To the editor:

It has been said, “Conflict arises in the world of religion when any system decides that it has captured the Ultimate Truth of God and therefore all other systems are defective or subject to conversion.”

The fundamentalist Christians in Kansas, as in several other states, have persuaded a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate that they have the “ultimate truth of God” in matters of family and sexuality. Now, we have the “privilege” of adding our affirmation to the homophobia and bigotry of oppression and marginalization of people who are gay.

Placing the marriage amendment on the statewide ballot is only the beginning of sanctions planned by the fundamentalist Christian leaders; leaders who persuaded and intimidated members of the Legislature to endorse the constitutional amendment. More than one of the ministers said, “this is only the beginning!”

The marriage amendment plus actions over the past three years by our national leadership have led me to the decision that I can no longer in good faith share in a pledge of allegiance to our flag. For me to repeat those words is increasingly an act of hypocrisy. The examples our state and national leaders are setting betrays the very wording of the pledge.

I attend the Tuesday morning meetings of the Breakfast Optimist Club. We have a tradition of opening meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance, typical of most, if not all, civic clubs. I will remain silent but respectful, aware of the utter hypocrisy of what, for me, in the face of our state and national leadership, has become a mindless statement.

Forrest Swall,

Lawrence