The debate over gay issues has been going on for quite a while now, and it seems to be a downhill progression. It reached its low point with Debra Holbus' Nov. 30 Viewpoint, "Open sexuality compared to 'pornography.'" Never have I seen a Viewpoint on this issue so filled with hate and hypocrisy.

First off, the suggestion that a public fight for gay rights could even be compared to pornography is atrocious. This fight has nothing to do with "what goes on in the bedrooms" of gay people. It's about that group of people standing up and proclaiming that they will not hide any longer, and they will not be treated as less than human because of their sexual preference. Unless they start putting naked images on their posters, gay rights activists are as far away from pornographers as they can possibly get.

Holbus also claims that "tolerance is an absolute right, as is respect for all others." Yet her Viewpoint is the polar opposite of tolerance and respect. She blatantly condemns acts of homosexuality as a "very serious sin," operating under the assumption that every person in the world must live their life according to strict Catholic values. Now, one can argue that certain moral issues — such as abortion or assisted suicide — which concern human life or physical well-being are universal, even if the entire population does not belong to the religion that emphasizes those issues. But it is impossible to assert that a moral value which has no bearing on life issues should be followed by the entire population.

If you believe that acts of homosexuality are sinful, that's fine. You know that in the end, those acts will be judged however God sees fit. But don't presume to decide that everyone must abide by your personal sense of morality — even if its backed by the Catholic Church — when the life or well-being of another person is not at stake.

One might argue that it doesn't matter whether it's a life issue or not. A moral value is a moral value, and it applies to everyone regardless of religion or creed. You're entitled to that opinion. But if you're going to go down that road, see if you can follow it all the way to the end. The Catholic Church believes homosexual acts are wrong because the Bible states it numerous times.

But if we're going to follow the Bible perfectly, we're not finished yet. In the Old Testament, the punishment for homosexual acts is death. So let's round up every gay person who has acted on their innate homosexual feelings and start administering lethal injection. While we're at it, why don't we also throw in anyone who has engaged in adultery, prostitution, disdain of parents — yes, death for getting into a fight with your mother or father — and profaning the Sabbath.

In the Old Testament, Moses — by God's instruction — had an old man put to death for carrying a heavy burden on the Sabbath. Well, since it's in the Bible, let's round up every person in the world who has ever carried something heavy on Saturday — since Sunday is not the actual Sabbath — and have them executed.

Do you see where I'm going with this? If we imposed every Biblical precept on all people, we'd end up executing at least 99 percent of the world's population. I'd be dead, Holbus would be dead, and you, reading this Viewpoint right now, would probably be dead, too.

The climax of hypocrisy in Holbus' Viewpoint is revealed when she emphasizes the importance of love, while the only thing she has successfully demonstrated is how to hate. This has been the case for many of the Viewpoints authors over the past semester, and I'm sick of it. I'm tired of the self-righteousness and the closed-mindedness. I'm tired of the lack of tolerance and the lack of compassion. I'm tired of the hypocrisy and I'm tired of the hate. It needs to end now.

Pesch is a senior theatre major and a member of the Tribune's online staff.

This article appeared in The Marquette Tribune on Dec. 2 2004.

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