Letters to the Editor: How a Christian college hurt itself by expelling a married gay student

To the editor: As an Evangelical Christian and a pastor, I was struck by the article on the woman who was expelled from Fuller Theological Seminary when the school became aware of her same-sex marriage.

This story touches on a larger truth: Some Christian communities in America practice prejudice like dogma. It’s an ugly and reprehensible reality, but also one that is uniquely frustrating for progressive Christians like myself.

It’s a story of Christians shooting themselves in the foot. At a time when Americans are increasingly turning away from religion, the idea of expelling a woman who is so clearly dedicated to her faith is not just offensive on a moral level, it’s also profoundly self-defeating.

Whether Evangelical, Roman Catholic or any other denomination, Christians around the country will continue to see their numbers dwindle, and their faith weaponized by politicians on the right, as long as there are those among us who use the faith to justify intolerance.

Doug Pagitt, Minneapolis

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To the editor: Reading this article, I am concerned by two issues:

One, a woman was expelled after three years studying at Fuller because the school “found out” that she is married to a woman, when in fact her relationship was known to other students and friends.

Two, a federal Title IX rule forbids educational institutions from discriminating against students on the basis of sex. This is a good rule, but may I ask why a Christian seminary is receiving federal funds in the first place?

Barbara Corday, Beverly Hills