To the editor:

Craig Alexander recently expressed his negative opinion of gay marriage, a feeling that he claims is “not hateful.” Maybe he’s right; the proposed ban isn’t an expression of hatred, rather fear of Christianity’s political power being usurped by secular forces, God forbid.

If proponents of the amendment truly strive to preserve the sanctity of marriage, their efforts would be better spent crusading against Las Vegas chapels, for example. There, Britney Spears wed Jason Alexander and enjoyed 55 hours of “sanctified” nuptial bliss before seeking an annulment.

Perhaps these right-wingers should look inward. Nationally, nearly half of all marriages end in divorce, and conservative Christians boast some of the highest percentages of divorcees among religious sects. According to www.religioustolerance.org, 34 percent of nondenominational Christians have been divorced, followed by 27 percent of born-again Christians and 25 percent of Protestants. Interestingly, 27 percent of adults in the Midwest and South — Bible Belt included — have been divorced.

Mr. Alexander paraphrases the Bible, calling homosexuality a “desire of the flesh.” His use of biblical quotes to defend the sanctity of marriage implies that he also condones the forced wedding of a woman to her rapist. Deuteronomy 22: 28-29 states that “if a man (meets) a virgin … and rapes her … He must marry the girl … he can never divorce her,” because what’s holier than rewarding rape with its facilitation?

Statistics notwithstanding, the amendment is a blatantly religious issue that has no place in a secular constitution.

Lynne Stahl,

Lawrence