THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, March 13, 1996 TAG: 9603130002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A12 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
The campaign of the Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays against Pat Robertson because he continues to publicize biblical denunciations and prohibitions of homosexuality is perhaps misdirected. If the campaign should succeed in intimidating and silencing Robertson (unlikely), there is no guarantee that a Falwell, Helms or other biblical fundamentalist will not continue to say what Robertson has been saying.
The true solution is to suppress Judaism and Christianity or, at the least, to ban the Bible. If that is impractical, then perhaps we need a new translation in line with revisions of the Bible that give us God the Mother. As it is, both Testaments of the Bible, Old and New, are notoriously biased against homosexuality, at least in the older translations. In Leviticus 18, for instance, along with prohibitions against incest, adultery, pedophilia (or child sacrifice) and bestiality, we have homosexuality described as an ``abomination'' or ``hateful to God.''
Occasional violence against homosexuals was a fact of life long before Pat Robertson, nor will it necessarily end with his passing from the scene. Its elimination from our life is far more likely if we publicize and insist upon the enforcement of other Old Testament laws, such as, ``Anyone who commits murder shall be put to death'' (Lev. 24:17) or ``Whatever injury he causes another person shall be done to him in return'' (Lev. 24:20).
If we were to apprehend perpetrators of violence against homosexuals and subject them to the same sort of violence in public, we would soon see an end to such barbarities. Not too long ago lynching people of color was not uncommon in American life. TV ads did not bring about its end. Apprehension, prosecution and severe punishment of those guilty of lynching quickly discouraged the practice.
Let us insist upon hard-nosed prosecution and punishment of those guilty of violence. Whining on the sidelines has never been a deterrent to those who love violence.
LELAND D. PETERSON
Norfolk, March 2, 1996 by CNB