Letter to the Editor of the Tampa Bay Times from Lakewood UCC member Mark Gibson

Tolerant Christianity

I was thrilled to read in the Times that Judge Luis Garcia ruled Florida’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. I was dismayed that your reporters chose to quote only one Christian source, Anthony Verdugo of the Christian Family Coalition. Verdugo is a loud voice for a conservative Christianity that is unwelcoming and exclusive.

If your reporters quote a politician, they ask for a response from the other side. I suggest that you take the same approach with Christians. For example, the United Church of Christ passed a resolution in 2005 affirming marriage equality for all. My congregation, Lakewood United Church of Christ, welcomes LGBT Christians into the full life of our congregation and has done so for years.

So please, if your reporters must find Christian sources to quote, then I suggest that they look beyond the loud preacher who makes a sensational story. In short, your reporters should dig deeper; don’t go for the easy quotation. There are plenty of inclusive, loving Christian sources. We just don’t scream as much.

Mark Gibson, St. Petersburg