Jeffery Reeves had an interesting argument in his Oct. 24 letter, "Don't place the blame for Church sins on gays." The pamphlet he received is certainly disturbing and ignorant, but so are his views on Catholicism and the Church.

To call a 2,000-year-old religion, which has so greatly influenced Western culture, a "dirty word" is absolutely intolerable.

Mr. Reeves wants to "set the record straight" by observing history. Here's a little history lesson for you Jeffery: Thanks to the Catholic Church, great works of literature from ancient Greece and Rome are still around today. The Catholic Church and Charlemagne were responsible for incredible advancements in culture and lifestyle during the Carolingian period.

He talks about "hideous misdeeds" in the Church. I guess he never read about any of the Catholic missionaries who traveled to Third World countries, risking their personal health and safety, to alleviate the poverty and suffering.

If you want to blame someone for the horrific abuses of children, blame the individuals who perpetrated them. It's unfair to blame an entire group for the crimes committed by a few people.

Every educated person knows that there's a huge difference between a homosexual and a pedophile. I'm Catholic, and I know it.

Don't assume that all Catholics are narrow-minded gay bashers. Most Christians I know believe in tolerance.

Reeves is outraged that a church pamphlet would criticize people who aren't heterosexual. I'm outraged that a fellow Penn State student, who's speaking about a lack of tolerance, would criticize all Catholics.

By the way, during the early medieval period, Catholic monks developed modern writing and grammar -- the kind you used in your article.