I read your response to "who goes to hell", and agree with the fundamental message you gave in the answer, but doesn't it say somewhere (one of the books in the Pentateuch) that a man shall not lie with another man'? I am confused. You quote God's word, but make a mockery of it. However, we ARE all sinners, and perhaps this sin is no worse than any other. And who are we: you, I or any other man: to say what is a sin and what is not... I am sure you are a wonderful person with much to offer. Please unconfuse me!

Let me educate you about the scripture you're trying to use to question the morality of those of us who are gay. You are trying to quote Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, which say "You shall not lie with a male as one lies with a female; it is an abomination." These words come from the Holiness Code of Leviticus, a ritual and rules manual for the priests of the tribes of Israel. Many Biblical scholars understand these rules and regulations as a means for Israel to preserve their distinctive religion and culture in the face of pagan practices which included cultic prostitution. They were a relatively small band of tribes who needed to grow in number, and any sexual act that did not lead to procreation was taboo.

Galatians 3:22-25 tells us that Christians are no longer bound by these laws. We live in Jesus Christ, not in Leviticus. Jesus Christ's teachings about law emphasized love, justice, mercy, and faith. Jesus never once said anything about homosexuality. Apparently, it just wasn't an issue to him.

If you insist that I and other gay men follow the Holiness Code of Leviticus, then you must yourself uphold all the Levitical laws consistently. The Code of Leviticus clearly prohibits eating pork, lobster, shrimp, oysters, or rare meat. Are you going to insist with as much vigor and righteousness that sea food restaurants and groceries be shut down? Leviticus also prohibits the wearing of mixed fabrics, and intercourse during the menstrual period. The Code commands that all people who have committed adultery must be killed. Please do not pick out one law from Leviticus to judge me without being willing yourself to uphold every other law delivered in this book.

As to my making a mockery of God's word, I would respectfully suggest that the kind of interpretation you have put on these scriptures is inconsistent and does not take into consideration the historical, literary, and theological analysis of scripture that is commonplace today among those who care about and take seriously Biblical study, knowledge and interpretation.

It's true that I, like many faithful Christians, do not take the Bible literally. I take it seriously. It seems you don't take it literally either, or you would be out picketing sea food restaurants and stoning adulterers to death. In my study of the Bible, I try to take the scriptures seriously, if not literally, by understanding them in the context in which they are written.

For further reading on these issues, read "Homosexuality and the Bible: Bad News or Good News?" at www.ufmcc.com/handb.htm or " Homosexuality: Not a Sin, Not a Sickness," found at www.ufmcc.com/notsin.htm.