Though critics claim otherwise, Church teaches love, acceptance

Monday, April 27, 1998

Though critics claim otherwise, Church teaches love,
acceptance

RELIGION: Christians not represented by minority of intolerant
hypocrites

By Kim Yi Dionne

My letter is in response to "Blind faith no proper basis for
morality," written by Megan Hall (Daily Bruin, April 20). To begin,
I would like to say that religion, the institution, has its
shortcomings; it is run by human beings and we all fall short of
perfection. However, I am not familiar with the religions Hall
speaks of when she says "… religion teaches its followers to
discriminate, to hate and to persecute …"

I may be just a toddler in the Christian faith, having only been
a Christian for five years, but within that short span of time I
have been taught to love even my enemies, and not to judge, "lest
ye be judged." I have yet to find the rules and regulations on how
to hate, judge and persecute in the King James version of the
Bible.

I will admit there exists a small (yet over-publicized) body of
"religious" people who represent a "holier than thou" sect in the
Church which has been known to hate, judge and persecute. Christian
values have taught me, however, to embrace everyone: black, white,
divorced, pregnant out of wedlock, gay, lesbian, alcoholic, racist,
cheating, pen-thief, chocolate lover, etc. People are people,
different and beautiful in their diversity.

I believe in a God that loves anyone and everyone
unconditionally. I express my sorrow for Megan Hall, who has found
religion to mean something other than love – something that abides
to and teaches a doctrine which hates, judges and persecutes. At
the same time that I choose not to hop on some Christian high horse
and judge Hall’s life choices, I feel her idea that all religious
followers are weak-minded personally attacks those of us who hold
the unconditional love of God in our hearts.

Megan, by all means, go right ahead and chastise those religious
leaders who belong to the "holier than thou" group. I personally
fail to see how they contribute to our cause and would not mind
their silence. But please respect those of us who choose to love
and not hate.