Regarding the Pilot article “Parents clash over...

Regarding the Pilot article “Parents clash over school enrollment,”

Jan. 4, I was so angered at the fact that these so-called members of

the Catholic Church would be so narrow minded in this day and age --

not to mention, did they forget why Jesus died?

I am sure that all the St. John the Baptist parishioners are so

perfect and in God’s good graces that they do not even need to go to

confession! Who gave them the right to decide who God wants to go to

church.

Why are we trying to crucify this family for wanting a religious

education? Seems to me in these times the church would want more

people going than leaving, but people like the ones at St. John the

Baptist are the ones at fault for the closing of many churches across

the country. When we start telling people they are not welcome in

God’s house because of who they are, then I think someone had better

give God a call and double check, because the God I was brought up

believing in would never turn away anyone!

CARLA MCKAY

Cumberland, Rhode Island

Discrimination perhaps inherent in beliefs

Let me help Pilot columnist Joe Bell clarify his thoughts on this

matter of the television networks not showing an ad of a church

welcoming gays (“TV networks show ‘cowardice, pure and simple,’ ”

Dec. 30).

First, the networks have a right to accept or not accept ads as

they choose. The networks may not want to step into controversy that

will cause advertisers to flee. That’s also the way it is with the

Pilot. It’s not cowardice to want your business to prosper. It’s just

good business sense.

Second, what really seems to have gotten Bell’s brain all twisted

is that some religious institutions don’t accept homosexuals. In

other words, they discriminate. That should be their right. Religions

are all about discrimination. In the Judeo/Christian/Muslim

traditions, God isn’t very accepting of things he doesn’t like. God

discriminates. Yeah, I know, recent ecumenical movements are

attempting to defang God and make him sort of a do-your-own-thing

hippie who doesn’t judge others, and who accepts everything -- a

deity who sits around in a circle with everyone and holds hands. But

when you go back to the religious source books of Judaism,

Christianity and Islam, you see something different. You see a God

who really believes he is God -- that he owns everything in existence

-- and that he has a right to demand things of humans. And, he does.

Go figure.

Now, under our system of government and laws, if religious

institutions were government agencies paid for by all taxpayers, then

they should be blindly open to everyone, and shouldn’t discriminate.

However, religious institutions aren’t government agencies. In

matters of faith, as we have come to know these things in our

society, they shouldn’t have to answer to governments composed of

people of various other faiths, or to public opinion that changes

from time to time. They should answer, as stated in a popular TV ad,

to a higher power, as they, themselves, believe is proper. If these

religious institutions believe that the higher power only wants

straights and doesn’t want homosexuals, then conscience dictates that

gays be excluded. If they believe that the higher power only wants

homosexuals and doesn’t want straights, then conscience dictates that

only gays be welcomed. It’s not for Bell or the government or anyone

outside these religious institutions to tell them how to practice

their religion.

And, of course, as you’ve already guessed, this issue goes far

beyond homosexuality to the very core of how religious institutions

should be treated in our so-called free society. By forcing religious

institutions to accept people they don’t want, we’re actually

discriminating against these religious institutions and stepping all

over the 1st Amendment. And, when we do that, we’ve entered the world

of religious repression -- again. The founders of this nation

understood these things. It’s too bad that Bell doesn’t.

M. H. MILLARD

Costa Mesa