Joe Puchner’s recent column, “Christians have a duty to be better Christians,” once again reinforces to me that many Christians do not understand the repercussions of their words. We could get into a debate about the implications of any one group attempting to legislate religious beliefs, even to those who do not share them. I could mention that this would set an uncomfortable precedent for that same religious group when, years down the road, they may no longer be the majority. We could debate about Puchner’s attempt to distinguish between condemnation of people versus their actions. I would mention that the Catholic Church may make a distinction between calling someone’s actions, rather than that person, “objectively disordered,” but using language like this is often the starting place for discrimination, bullying and hatred, regardless of the 
original intent.

But what stands out most to me are not these things. It is the irony, and even flat-out hypocrisy, of his column. Puchner chides LGBT activists because they “demand for Christians to follow one part of Christ’s teachings … yet also completely [reject] another part.” Even if we accept that the Bible is as unambiguous about homosexuality as Puchner claims, are he and Christians like him truly demanding people follow all biblical teachings? There are numerous laws in the Bible, ranging from personal hygiene to murder. There are sins that are a lot more unambiguously condemned by Jesus himself – who, incidentally, never mentions homosexuality. Why is it this one specific issue, among the plethora of sins defined in the Bible, that Christians have chosen to put so much time, effort, money and political pull into? It is pretty easy to condemn a sin you know you will not commit.

Everyone may struggle with greed, lust or envy. But if you are straight, you do not really have to worry about being attracted to someone of the same sex. It is awfully convenient for a straight person to condemn the 
“homosexual lifestyle,” comfortable in the knowledge that he will not slip into the same sin himself.

Some demand that others follow all of Christ’s teachings. But they do not truly exhibit willingness to do this themselves. I have not seen the Catholic Church or any other Christian denomination launching massive campaigns attempting to influence the political system in order to prevent divorcees from remarrying (Matthew 5:32). Until they do, tirades about holding to all of Christ’s teachings remain hollow and hypocritical.

So be a “better Christian” and truly present all biblical teachings, rather than picking and choosing. Get out there and start campaigning for laws prohibiting marriage of divorcees. Write columns to newspapers arguing we should demand rapists marry their victims (Deuteronomy 22:28-29). Go to Washington, D.C., and codify death as an acceptable punishment for disobedient children (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). Then I would take your calls to follow all of Christ’s laws seriously. After all, “presenting only parts of Christ’s teachings – the easy and the popular parts – is simply 
not Christ-like.”

Michaela Thurston is a senior majoring in psychology.