Last week my wife Tracy — who is also a campus chaplain — and I declined to speak to The Sun about our relationship to Chris Donohoe ’09, and the circumstances regarding his removal from leadership in Chi Alpha, until we had the opportunity to speak with all the parties involved in the dispute. This was in accordance with the advice of the Cornell United Religious Work administration.

Life is strange. Last week, I participated in one of the most powerful demonstrations I’ve been a part of at Cornell. I found myself crying outside of the Chi Alpha meeting as Chris Donohoe ’09 and Jarrod Schaeffer ’09 stood on the steps of McGraw Hall, addressing the crowd of 200 people after we had stood for 20 minutes in reflective silence. I was there with my mother at my side, acknowledging faces I recognized from all over campus — from first-year fraternity members to Hillel friends to radical gay rights activists — in the physical center of what has been my academic locus at Cornell. It seemed to be almost too suiting of an end to my time here on the Hill.

To the Editor:

Re: “Unfolding Nuance Concerning Jesus and Homosexuality,” Opinion, April 27.

Never did I think that the first piece I would write to The Sun would be a rebuttal on a column involving a religious issue because as the author of this column so readily points out, religion is a terribly divisive issue. So divisive that many people cringe at the idea of discussing it in public. So divisive that you would definitely stay away from it as dinner chat on a first date. Now, here on campus we are dealing with just how divisive it can be surrounding an issue like gay rights.

As a Christian, I agree that religion is generally terribly divisive. Religion tells its followers that they have “the truth” and are saved by performing the truth. It becomes natural for the religious to either passively judge the less devoted and impure — or to actively marginalize them.

Many people on campus have felt that by asking Chris Donohoe ’09 to step down from leadership, Chi Alpha has reflected these exclusive and bigoted tendencies of religion. Indeed, an examination of biblical Christianity reveals that Christianity is exclusive — but not the least bit more than other worldviews. Additionally, when one takes the core truths of Christianity into the center of his or her being, what results is not hate, but rather deep, sacrificial love.

To the Editor:

Re: “Alleged Homophobia Causes Outcry: Gay student asked to step down from leadership post by Christian group,” News, April 23.

As an LGBTQ-identified person of faith, this incident brings about many emotions. Part of me is sick to my core, and part of me is simply disappointed. Most of all, though, I am very saddened by this turn of events. For many people, myself included, finding a meaningful way to integrate two fundamental, yet seemingly irreconcilable aspects of our existence proves nearly impossible. Chris’ efforts to prove that it is possible to be a gay, devout Christian are truly inspiring. What upsets me is that instead of receiving support, he was rejected for having found a solution that affirms his sense of self in multiple ways.

Editor’s Note: After Chris Donohoe ’09 finished his term as vice president of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, he was set to become a member of the leadership team last fall. The organization’s pastors, however, stipulated that he could hold this position as long as he did not engage in a relationship with another man. After Donohoe met his boyfriend, Jarrod Schaeffer ’09, last summer, the pastors asked Donohoe to step down from the team without consulting the rest of the organization.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Benedict XVI urged the faithful to set aside time in their lives for God and the needy, as he ushered in Christmas early Tuesday by celebrating Midnight Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

Echoing a theme he has raised about an increasingly secular world, Benedict said that many people act as if there is no room for spiritual matters in their lives.

"Man is so preoccupied with himself, he has such urgent need of all the space and all the time for his own things, that nothing remains for others, for his neighbor, for the poor, for God," he said.

Benedict also use the homily to link the Christmas message to the church's growing environmental concerns, referring to early theologians who interpreted Christ's role as also a healer of the Earth and universe.