Editor, the News-Herald:

A recent letter indicated that I &uot;need to get out of my box&uot; and learn more about the world and what is going on around me. Thanks for the advice, however, I could probably enlighten a lot of folks about life and living.

My experiences do not go only about my faith in God.

My experiences of losing loved ones to death, injuries to two of my sons, nearly drowning at the age of 13, having bronchial pneumonia as an infant, suffering

anaphylactic shock following surgery, two crippling accidents, and you think I am living in a box?

My life has been spared by a loving God who sees me and knows what is in my heart.

Is this the purpose that God has spared my life, to attempt to stand up for my bible and my God against the abomination of homosexual /lesbian marriages in our church buildings?

I don’t know, because my box may be too confining. However, I believe each of us need to stand up and be counted at some time in our lives, and this is my opportunity to stand up. I do not believe that

same-sex marriage constitutes anything other than an attempt to cause more problems for society. Same-sex marriages will inflict a greater burden on taxpayers because these persons are now asking for health benefits, and other retirement and special considerations.

I am only attempting to enlighten those who have not been taught about the implications of sin. I am not saying that you being a sinner is my problem.

A sinner will be saved only, if you believe and accept the death/blood of Jesus Christ as being your savior.

Our churches are being asked to allow same-sex marriages to be allowed in the name of same-sex love.

I will go to my grave believing this is an abomination to my God.

I will never support nor attend another church who allows this kind of doctrine to be preached.

Some of you reading this letter will say&uot; I don’t care.&uot;

Some of your readers are saying, &uot;thank you&uot; for saying what I have wanted to say for some time, however, I didn’t want to lose our preachers. Well I say to you all, that if false doctrine is being preached, or that only the &uot;feel good&uot; doctrine is being preached, and not ever preaching about the consequences of sin, then I feel sorry for our churches.

Our people are our churches! The building may have been built by good Christians, however, our buildings are all going to bear the brunt of sin, if our congregations do not stand up for God and the preaching of His holy word.

Mary Grace Garner-Atkins

Suffolk