Editor’s Note: This is in response to the staff column published March 7, “Kirk Cameron defends beliefs, ‘hate speech’”:

Dear Editor:

In a recent staff column regarding comments made by Kirk Cameron, you said his remarks were “out of line and outdated.” You also said, “Take religion out of the equation and all that’s left is an argument without a backbone.”

The error that you made is you cannot take God (religion) out of the equation. He exists whether you believe in Him or not. As such, He gets to set the standard. And His standard is that the action Kirk was talking about is a sin.

Paul writes in his first letter to the Corinthians that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. He says the sexually immoral, adulterers and “men who practice homosexuality” will all fail at gaining entrance into Heaven.

That same passage also excludes thieves, the greedy, drunks and swindlers. In fact, the Bible says we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

For instance, have you ever told a lie? Stolen anything? Used “OM—!” in a text or email? Jesus said if you look at someone and lust after them, you’ve committed adultery with that person in your heart. That’s how high God’s standard is. He even knows your thought-life.

The Bible says that we must be punished for our sins. That punishment is Hell. Christians are trying to warn people they are a blind man walking toward a cliff. We want you to turn around before the law of gravity (God’s judgment) arrives. So when Kirk, or any other Christian, talks out against this sin, he does it out of love, not because it is hate speech as you claimed.

We all deserve to be sent to Hell — not only homosexuals, but also anyone who has had sex outside of marriage or just looked with lust.

Do you know what God did so you wouldn’t have to go there? He loved you so much He became a man, Jesus Christ, lived a perfect life and died on the cross — taking the punishment that you deserved. Three days later, He defeated death by rising from the grave and proving He was who John the Baptist said He was — the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

In order to receive this free gift you must repent of your sins (not just say you are sorry, but turn away from those sins) and trust Him to be your Savior.

Those who do this will be “born again” — meaning you will love the things of God and hate things that are an offense to Him. And when you do that, no matter what vile sin you’ve committed in your past, you can be sure you’ll be in Heaven one day.

And that’s truly good news.

Christopher Morrical

SIUC alumnus from Tilton