DISCONNECT: A biblical divide

Regarding Mr. Daniel Flores’ recent letter to the editor:

Ms. Mahuron offers a book recommendation in the article that complicates your assessment of her argument. Her suggestion of “Unclobber: Rethinking our Misuse of the Bible on Homosexuality” demonstrates a disconnect between your two positions. There is a lively debate among modern theologians as to whether the Bible indicates that, as you state, LGBTQ+ people live “in a state of grave sin.” Ms. Mahuron merely asks that you familiarize yourself with the other side’s scriptural arguments.

I would also like to defend Ms. Mahuron’s statement regarding “hate the sin; love the sinner” against your claim that it reveals “bigotry” on her part. I can only attest definitively to the experiences of one transgender person (myself), but I couldn’t help sighing reading your letter remembering that “hate the sin; love the sinner” was on the lips of the religious friends who cut contact with me when I came out. It was a refrain of the youth group leaders I had as a teenager who suggested we aggressively proselytize to our gay friends at school.

However high-minded your sentiment, the phrase is attached to a phenomenal amount of suffering in the memories of so many LGBTQ+ people, myself included, who have struggled to make peace with that part of themselves that they were raised to believe should not exist. We came to discover that being treated with love necessitated us no longer being queer. It is intellectually irresponsible to claim differently.

ROSIE DAVENPORT

Hayden