When I read the recent article by Ian Jackson on the gay issue, what came to my mind was the part in the Bible when the men dragged the adulterous woman in front of Jesus and Jesus turned to them and said: "Whoever is without sin cast the first stone". I don't think Jesus was condoning adultery — He was simply saying that before we condemn others we need to examine ourselves first. And none of the woman's accusers could cast a stone because they realized that they too were sinners. So I think that teaches us, Mr. Jackson, that we are all sinners, including you, Mr. Jackson.

My letter is not meant to condone homosexuality, but rather it is meant to show that Jesus loves everyone. He hates the sin but He loves the sinner and He does not reject anyone who comes to Him which means that Jesus loves homosexuals too (not the sin, but the person) and welcomes all those who comes to Him just as they are.

It is interesting that we have so much to say about gay people but about those who commit equally grave sins such as fornication, adultery and the rest, we do not have much to say. And yet the same Bible that we love to quote lists all those as sinful as well.

If we want to make a point in Dominica then what we must say is that all sin is sin. We cannot just pick one sin and make it appear that it is the greatest sin in the world while we say nothing about the others happening under our noses every day. This is hypocritical.

I am reminded of another quote in the Bible which says instead of trying to remove the speck in your brother's eye why don't you first try to remove the plank from our own eye. Basically, I'm saying that before we point fingers at other people we need to first look at ourselves and our own failures.

In closing we must remember that every human being is God's child, no matter what we may think about them, because God created each person for a special reason and purpose and we are all God's children. And all of us - without exception - have sinned, and fallen short of the glory of God. So who are we to judge others? And so all of us - not just gay people - need to come to God and ask for His mercy and forgiveness and we will find that God does not turn anyone away. Let us not feel that we are so righteous that it is always other people who are sinning and never us.

I'm sorry to say that if we continue in the vein of Mr. Jackson's article then all we will be doing is making ourselves into a big bunch of hypocrites.

Just My View