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Contents © 2001
by Jim Holman.
All rights reserved.

LETTERS
JULY/AUGUST 2001

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SO-CALLED CATHOLIC PAPER

Your so-called "Catholic Newspaper" is a great argument for the need for episcopal oversight and approval of any newspapers or publications claiming to bear the name "Catholic." As it is, yours is an embarrassingly mean-spirited publication for which the official Catholic Church does not have to take ownership.

Anon
Via email


PROTESTANT THINKING

Laurette Elsberry ("No Scientific Proof" Letters, May) thinks that Genesis 1:27-28 is "proof" that God has strictly "fixed" the heterosexual "orientation" and so the "homosexual orientation" does not exist. I thought this kind of "thinking" belonged to Fundamentalist Protestants, but apparently not.

Genesis 1:27-28 only shows that God created men and women with the injunction to populate the earth. Are celibate priests and nuns violating this injunction from God by not "making use" of their God given organs to procreate? Does this make the concept of celibacy "sinful" or does it not exist?

If you selectively use Scripture to attack anyone, be careful, there are just as many Scripture passages people can use against you! Abraham, "our father in faith" was a polygamist. Should we then follow more than his faith? The Hebrew Scriptures advocated death for adulterers, blasphemers, fortune tellers and children who curse their parents. Should we not institute those penalties again? Why not read Leviticus and let us know which of your favorite "sinners" you would recommend for condemnation. The church, for centuries, not only tolerated slavery but many bishops and laypeople owned slaves. Indeed, nothing in Scripture condemned the owning of slaves. Ephesians 6:5 even exhorted slaves to obey their masters. Should we bring back slavery?

The bible is a spiritual NOT a science book (no matter what the Fundamentalist Protestants would have us believe!). It is unique compilation of works by Jewish men of faith that in its ENTIRETY speaks of God's intervention in their world and ours. We have to know the context, the language and the actual meaning of the texts to understand the bible (which makes the church the only one qualified enough to do so).

The word "homosexual", for instance, did not exist until the middle of the 1800s. What we think of as "homosexual" TODAY just did not occur to the writers of the bible. In their minds, homosexuality equaled pagan temple prostitution, sexual deviation (usually by heterosexuals) or pederasty. No word existed for a person having BOTH sexual and emotional feelings for a person of the same sex. By the way, I am NOT gay. I just happen to be a voracious reader and bible buff.

Michael Kidd
Via-email


THIN-SKINNED?

Call me "thin skinned", overly sensitive, too literal, but am I the only one offended by the current radio advertisements for the Cemeteries of the Diocese of Oakland? "From your first sip from the communion cup...." My Lord, sip! Since when is the reception of the blood of Christ a "sip"? I thank God each day to be allowed to receive Him in communion. I do not "sip" Him. Then again, selling small plots of real estate may require innovative and imaginative advertising copy.

Ronald J. Simmons
Orinda


THANKS FOR CROSS-MAN

The article "The Cross Man" [April 2001] was especially interesting to me. I saw his collection once in Belmont at the Creek Churches festival. It was quite unusual and impressive. So, it was nice to learn about him and how his collection began.

Many thanks for San Francisco Faith. I always look forward to my copy.

Sincerely,

Mary J. Zgraggen
San Francisco


CORRECTION

In the June 2001 issue, the Faith mistakenly identified Supervisor Tony Hall as being the flip-flop vote that allowed the city's sex change benefit for city workers to pass on April 30. In fact, Supervisor Hall opposed the measure and spoke publicly against it. We attributed an anti-semitic remark to Hall, when the reported culprit was Supervisor Sandoval. We deeply regret these errors.

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