Bully pulpits.

Finally, someone who isn't afraid to recognize religious beliefs as a cloak used by people to hide behind in order to justify hatred and intolerance ["When Religious Beliefs Are the Enemy," November 11]. It was so refreshing to read David Let's article on the reluctance so many people have to question someone's religion when that same set of beliefs leads to ignorance, oppression, hatred, and violence. I have no respect for any organized religion that denies women, gays, and lesbians equality even if those traditions are deeply ingrained and central to the doctrine of the faith.

Deeply held religious beliefs provide a convenient and all-encompassing excuse that precludes any rational thought and has in the past been used to justify war, torture, burning people alive for heresy and witchcraft, denying women equality with men, blocking access to birth control and family planning information, and beating and murdering gays and lesbians and denying us the same lights as straight people. I urge people of all sexual orientations to abandon your particular culturally induced method of mind control and instead embrace your own individual spirituality or, better yet, none at all.

Alex Jones, Chapel Hill, N.C.

It was refreshing to read your recently published article by David Lee, in which the author chose to confront religious bigotry for what it is. The gay community has been far too anemic in its response to the preaching of intolerance by religious figures and institutions. And specific to the Bible itself, let us not deny nor be afraid to state that its passages are homophobic, racist, and exceedingly pro-slavery.

I can be more forgiving of the original authors of the Bible in that they came from the uneducated times of nearly 2,000 years past. However, in this supposedly enlightened era, one of the great hoaxes of minority abuse has been perpetrated. Gays have been accused of "choosing a contemptible lifestyle," while in reality the "choosers" are those individuals who have, as evidenced by their Bible, selected a bigoted, homophobic, pro-slavery religion as being compatible with their belief systems. It doesn't get much more contemptible than that.

Roger Townsend, Paulsboro, N.J.

While David Lee may have a valid point when he says he hears nothing about religious bigotry from gay rights organizations, his call for leadership from these groups is far from being the whole answer. He totally ignores the role that must be played by those GLBT persons who are members of religious groups.

I'm dubious whether homophobic leaders within our religious institutions will change their beliefs and policies because nonreligious outside groups tell them to. The outraged voices of religious action groups like Soulforce along with the GLBT affinity groups among Protestant denominations and within the Roman Catholic Church and Jewish faith--men and women who are the gay presence within organized religion--need to be amplified.

Change will come from pressures from within, but that won't happen unless we and our supporters are there on the inside, beating the drum and turning up the heat. Nothing works better than shaming the homophobes and hypocrites from within with your presence, challenging their claim to be children of God.

Rick Carson, St. Petersburg, Fla.

David Lee's commentary suggesting that GLBT people are too tolerant of religious intolerance of homosexuality is far wide of the mark. Lee should visit any Metropolitan Community Church, where he will not only hear pointed critiques of such intolerance but learn of those congregations' continuing activism to challenge such bigotry. Gay Christians are at the forefront of the movement to bring the entire body of Christ into harmony with Christ's message.

Glenn Stover, via the Internet

Gay groups would diminish their values of fairness and equality by becoming less tolerant of religions homophobes, as David Lee suggests doing. The "deeply held religious belief" excuse for heterosexism does not explain why nearly two thirds of Americans oppose gay marriage when a majority has legalized cohabitation and fornication despite biblical prohibitions. Hypocrisy should be attacked instead of religion.

Thomas Kraemer, Corvallis, Ore.