Letters to the editor

Revised testament

Apocrypha of Antioch: Love thy neighbor if he's as yourself

Editor, The Times:

I'm confused about Christianity these days. Rev. Ken Hutcherson of Antioch Bible Church called for 1,000 "prayer warriors" to surround Mount Si High School in protest over the National Day of Silence ["Protest planned to counter Day of Silence at Mount Si High School," Times, Local News, April 24]. But the whole thing doesn't smell particularly Christian.

It appears to be a vendetta; "payback" for the way Hutcherson was treated when he spoke at the high school earlier this year. Hutcherson stated, "Of course it's personal. They embarrassed me and they embarrassed my daughter." "Payback" certainly doesn't sound like turning the other cheek, does it?

The Times also quoted Hutcherson as saying, "There are so many issues at that school, and homosexuals get a whole day?" I don't know about "that school," but I do know that there are so many (serious) issues facing the world today, and he is focusing on sexual orientation.

Cut to Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa, an outspoken advocate for human rights, who recently was given an award by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission. Archbishop Tutu apologized on behalf of his church for ostracizing gay people; he said, "How sad it is, that the church should be so obsessed with this particular issue of human sexuality when God's children are facing massive problems — poverty, disease, corruption, conflict... "

One man who demonstrates a love of all humanity, speaking out for human rights for everyone. Another man — whose church claims to be "a church for all people, of all cultures, races, backgrounds" (Antioch Bible Church Web site) — who demonstrates animosity toward lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual and intersex (LGBTI) people.

So just who is the Christian here?

— Leonard Eiger, North Bend

All mean are not brothers

My brother's children attend Mount Si High. I am outraged that school officials have set off the Rev. Ken Hutcherson's circus of bigotry to terrorize these innocent kids whom I have watched grow up. And now he is rallying his goons to haunt a peaceful awareness demonstration in order to hammer his hateful message.

Hutcherson's brand of harassment stinks of those less-enlightened times that Martin Luther King fought so hard to overcome. Obviously, someone was not paying attention.

— Brad Wheeler, Seattle

Feeding frenzied

Holding honey to hornets

So, "Carter says Hamas would accept Israel" [News, April 22]. Unfortunately, Hamas says otherwise. Its charter is quite clear on the matter: "The land of Palestine is an Islamic Waqf consecrated for future Moslem generations until Judgment Day. It, or any part of it, should not be squandered: it, or any part of it, should not be given up."

Exiled Hamas leader Khaled Meshal reiterated this position explicitly after meeting with former President Jimmy Carter.

Whom shall we believe — the wishful-thinking, why-can't-we-all-get-along Carter? Or the terrorist organization that's lobbing rockets, dispatching suicide bombers and sending exploding trucks into Israel every day to underscore its policy?

— Nevet Basker, Bellevue

Milk to kingdom come

For seven long years, Hamas, the Iranian-backed and -funded terrorist organization, has launched rockets into Israel, killing and maiming the innocent. Those who take issue with Israel's inherent right of self-defense have turned a blind eye and decry the fact that Hamas murderers are now getting their comeuppance. They revive the tired, disproved notion that the Palestinians are resisting "occupation," well knowing that no Israelis have been in Gaza for years.

Any truly civilized person can feel only disdain for that worthless contention, especially when one considers that Israel has been ready for years to negotiate a settlement.

— Howard Wolf, Lake Forest Park

Appease in a pod

Neville Chamberlain [Britain's World War II-era prime minister] had nothing on Jimmy Carter.

— Nick Shultz, Lake Forest Park