“Re: your post ““Love in Action:” Nonsense.
a) It’s sloppy and unfair to assume that bible study, even combined with “church activist” (whatever that means) supports an allegation (in this case, made by a wife with her own agenda, or perhaps as the article suggests by lawyers contriving a defense) explains homicidal homophobia (just as it’s sloppy and unfair to assume that attendance at Gay Pride and being a “gay activist” must have something to do with child molestation, because we all know those queers fetishize “boys”).
b) It’s sloppy and unfair to assume, based on what you’ve supplied, that this man’s (unidentified) church “demonizes” gays.
And c) It’s sloppy and unfair to assume that even deeply misguided teachings can explain the obviously deranged behavior displayed in this case. One of the things that distinguishes your thought and writing is that you generally eschew and frequently attack such sloppiness when the ox being gored is one of your own sacred cows. I respectfully suggest that this is an instance where, notwithstanding your eloquent writings to the contrary (especially on hate crimes), you don the cloak of victim a bit too readily. I fully understand the pain and anger imposed by your own (Catholic) and my (Mormon) hierarchies in teaching “hate the sin but love the sinner.” But I think we need to be careful not to go overboard (would you facilely ascribe the depravity of Matthew Shepard’s killers to their Mormon background? I doubt it.)”
The reader makes a fair point, and I’m guilty of sloppiness. But I would say that the source of this man’s terror that his son might be gay is obviously related to church doctrine that homosexuality is evil, can be “cured” and that, as the “reparative therapists” argue, is fixed by the age of three. The father was a “church activist” and regular at Bible study. The trauma inflicted on gay kids and teens is real; their pain is terrible; and much of it can be traced to what I believe is a distortion of the real message of Christianity. This is an extreme case; but its roots bear examining.
The Dish 