I have received a number of responses to my "Letter to the Editor" that appeared in the "Daily Progress" (5/22/12) and my discourse, "Uriah Fields Explores the Concept of Same-Sex Marriage" (May 2012), posted on www.george.loper.org.  These responses have been pro and con.

Below is a letter I received from T.R.J. followed by my reply to this letter. He writes: "I read your letter to the editor of "Daily Progress" dated 05/22/2012 with a topic that read, "Evolving thought on gay marraige." I saw your name and said that you were one of H.E.'s friends. We attended one of your Sunday afternoon's Bible studies with H.E. one time. We also see you at McDonald's sometimes.

Since your letter mentioned that you were a pastor,  I became concerned with (a Pastor - man of God) that supports gay marriage. I am just a layman of the Bible studies.  Please tell me the scripture(s) in the Bible that would support God's approval of gay marriages.

I pray that God will show you the way and not follow Satan's path.

Regards,
T.R.J.
Enc.

This is my reply to T.R.J.'s letter:

May 28, 2012

Dear Mr. J:

Thank you for your letter (5-23-12) that expressed your concern and, may  I add your disagreement, with what I espoused in my letter "Evolving thought on gay marriage" that appeared in the "Daily Progress" (5-22-12).

Before commenting on this issue of homosexuality, let me agree with you that H.E. was my friend and I know she was a friend of you and your wife who befriended her until she departed this life. She thought a lot of both of you. You are right sometimes we see each other at McDonald's

I believe the Bible speaks to everything that we can imagine and more. However, I am reminded that in 1956 when I was helping to lead the Montgomery Bus Boycott Evangelist Billy Garham and some other leading white ministers opposed the bus boyoctt and criticized Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., for leading the bus boycott. At that time, Graham was asked about segregation and his response was "The Bible does not have anything to say about segregation." But the Bible has something to say about racial segregation and about homosexuaity.

You have asked me to give you a scripture(s) that supports God's approval of homosexuality. I visited Harley Pinon's website, producer of the attached information you enclosed with your letter to me, so I am aware that you have scriptures to indicate that God disapproves of homosexuality. I do not question what the Bible has to say about this or any other topic. Speaking to his disciples about marriage Jesus said:
FOR THERE ARE SOME EUNUCHS, WHICH WERE SO BORN FROM THEIR MOTHERS' WOMBS: AND THERE ARE SOME EUNUCHS, WHICH WERE MADE EUNUCHS OF MEN: AND THERE BE EUNUCHS, WHICH HAVE MADE THEMSELVES EUNUCHS FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN'S SAKE." (Matt: 19:12)

I will only say some people are not constituted to be in traditional marriages.

When I wrote about same-sex marriage in my letter to the "Daily Progress" I mentioned expanding the definition of marriage to include people who are not presently included. I cited how for over 200 years "voting rights" in America were only for white men. Then in 1920, white women gained the right to vote and in 1965 African Americans throughout America gained the right to vote. Extending women and African Americans the right to vote did not take anything away from white men's right to vote. In my opinion, neither will extending the right to homosexuals to marry take anything away from people in heterosexual marriages. But this will mean that married homosexuals will enjoy certain right that are enjoyed by married people, inlcuding being able to visit a partner in the hospital, receive inheritance benefits and the list goes on. Be aware that there are homosexuals in the military fighting to protect our freedoms that include self-determination, not other-determination.

T.R.J., I realize that your concern is whether the Bible supports homosexuality? Frankly, that question can be asked in reference to many things that most Christians approve of, such as playing baseball and football on Sundays, Sunday race car racing and being armed every day and nearly everwhere. This scripture was used to justify slavery: "Slaves obey your earthly masters, with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. (Eph. 6:5 NIV). It matters  not  how much a person seeks to justify slavey based on that scripture, there are people, including myself, who cannot accept slavery as being God-ordained, anymore than accepting tyrannical governments as being God-ordained.

These two scriptures seem to cover everything:
For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16). And
I am come that they may have life, and that they may have it to the full. (John 10:10).

In His Love,
Uriah J. Fields

Below is T.R.J.'s reply to my letter:

June 02, 2012

Dear Mr. Fields,

I thank you for your response to my 05/23/2012 letler with your thoughts on homosexuality. Also your kind words concerning our deceased friend H. E.

In reading your two-page letter I could not find any reference where God aproves of same-sex marriage. I think you kow that the Bible says it is a sin. You are correct in that the scriptures I mentioned show God's disapproval of homosexuality.

I also have friends that are gay/lesbian. They know that I  (and our Church) do not approve of it but I will pray for them and love them.

Homosexuality is against God's will, so I doubt homo marriages is sanctioned. Since marriage is a union betwen man and woman, blessed by God, any union betweeen same-sex couples will definitely not be blessed by God, as He states plainly that it is an abomination.

We prayed for you at our Wednesday Nigth Prayer meeting at Calvary. We pray thatt you would receive the truth from God and stop encouraging the same sex- marriage that God says is a sin.

This will be my last letter to you concerning this subject. You have your belief and I have mine.

Sincerely,

T.R.J.