce.
Heaven knows we have enough divorce among Christians as well as non-Christians, but I doubt this raises the rate that much.
My belief that homosexuality is wrong is grounded in my Christian values, but there are other reasons. It is just plain unhealthy. Our bodies weren't made for these practices.
God made our bodies to fit together, male to female. But do you hear admonitions from gay groups informing them for their own good? No, if you suggest that such unhealthy practices promote HIV, you are homophobic. It is no accident that it is so unhealthy; it's against God's plan for his people.
I know advocates of gays reject the scriptures which address this. They claim God's love is more important than old laws. They say, "it's not in red letters, therefore Jesus didn't say it.
However, in the first chapter of John it says, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God ... the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth." That is Jesus. He authored all of the word.
We don't need gay adults telling our youth who may be struggling with their sexuality at a vulnerable time that it's O.K. Leave the direction to their parents, church youth leaders and pastors. We don't need a Gay-Straight Alliance in Jay County, especially in our high school.
The upcoming concert (Oct. 24) by Ray Boltz, a former gospel singer now out of the closet, is a fundraiser and kickoff for the GSA.
Linda Peters
Portland[[In-content Ad]]
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