Last night (Jan. 23) I attended the Project Growth discussion on sexual orientation, and I was quite amazed at the stifling of ideas.

At first the discussion leader set out some very good guidelines to facilitate discussion of the issues: we were to talk about our feelings towards the subject matter, being open about our thoughts, while respecting the views of others. The evening looked promising.

It was not long before the issue of religion and homosexuality came up, and then things turned ugly. Each of the panelists had something to say on this topic, pointing out that the Bible was written by racist, sexist, homophobic white males.

One of the panel members added that this was not the time to discuss the Bible, its interpretations or its authority.

One of the audience members must have felt just like I did, and he tried to explain that as a Christian he could love all people and yet hate activities which the Bible clearly states are sinful.

A slight murmur went through the audience, and again a strong attempt was made to quickly change the direction of the discussion. I left the room after that.

I think it is unfortunate that in a discussion of feelings about sexual orientation, a segment of the student body is discouraged from sharing thoughts. As a follower of Christ, my feelings towards homosexuality stem directly from the truth found in the Bible.

I need to base my beliefs on something concrete, so I will always refer to this book. It's absurd to ask believers to set aside their convictions about a certain sin in a discussion of the same.

It's also a shame that some cannot distinguish between a Christian's love for all people and our hatred of evil.

Consider our position: if we truly believe that a homosexual lifestyle is destructive in this life, and that it angers a righteous God in Heaven, is it not more cruel for us to keep quiet than to offer a way of salvation? How will this University community grow to understand diverse viewpoints if we are not even allowed to discuss our beliefs?

I call upon the organizers of Project Growth to continue their effort to promote understanding between people in this community, and I ask that they allow for the expression of religious feelings related to the various issues.

Because the authority of the Bible was brought into question, I invite anyone who would like to learn more about the Bible's origins and authenticity to attend the InterVarsity meeting on at 7 Monday evening, Jan. 29, in the Frizzell Room of Eisenhower Chapel.

Especially, I invite the members of (the) panel to hear our guest speaker, R. Laird Harris, one of the scholars who helped with the New International Version translation of the Bible.