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Everybody should be free to choose how to live life

Re: "Gay marriage threatens our culture," June 29 commentary:

Jim Ludington expressed concern about the potential that homosexual marriage may lead to the decline of our culture. I want to see evidence that homosexual marriages will result in increased polygamy and pedophilia; however, the main point I want to make is that Ludington is asking for the very thing that he doesn't want: activist judges.

Christian conservative thinking amazes me. They fight to keep government out of our private lives until their own ideology is involved, at which time it is OK for judges to be activist.

Let's imagine a campaign speech by a candidate for Congress: "Yes, sir, if I'm elected I shall make polygamy and pedophilia legal. Yes, sir, I'm for it!" How many votes would that speech win? As for sitting, activist judges legalizing polygamy and pedophilia, I wonder how long the impeachment process might last. One hour, maybe?

Some of us like to be told how to lead our lives, but the great majority of us resent it. All of us have a right to our own ideology as long as it doesn't affect others, which was the problem in Nazi Germany. I hesitate saying this because it puts an unexpected slant to this letter, but I'm an ol' heterosexual monogamist.

The marriage debate seen with new eyes

Re: "Gay marriage threatens our culture," June 29 commentary:

Jim Ludington's commentary explained why homosexual "marriage" is bad for society. I had only heard the secular, progressive, "How does homosexual marriage hurt you?" and didn't understand the slippery slope.

It seems like the recent phenomenon of college grade inflation. If everyone gets an "A," the genuine "A" becomes irrelevant. Even those who aren't in class will be demanding honor degrees.

Thanks for showing us the other side of this thorny social issue.

Same-sex marriages shouldn't be legal

Re: "Gay marriage threatens our culture," June 29 commentary:

Virginia should not legalize homosexual marriages. Some issues are not civil rights issues but moral issues, and this is one. It's wrong in the eyes of God, and most Americans believe it is wrong for our nation.

God opposes same-sex marriage

Re: "Gay marriage threatens our culture," June 29 commentary:

I commend Jim Ludington for his excellent opinion article on gay marriage. As a Christian, I clearly see in Scripture how God feels about homosexual marriage.

No matter how individuals seek to ignore or twist the Scriptures regarding sexual relations between two men or two women, they are very clear in stating God's opinion on this.

I am sad to see how this country and others have perverted the most sacred relationship in human history. Only a man and a woman can procreate. Since that was God's primary intent of the family, it seems obvious that any deviation from his original plan is wrong.

I firmly believe if America continues to cast him and his commandments aside, we will pay a dear price.

Paper has earned reader's distrust

Dan Radmacher is dismayed that many Americans distrust the news media ("Don't discount all news sources," June 29 column). In 26 years of reading The Roanoke Times, I can assure you that The Times and The Associated Press have truly earned that distrust.

You have repeated the big lie that "Bush lied" countless times. You are doing a fine job at demonstrating Hitler's "Big Lie" technique, especially in your choice of editorial cartoons.

You have whined about the Swift Boat Veterans for years, frequently adding the adjective "scurrilous," but you have never, in my recollection, published the substance of the Swift Boat Veterans' complaints about John Kerry.

I expect you to continue your tradition of covering up for your favorite political candidates. Now you have published an annoying and gullible interview with John McCain's former Vietnamese jailer ("War jailer says he'd cast a vote for McCain," June 29 front page). Tran Trong Duyet, who resides in Hanoi, says that John McCain wasn't tortured. Well, as long as there are people living under a communist government anywhere in the world, we can expect The Roanoke Times to report the communist regime's version of events without question.