September 4, 2013Dear Sir,“ ... we request that the present ‘carve-outs’ of the Humans Right Act be fortified, as they are in some other countries, to ensure that pastors, clergy, leaders of faith, ministers, and lay-leaders will not be in violation of the Human Rights Act should they refuse to employ or take into membership those who without conviction practice same-gender sexual relations or any other practice that does not adhere to the Biblical standard; nor be in violation to the Act should we hold to and teach these Biblical principles both privately and publicly.”Mr. Editor, when I read the above excerpt on page 8 of today’s Royal Gazette (Sep. 3, 2013) it was almost like I was reading something printed in the newspaper (had they had any in those times) of the “Daily Dark Ages”. I have no opposition with people practicing the faith of their choice, but I really hope that the majority of Bermuda’s faithful are not in agreement with the harmful, antiquated sentiments expressed by those who contributed to and submitted “United for Change Positional Statement”.As I read this piece, I was amazed by the open and shameless lack of modesty that these so called “loving and compassionate” individuals expressed in advocating discrimination based on sexual orientation solely because their religious scriptures tells them that it is OK. To add injury to insult, they want the government of this country to amend the Human Rights Act to include language that will grant religious leaders immunity from violation of the law. Does anyone else besides me see the glaring hypocrisy here?If it is scriptural teachings that they want to adhere to, why not include language that will allow people to kill children if they are disobedient. After all, Leviticus 20:9 states that “Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.” I hope this is not what religious leaders are teaching in Church and Sunday school.It is a myth to imply that Christianity invented marriage or that marriage is defined in the bible as being between “one man and one woman”. If one wanted to interpret anything about marriage from the bible, it would seem more appropriate to say that marriage was between “one man and many women”.As with many other traditions, the early Catholic Church usurped the practice from pagan traditions in order to satisfy their insatiable lust for wealth.Please stop promoting this hateful and hurtful form of your faith.People are just people regardless of who they chose as their life partners.100%-Religion-Free