Dear Editor:

Back in the good old days when the Roman Empire was enjoying its ascendancy, Christians were horribly persecuted. Christians were fed to lions, nailed to trees and butchered in the most horrific ways. The crime of these Christians was following the teachings of Jesus.

To sample some of these teachings were gems like “... That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” (Matthew 5:39). and “And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain.” (Matthew 5:39), and “Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.” (Luke 6:37). Hardly the type of stuff that warrants a death penalty. Yet Christians of the time were mercilessly persecuted for practicing these teachings.

So I was appalled to read the letter published (2/26/25) claiming that Christians were being discriminated against because they could not practice the sort of bigotry prohibited by our state in order to gain state funding.

Cloaking bigotry in religion does not make it less immoral. In fact it runs counter to many of the central doctrines of the Christian faith nicely summed with “...beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long suffering, forbearing one another in love;” (Ephesians 4:1-2) or “... Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Matthew 5:44) or “Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.” (1 John 4:7).

Discrimination and bigotry is not an act of faith, it is an act of self righteous hypocrisy. “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.” (James 3:17).

Religious institutions that embrace diversity, equality and inclusion are doing God’s work.

Fred W. Nehring

Boothbay