Editor:

Upon reading your article God Bless America, I was struck by the conclusion that you would have many to agree with your point of view in the eastern block countries of the former Soviet Union, China and also India. Their governments do not make claims of God’s blessings on their people. If fact, some would think quite the opposite. Their belief is that The Creator ( Whoever or whatever that is to them) is totally absent from His creation. They think God made it all and then went on vacation or worse, doesn’t care about the plight of human suffering. Man must find it within himself (again, what God created, i.e. “God gave you a brain, now use it!”) to pull himself up from his own bootstraps.

I also perceive that you think a passiveness to poverty and suffering is true piety. This is exactly the same theology that Mother Teresa had in Calcutta. Although she ran a hospital clinic there, it was not run to the best standards possible, thinking that the thought to help the less fortunate, was actually the virtue rather than providing the best modern care possible. There also was a kind of catholic penance to all the suffering sustained by the patience, therefore this suffering really had merit for them in the afterlife.

I reject both counts of this theology. Suffering and poverty are all the result of a fallen race of humans. A panoramic view of history is simply of war and suffering. There have been times of great prosperity in the world where much of the suffering was relieved (i.e., Egyptian empire; Babylonian empire; Persian; Grecian; Roman), but only on the backs of the less fortunate. Mankind has never accomplished any good in this life without God’s intervening hand of Divine providence. Solomon’s rule was the closest thing to a utopian society. But as noted by the kingdom’s wise men after his reign, his son Rehaboam was instructed to take it easy on the people this time because of his father’s demanding reign. Mind you, this was a government blessed by Almighty God.

To claim to have the blessings of God is really not America’s problem. The real problem is the accountability that is required from us as the recipients of these blessings. The Rich Fool was not rebuked because of his abundance, but because of the foolish notion to think that these temporal blessings were lasting (or that his life consisted in the abundance of the things he possessed). America will face a judgment just as all previous world powers have (there is another future judgment of the nations in the Millennium of Christ).

I know God has and is blessing America today. Although, I believe much of the blessing is a result of the blood, sweat, and tears and prayers of our beloved American forefathers and mothers. Today, America is rich with many gifts, but she has forgotten the Giver of the gifts. She is proud of who she is but doesn’t recognize the One who made her great. This is the great sin of pride that all the other great nations before us fell. God has blessed America, but I think we should be saying now, “God have mercy on America.”

Sincerely,

Jim

Editor:

I just finished reading the article Choice in Sexual Orientation: The Sword That Cuts Both Ways by Patricia Nell Warren and was very impressed by the author’s insight and intelligence. I do not believe that orientation is a choice but I do agree that behavior is. Like the author I discovered my own sexual orientation during puberty when a light dawned and I realized that boys were good for more then just playing baseball with – yep that is right, I am heterosexual. I did not choose it and firmly believe that I was born that way.

I do think that this article is excellent even if I don’t necessarily agree with all of it – I expect that Ms. Warren would be pleased with that too though since she is strongly promoting the rights of all people to hold their own opinions 🙂

I do believe that if orientation were a choice then my ex husband would be straight – Lord knows he tried desperately to be straight – even went so far as to marry me and father four children, but in the long run he could not be straight. I know how much pain this caused me (I never had a clue) but I also know that his pain was probably even greater then anything I felt. This is the reason that I am strongly opposed to groups like Exodus and their ilk – their efforts can only lead to more people hurting the way Joe, my children and I did, and do.

Please pass on my compliments to Ms. Warren for her well-written article.

Thank you

Patricia

Editor:

I am so glad to find Whosoever. I live in a place where if you are gay you can’t be a Christian and I spent several hours reading your material and enjoyed it very much. It helped me to see that my views are not wrong. I believe in God very much and read my Bible everyday. But when you hear all the time you can’t do that it kind of gets to you after awhile and I just want to say thank you so much keep up the wonderful work and God bless everyone of you.

Travis

Editor:

I want to express my appreciation to you for doing the Web site Whosoever. It has helped me so much. I’m not one of the torn between this and that gay people, but to be a Christian, in a small town, without even a liberal church, I needed the insight you have given me. After one of those “clobber” sermons Sunday, quoting Romans, and Leviticus, from the preacher where I go to church, a Church of Christ, I came back to the world of online, and trying to understand some more, and saw your web page from a search engine. I’m so glad I clicked on it.

Thanks again, Whosoever is now on my favorites list, where it will remain. Thank you for helping, and for the time you give to people like me, who need the inspiration you have provided.

In Christian Love, David

Editor:

Studying reviews of the book, “Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time,” led me to your site and being a lesbian, it perked my interest. You are a much needed voice. I am a devoted member of the Church of Religious Science that is a intra-denominational church which has NO HISTORY of being anti-gay! It’s founder, Ernest Holmes, was a Christian who wished to LIVE, not talk about, a spiritual life. In his years of study, he concluded that all the great religions have a common thread of Universal Truth, so we have not only Christian, but Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Sufi, etc. teachings.

In my past, I absolutely condemned the Christians community (not the teachings of Jesus) for demonizing homosexuality in this country. I still feel knee jerk anger when certain fundamental groups are mentioned. My own forgiveness work remains in this arena.

Thank you for your courage. I felt the replies in your editorial to be Spirit led. Rich blessings to you,

Leslie