To those who only think God was strict in the Old Testament, read Acts 5:1-12.

Jesus came to fulfill the law as was quoted from the New Testament and Jesus said it Matthew 5:17-18.

Though David Larson’s meaning in his letter (March 25) is true about a literal interpretation, it was of scriptures, not the Bible. The Bible didn’t exist at the time.

Jesus in his treatment of lepers, tax collectors, adulterers, women, Samaritans and religious people was one of love, but he did not say they were not sinners.

If you have the March 25 Tribune read, “Do we print good news too.” Then reread the Bible and look for the good news of God in the Old Testament and the bad news of Jesus in the New.

Matthew 22 has Jesus telling us that love is the greatest commandment, but the first part of Matthew 22 Jesus tells us in the wedding story that only a few will make it to heaven so most of us must be going to hell.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 tells us what love is, not once does it mention sex. Love and sex in the Bible are never put together. Homosexual sex in the Bible is always related as sinful. Heterosexual sex (1 Corinthians 7:1-7) was for man and woman not because of love but because of immorality and because of our lack of self-control.

I do not mean to pick on homosexuals I can assure you I judge them less harshly then I judge myself for my sins. But from a religious point of view, I wish people would stop comparing love and sex as the same thing.

Not once have I read in the New Testament that Jesus made something that was a sin not a sin. He was even stricter than the Old Testament read Matthew 5:21-30.

I do not consider homosexuals my enemies and this does not apply to just them but everyone that we disagree with read Matthew 5:43-48.

So, yes, love is important, and we are to love everyone as they are, not trying to change them or judge them, its not our job.

But loving someone does not mean we are not to follow the laws of humans or religion.

The difference is for religious laws Jesus was brutality beaten and murdered to pay the price of our sins. For someone to say that something (that the Bible shows us is a sin) is not a sin is to spit in his face and tell him he died for nothing.

So, Dr. Larson, I find your views on love so far to the left there almost as bad as the guy on the right who wants to cast the first stone. I believe the truth is closer to the middle. May God one day show us.

Mark Christian

Albert Lea