The Editor, Sir:

I read with some interest your paper's interview with Bishop Wellesley A. Blair. In this inter-view, he went out of his way to condemn any and all forms of homosexual conduct. Fair enough. As a Christian myself (specifically one of Jehovah's Witnesses), I certainly agree that these activities are grave sins in the eyes of Jehovah our God.

But, while he was all fire and brimstone against anything gay, he made no mention whatsoever about fornication or adultery. It is certainly no secret that fornication and adultery could well be considered Jamaica's national past-time, engaged in by all levels of Jamaican society, including politicians, and not a small number of church members and clergy themselves.

The Apostle Paul made no distinction of any kind between "men who lie with men" and "men kept for unnatural purposes" as opposed to fornicators and adulterers: "Do you not know that unrighteous persons will not inherit God's Kingdom? Do not be misled. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers nor men kept for unnatural purposes, nor men who lie with men (or women with women) nor thieves, drunkards, revilers or extortionists will inherit God's kingdom," 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10. All serious sins indeed!

Death by public stoning

In God's eyes, they are all equally grave sins. In fact, the Mosaic Law given to the ancient Israelites stipulated the same punishment for adultery and homosexual relations: death by public stoning!

There is certainly no love lost between the gay community and me. At the same time, I'm really getting tired of hearing clergymen and (so-called) 'respectable' people call down evil on the gay community whilehypocritically excusing their own and others' immoral heterosexual behaviour.

Bishop Blair, if you want people like me to take you seriously, either you follow the example of the Apostle Paul and condemn it ALL ... or you just plain keep your mouth shut!

I am, etc.,

PETER HOPKINS

pdhopkins@sympatico.ca

Toronto, Ontario

Canada

Via Go-Jamaica