Letters to the editor

How can humans condemn what our loving God made?
My son told me several years ago—as a recently graduated high school student—that he was gay. I felt it took a great deal of courage on his part to tell me that. I had vaguely suspected it might be the case but had never questioned him about it.
We have kept in close relationship that has grown over the years. I have tried to understand his lifestyle while admiring his honesty and integrity as time has gone by. He lives in a distant city, and we have long conversations, which I treasure.
Recently, I asked my 42-year-old son when he became aware he was homosexual. He responded, “Dad, when did you become aware you were heterosexual?”
I though about that and said, “It was when I gradually became more and more interested in the opposite sex.”
My son said, “Well, that’s the same with me—only different.”
Since then, I have thought about all the hurt and alienation that has taken place in families and society—sometimes ending in very tragic results. I think about Jesus’ teaching and know that not one word is recorded condemning homosexuals.
If homosexuality is not a choice, which I believe, then how could a loving God or fellow human beings condemn what has been created? That in no way excuses hateful or heinous acts by homosexuals any more than similar acts by heterosexuals.
Lawrence E. Wilson
San Antonio

Letter writer to Witness defames President Bush
In the Nov. 26 Witness I found it incongruous that the policy for printing letters on the “Viewpoint” page—pointing out that articles “may not personally attack or defame individuals”—was printed one column over from Donald L. Hildebrand’s letter defaming our president for what Mr. Hildebrand’s friend called “the sinfulness of his warmongering invasion of Iraq and subjugation of its citizens under the American heel while espousing a false doctrine of ‘Iraqi freedom’” (“We should confront Bush about un-Christian policies”).
You may parse words and say it was not a personal attack, but it clearly was.
Perhaps Mr. Hildebrand would benefit from getting information from sources other than CNN, CBS and the New York Times.
I heard the Rev. Ken Joseph Jr., son of a missionary in Japan and a pastor himself, reporting his experience when he went to Iraq as a group of “human shields” to prevent the war.
Mr. Joseph described conversations with his relatives and other Iraqis and came away with the knowledge that they were glad the United States was coming to remove Saddam Hussain. Their fear on the day the government was turned over to the Iraqis was that the United States would pack up and go home.
I suggest that Mr. Hildebrand and others whose opposition is driven by a lack of information go to Mr. Joseph’s Web site, AssyrianChristian.com.
I believe that as Christians we have a duty to look for the truth, and we don’t find it in the news media.
Barbara Jacobson
San Antonio