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Bible quotes about gays in SLO teacher’s letter cause outrage

May 11, 2017

A letter to the editor written by a San Luis Obispo High School special education teacher and published by the school’s student news site has prompted outrage on the Central Coast over alleged shaming of the LGBT community.

The letter penned by Michael Stack quotes a bible passage that states sinful, wicked people commit a variety of sins, including gay sex, and that they deserve to die. Stack wrote the letter to the editor in response to an edition of the student newspaper Expressions that was devoted to LGBT issues. A photo of two girls kissing appeared on the cover of the LGBT edition of the paper.

Stack did not explicitly state in his letter that homosexuals deserve to die, and he concluded by wishing that “those who have stumbled” return to “the right path.”

Nevertheless, The SLO Tribune published a headline stating, “Gay people ‘deserve to die,’ SLO High teacher’s letter to student newspaper says.”

San Luis Obispo Mayor Heidi Harmon said in a post on her Facebook page Wednesday that the letter “is unacceptable” and that community members should share their concerns with the San Luis Coastal school board and the SLO High administration.

“A teacher at SLO High wrote this shaming letter against the LGBT community — a community that already has a high degree of suicide,” Harmon wrote.

In the letter, Stack stated he believes the bible is 100 percent accurate and that, out of obedience to God, he requests that everyone read Romans, Chapter 1, verses 16-32. The majority of the letter then went on to quote the bible passage.

“Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other,” one section of the passage states. “And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”

After listing more sins, such as greed, hate, murder, deception, gossip, disobeying parents and having no mercy, the Romans, Chapter 1 passage states, ““They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway.”

Following the bible passage, Stack concluded the letter by stating:

“I write you these things in order to lift up those who have stumbled, or may stumble, and put you back on the right path.

“I pray you each have a great summer, a wonderful life and a perfect eternity.”

Though faced with pressure, the San Luis Coastal school district opted not to censor the publication, arguing Stack was within his First Amendment rights to author the letter and the student journalists were likewise free to publish it. The letter remains on the SLO High Student newspaper website.

The letter in its entirety:

Dear Editor,

I love the staff and students at SLOHS. My students know that. But I love God more, so in obedience to Him, I am writing this letter.

Without divine intervention it would be mathematically impossible to write a book filled with hundreds of predictions over thousands of years with 100% accuracy regarding their fulfillment, yet the Bible has done exactly that, with just a few prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Therefore, I have faith that the entire Bible is without error.

The Bible tells us  that we are all accountable for our actions, and that teachers are especially accountable. I’m a teacher, and I don’t want to displease God any more than I already have with my sinful life, so in obedience to Him, I’m asking you to please slowly read and consider the following excerpt from the book of Romans, Chapter 1, verses 16-32, in the New Testament. It describes a deception that has happened in the past, and is happening again right now, not only at SLOHS, but  throughout the world:

“For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes – the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”

But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.

Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.

So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and shameful things with each other’s bodies. They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.

Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them too.”

I write you these things in order to lift up those who have stumbled, or may stumble, and put you back on the right path.

I pray you each have a great summer, a wonderful life, and a perfect eternity.

Love,

SLOHS Teacher Michael Stack


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Far too Pence for words.


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In defense if Michael Stack and his belief in God


Michael Stack “puts it on the line” as a Christian with his confession — a conviction of belief — by stating, “For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. “


The full quote from Romans 1:16 in the NAS version states, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes —. ”.


What this “salvation to everyone who believes” means for me — an elderly man who became a Christian late in life — is the Bad News is over for those who believe but it is not for those who don’t.


Why?


For “the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets (the Old Testament), even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus? (Romans 3:21-24)


For, all have sinned and I still do. As a living testimony I am as an heterosexual not any different than that of a homosexual who loves God and confesses Christ. We will be as brothers and sisters judged equally by God and not by each other or by one who does not believe.


The Biblical lesson also applied to me in that being unrighteousness, a hater of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, , unloving, unmerciful, I was subject to Romans 1:32 “and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Like Paul on the road to Damascus, I hated God by denying His existence!


Every one physically dies in this temporal existence. But, “whoever believes will in Him have eternal life” (Johm 3:15) – a life in spiritual union with Jesus Christ through the indwelling gift of His Holy Spirit. (Rom 5:17; 8:9,10). That conviction is provided by a free gift of faith by the grace of God (Eph 2:8) to those who are predestined to be His. (Rom 8:29)


Yet as a sinner – I am an imperfect individual — I believe the Good News (the Gospel) is the promise in Romans 8:38,39: “ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”


That is the promise when departing from this life. A promise confirmed by the death and resurrection of Christ. (Rom 6)


I understand that for the “many” who do not believe — they are offended by Stack’s letter and this statement. For as stated in Corinthians 2:14, “ But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him;” Yes, this is “foolishness” for those who do not believe. But, it is the truth of the “Good News” for those who do believe.


I suggest that the ones who do not believe should understand that our Constitution in Amendment 1 protect those who do believe and the rights of the religious and their religions as strongly as it protects the rights of those in the secular domain who do not believe. Michael Stack has that right. It is wrong that he felt he had to resign. It is not a hate crime to criticize those promoting the LGBT agenda that endorses and promotes young people’s witnessing same-sex behavior!


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