Mailbag:

Russ Niewiarowski may think he knows his Christian teachings, but he’s poorly educated about the Constitution (“Obama renounces religion with bill,” Oct. 31).

Obama may be a Christian, but as president, he’s required to uphold the separation of church and state.

The framers of the Constitution were wise enough to realize that the best way to ensure the freedom of speech and the ability for someone to practice their own particular religious laws — as Niewiarowski wants — was to ensure that the United States put no particular religion above another. As to Niewiarowski calling being gay a “perverse and unnatural” lifestyle, that’s his opinion, and I think it largely speaks for itself.

As for the Daily Pilot, while I’m all for hearing a diversity of views, if someone were to write that being black was perverse and unnatural, and cited some religious scripture to back this up, would that have been acceptable for your letters page? At what point do you decide that someone’s not advancing a rational argument and is instead simply sounding bigoted?

Danny Sullivan

Newport Beach

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All citizens should be treated equally

I read with not a bit of surprise (we do live in Orange County) the letter from Russ Niewiarowski (“Obama renounces religion with bill,” Oct. 31). I think that it would behoove him, and others who would side with him, to read House Resolution 1913 a bit more carefully.

The Hate Crime Bill, H.R. 1913 expands the 1969 U.S. Federal Hate Crime law by extending the current provisions and protection against acts of “bodily crimes” motivated by a victim’s actual or perceived race, color, religion or national origin to include those “bodily crimes” motivated by an individual’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.

The bill addresses hate crimes or actual acts committed, not hate speech. There is no mention of forced silence.

Those who support this bill are only calling for acceptance. They are not trying to foist their lifestyle on others. We each have been born and blessed with a gender identity — gay or straight.

God befriended and forgave all of mankind. I applaud President Obama for finally getting the U.S. back on track and allowing all citizens to be treated equally. My hope is that the fight continues for the repeal of the ban on gays serving in the military, the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act, and passage of the Domestic Partners Benefit and Obligations Act.

Julie Thompson-Dobkin