Dear Editor,

Vern Gauthier mentions the word authority (or authoritative) four times in his short letter. I suppose most arguments are about authority.

St. Jerome said, "Nec putemus in verbis Scripturarum esse Evangelium, sed in sensu; non in superficie, sed in medulla; non in sermonum foliis, sed in radice rationis -- We must not think the Gospel to be in the words of cripture, but in the understanding; not in the surface, but in the marrow; not in the pages of a discourse, but in the root of reason." My loyalty is to the gospel itself and the God who gives it. I imagine most supporters of Amendment A would say something similar.

In response to Dean Waldt's second letter. Unanimous consent isn't required; but when half the church disagrees with the other half, it's a doubtful matter. And no one is free to commit adultery. Adultery has the potential to cause great harm to one's spouse and children. But a gay couple living together in responsible love aren't harming anyone. Love that contributes to human flourishing is lawful.

Mr. Waldt is welcome to his anger. Christ did become angry on occasion, particularly when the vulnerable were being exploited. But anger itself, especially when it becomes a permanent state of being, is a dangerous thing to the ordinary person. It all too easily leads to the sin of self-righteousness, and it undercuts love of neighbor. Perhaps that's why the Desert Fathers warned against it so frequently. The prayer "God be merciful to me a sinner" (Lk 18.13) is a good antidote to anger.

About Jane Austen. I don't know what her views on homosexuality were. I quoted her words because they seemed to speak to the issue and because she has an honored place in the Western intellectual tradition. Literature doesn't trump Scripture, but it can shape the mind that interprets Scripture. Poets, playwrights, and novelists often have deep insight into human experience and divine love.