Lew Alessio, in a guest column July 31, repeats a fundamental falsehood, one that has been given a lot of mileage in recent years. In his essay “Sounds of silence,” Alessio claims that “In 33 years, Jesus said not a single word against the homosexual.”

Technically, I suppose that is an accurate statement. But while Jesus did not condemn the person in the gospel record, he certainly condemned the behavior. He said plainly that fornication is evil (Mark 7:21). My dictionary states that fornication is “human sexual intercourse other than between a man and his wife.”

So, if two men or two women have sexual intercourse, that is fornication and, in the plain statement of Jesus, that is evil behavior.

And, no, Jesus did not condemn the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10-11), but neither did he demonstrate a tolerant behavior. He said, “Go, and sin no more.”

Jesus’ teachings are found throughout the Bible. His message is in the Old Testament’s condemnation of homosexual behavior (Leviticus 18:22). He is the living word who forgave sin.

He was certainly not silent about homosexuality.

Harvey Lord, South Paris

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