Seymour and Jay Kuten (Chronicle, May 30) agree that killing yourself is acceptable. I wonder how you can build a community on such a premise.
They have demonstrated a lack of moral authority; no moral code means anything goes. For instance, stealing is fine as there is no moral law against it; lying is all right as there is no moral law to tell me otherwise.
Seymour, a capable young man, admitted he couldn't answer two or three questions because they had reached an unanswerable level of discussion. So where do we go from there? His reply was through the democratic system, but a democratic system has no moral authority except through numbers.
The implication is that he goes to the country to see what it is thinking and legislate if the majority wish to kill themselves. This issue must come down to: Am I allowed to kill myself?
The title of the bill is mischievous - End of Life by Suicide would be more honest. Even our local MP was seeing which way the wind was blowing.
F R Halpin
Gonville
Bible quotes
Steve Baron (Chronicle, April 10) clamoured for attention in the rising tide of hatred to lampoon Bible-based Christianity; cartoonist Guy Body labelled Israel Folau a 19th century museum curiosity (Chronicle, April 25); sadly even Chester Burrows has been sucked into the vortex (Chronicle, May 18).
Letter writers have used the opportunity to - as J T Kuhner of the Washington Times puts it - show that "anti-Christian bigotry is the last fashionable hatred" (Washington Times, April 2, 2010).
Kuhner describes such behaviour as christophobia, but theophobia would be equally appropriate.
In April, Folau tore a hamstring which put him out of the game. He posted on Instagram he was trusting in God for his future - his heinous crime was that he quoted the Bible.
In the comments section, an inquirer asked him what God's plan was for gay people. Folau answered honestly and referred them to 1 Corinthians 6 vv 9-10.
Was the question a plant by a journalist or some christophobe, looking for a sensational headline?
The real story here is not what Folau said, but what God has said about sin in the Bible.
If writers want to vent their spleen, your target is not Folau, the Church, Christians or Jesus Christ. The object of your anger is God alone; God set the standards and cannot tolerate sin.
It's time for anti-religious opinion writers to admit your hatred of God, and take your grievances up with the author and finisher of your life.
The motto on the crest of our fair city reads: "Sans Dieux Rien" - literally "Without God, Nothing". The alternative works equally well - "Nothing Without God".
John Malcolm
St John's Hill
Differing views
Differing opinions are healthy and promote discussion, however vitriolic attacks on those who have opposing views do Jay Kuten no favours at all (Chronicle, May 30). Play the ball, not the man.
J Sullivan
Whanganui
