Thomas Deth's Response---

Dear Michael,

Since you asked, I am a confirmed Agnostic. I believe that this is the only life we live and that there is no God and no afterlife.

I do not recognize human life until it is born and then believe it is entitled to the same legal protections that you and I enjoy. This may seem cold and uncaring to you but as I work with adult mentally retarded citizens with a wide range of disabilities I see the life they are locked into and I would not legally try to prevent a woman who decided to terminate a pregnancy when conclusive evidence shows that the child will be born with so many disabilities as to make their life one of pain and confusion. This is, as I see it, is a judgement based on my values.

You appear to have a faith based basis for your position . I respect your views but will work hard to support the right of a woman to terminate or not terminate a pregnency. Until a child is born it is my belief that it is a medical status in which the government has no right to interfere. I might add that I know my sister does not agree with me on this subject.

As far as homosexuality I believe that the type of abnormal behavior thesis you promote was long ago dicarded by Psychiatrists when they eliminated same sex orientation from the DSM. Medical Professionals the world over believe that the orientation is a human condition that only becomes a problem when people catogorize it as such because of religious teachings and dogmas. These beliefs, no matter if they are preached in a loving and caring way are frequently the cause of widesale irrational acts of hate and violence against gay people. I submit as example one the brutal slaying of a innocent young man named Mathew Sheppard in Wyoming by two young men who had been imbued by a cruel and pathelogical hatred of "fags". I believe that if one witnesses the rantings of Rev. Ted Haggard against homosexuality only see him repeatedly have to admit that he has engaged in frequent homosexual activities with male prositutes one has evidence that no matter how much a gay person denies their orientation religious beliefs do not and can not make them straight.

The Catholic Church has been a horrible example of the covering up of the pedophia of hundreds, perhaps thousands of sexually confused clerics that the Church has a long history of transferring from parish to parish. Instead of notifing the legal authorities, as you or I would surely do if we became aware of a horrid crime. These crimes were perpetrated against children by people your faith has taught are to be teachers of the word of your Christ and Lord and his Father, God Himself. The Catholic Church has a lot of pentence to pay to society before its credibility is ever restored on this issue.

The President is who he is and he has made no denial of what he belives on both of these issues. I will support his attempts to bring the freedom of choice to all women and the equality under the law to all people regardless of sexual orientation. While I respect your faith based position I reject it. As I said elections have consequences and we Democats won this election at every level of government and will use the authority granted by the voters to pass laws that refect the President's and the Democratic Party's convenent with the American people. I expect your party's opposition and respect it, but will not be bound by it.

Sincerely,

Thomas Deth