Referendum 74 is hurtful

The Rev. Happy Watkins quoted Martin Luther King Jr. and the Bible to support his acceptance of same-sex marriage (Oct. 6). I agree with Jesus, King and Watkins. We should love our neighbor as our self, but true compassion reaches out to help, not accommodate or reward behaviors that hurt and destroy.

Regardless of the effort to portray homosexuality as natural and desirable, it is unnatural and usually leads to all kinds of problems: higher rates of sexually transmitted diseases due to risky sexual practices, especially among young men; promiscuity even among monogamous relationships; alcohol abuse; domestic violence; a reduced life span; high incidence of mental health problems and suicide, especially in gay friendly towns like San Francisco; and heartache, according to the Family Research Council (http://www.frc.org/get.cfm?i=IS01B1).

This is the legacy of tragically misguided activism. Why would they push a gay marriage agenda above saving the lives of those whose interests they claim to represent? Injudicious advocates are not motivated by true love, especially pastors who should know that God, the architect of life, made us male and female for a reason. I love my neighbor enough to tell the truth. State-sanctified same-sex marriage will silence the truth. Reject Referendum 74.

Penny Lancaster

Spokane