IN THEORY:

Last week a group of protesters from a Baptist church in Kansas were shouted down by counter-protesters as Corona del Mar High School put on its production of “Rent.” What are your thoughts on the protests, and do you think the counter-protesters reacted properly?

I think that both the protesters and the counter-protesters were wrong in their attitudes and efforts. It is unfortunate that the protesters from Kansas travel around the country spreading a message of hate. There is nothing Christian about the tactics this “church” uses at their protests. There is no biblical justification for ranting against people, using crude and unkind language to attack them. Our Lord Jesus never compromised with sin, yet He never stooped to the cruel, mean-spirited tactics of these protesters from Kansas. It is unfortunate that they are identified by name with the hundreds of thousands of Baptist churches that although not condoning homosexuality would never attack a person by calling them uncouth vulgar names in direct violation of the scriptural admonition to “let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.” God’s Word tells us clearly that we are to use our speech to “minister grace” to others. (Ephesians chapter 4). These people from Kansas are neither Christian nor Baptist.

In my opinion the message that the people on both sides of the street during the protest needed to hear is a message of love and forgiveness through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The good news of the gospel is that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, no matter which side of the street they stand on! My prayer is that we would all put down our signs and slogans and get on our knees together in repentance and faith toward the only one who can heal the divide between us.

Pastor Dwight Tomlinson

Liberty Baptist Church

Newport Beach

A plea was scribbled on a wall in our nation’s capital after the 9/11 attacks: “Dear God, save us from the people who believe in You.”

The moronic minuscule membership of Topeka’s Westboro Church crawls out of its sewer to assault our sensibilities. Members of this weird family cult are voracious seekers of publicity. Their founder was disbarred by the Kansas Supreme Court citing his “little regard for the ethics of his profession.” Nor, we conclude, does he have regard for the ethics of biblical truth. He has won the race to the bottom of the lunatic fringe.

The cretins of this vile group are equal-opportunity haters. If they did not hate me, I would conclude something was wrong with me. The students at Corona del Mar High School must be doing something right if this group thinks it is wrong. I might have counseled ignoring these nut cases, since it is not worth a moment of our precious life to acknowledge such idiocy and because our counter-protest gives oxygen to their agenda. Still, those who stood up for love against their hate took the high road and are to be commended.

Rabbi Mark Miller

Temple Bat Yahm

Newport Beach

I was moved by the entire experience last week at Corona Del Mar High School. The three protesters, with their outrageous signs of bigotry, were dwarfed by the hundreds of peaceful counter-protesters waving signs of love.

Perhaps the most striking aspect of the event was the fact that these young people were invoking God in their support of the LGBT community and their fellow students’ right to show “Rent.” The faith perspective was all but absent during the last election from the No on 8 campaign (with, of course, a few exceptions), but here, seemingly unprompted, the students invoked God’s love for all people in an overwhelming number of signs and cheers.

My favorites were “God was with me when I saw ‘Rent,’ ” “God Loves ALL,” and “Jesus didn’t teach us to Hate!” In my clerical collar and “Rent” T-shirt, I proudly stood in solidarity with them. Flanked by my secretary and colleagues, we represented Fairview Community Church, Progressive Christians Uniting and Orange County Equality Coalition. What a joy to see so many young people and community members alike supporting justice and equality for all!

The Rev. Sarah Halverson

Fairview Community Church