Recently, a neighbor mentioned that he had just been to church and that his pastor had told the congregation that gays and al-Qaida were working together to destroy the country. And since al-Qaida was the enemy, so were the gays. Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds? How many gullible people believe this kind of drivel?

  I remember when the Christian message was "love your neighbor as yourself." When did it change into a homophobic hate-fest?

  We were shocked with Rev. Jeremiah Wright's anti-white message. Now this pastor is spewing anti-gay rhetoric right here in Yuma to promote his own agenda. I wonder if his final solution is similar to Adolph Hitler's - extermination?

  I believe that self-righteous pastors who preach fear and hate are much more dangerous than al-Qaida because they speak from pulpits with the trappings and authority of clergy and their lies can incite a lot of well-intended people.

  Buyers beware - not all sermons are God sent.

TOM VALDEZ, Yuma