To the writer of “ ‘Don’t ask,’ surf and turf” (letter, Jan. 5) and all who use sarcasm and personal attacks to belittle those with whom they don’t agree: Please stop. A healthy debate ends when points become personal attacks.

That being said, I would like to address a theme that seems to be recurring when discussing the topic of Christianity and homosexuality. My personal beliefs concerning “don’t ask, don’t tell” aside, when people want to point out what they deem “Christian hypocrisy,” the book of the Bible that seems to be most referenced is Leviticus. There are several verses in Leviticus that speak of the Lord’s abhorrence of what is deemed a perversion of the created way, though Leviticus also contains myriad laws regarding everything from ceremonial washing to certain foods the Israelites were commanded to avoid.

Why follow one and ignore others? At face value that does seem like hypocrisy. However, the Bible is one fluid history composed of 66 books. Anyone can pick several verses at random and find seeming hypocrisy, but the Bible is not a book of one-liners or tidbits of wisdom meant to be pulled without context to prove a point.

Read Genesis 19 or Romans 1 in regard to homosexuality. Read Acts 10 and 11 to answer questions concerning what is “lawful” to eat. Better yet, read the entire Bible with the open mind many are so quick to advocate, but rarely practice themselves.

I would just like to see someone present an argument based on solid and in-depth research. It’s easy to mock something you don’t understand.

Capt. Sean Fullan

Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan

Fair treatment in all sectors

Regarding the Jan. 7 letter “Bible never wavers on gays”: Even though I have been neutral to all things regarding “don’t ask, don’t tell,” I am appalled that the letter writer is falling subject to the prejudices that we have been taught to fight in our required annual military training.

The thought that homosexuals are “trying to use the military to push their social agenda” is absurd. Just as a married, straight servicemember is allowed to be married with his or her benefits, so should those servicemembers who are gay. The rights that homosexuals are attempting to achieve in the civilian sector should be no different than those rights in the military. This is a landmark achievement for our fellow servicemembers who have been oppressed into silence, just as black people and women were oppressed years ago.

We can throw around Bible verses or biased emotion, but what’s done is done; as servants of protecting our country, we should do what is best for everyone — whether we agree with the changes or not. As comrades — brothers and sisters in arms — we should be more concerned about how we are going to support and protect our homosexual servicemembers from prejudices and persecution such as this.

Petty Officer 1st Class Stephanie J. Anderson

Kuwait Naval Base, Kuwait

Migrated