In the Friday, July 12 Highline Times letters section, Potential paper-eater? attempts to make the case that Jesus Christ tacitly approved of homosexuality because the New Testament doesn’t contain a quote where Jesus specifically condemns homosexuality.

Such a quotation does not exist because it was not an issue in Israel during the time that Christ was on earth. There was unanimity of strong homosexual opposition in the Jewish community – including the political and religious leadership, and throughout the population. One need not make proclamations when universal consensus exists.

In contrast, when the Apostle Paul preached in Greece where homosexuality was openly practiced, Paul proclaimed homosexuality to be “wicked” and placed it in the same category as adultery and male prostitution (I Corinthians 6:9).

Potential states that: “I simply try to maintain an open mind, being tolerant, compassionate and loving to people of all walks of life--just as Jesus of Nazareth did.”

Although Christ used the word “love” extensively and used the term “compassion” numerous times, I cannot find where He ever used the words tolerant, tolerate or toleration.

Christ forcibly disrupted the operations of the merchants in the temple and then physically threw the entire group out of the temple. Another time Christ harshly chastises the Pharisees (a religious-based political party) and the religious teachers for hypocrisy; concluding by telling them: “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell?” (Matthew 23:33).

Yes, Christ practiced love and compassion. However, Christ did not have “an open mind” on significant items such as temple desecration, hypocrisy or homosexuality.
And no, Christ did not necessarily practice tolerance, even telling the adulteress for whom he intervened: “Go now and sin no more.” (John 8:11).

Don Bowie
Burien