I appreciate Harold Miller’s clarity (“When ‘agree to disagree’ is dangerous,” April) but reject his framing of conservatives like him who follow scripture and tradition versus progressives like me who follow popular culture by affirming our LGBTQ siblings in the church.

My difference with Miller is not about our trust in scripture but about how we interpret it. Miller appears to take a mathematical approach, tallying verses for and against a view before deciding whether to affirm it. He thus implies that he would more readily agree to disagree with pro-slavery Christians than with LGBTQ-affirming ones, since “scripture presents competing views” on slavery but not on same-sex marriage.

My belief that it is anti-Christian to own another human is based not on a tally of verses but on a holistic reading of the biblical narrative of a God who liberates humanity from bondage. Likewise, my affirmation of LGBTQ siblings is based not on a verse count but on the biblical narrative of the Spirit poured out on all humans and refusing to name anyone unclean.

Whether he likes it or not, Miller and I do not represent “separate religious communities.” We share a 500-year tradition of radical reformers who refused to stifle a new movement of the Spirit.

David Cramer, South Bend, Ind.

My prayer is that Harold Miller and I — fellow members of Virginia Mennonite Conference — remain unified and persevere in prayer, study and discerning together until we resolve our disagreements, even if that takes what might seem like forever. Instead of seeing this Spirit-driven process as distracting from our mission, we should embrace it as vital to our mission. We are called to be a lampstand for skeptics to see how followers of Jesus love each other as they work through their differences. Jesus prayed “that they all may be one, as I and the Father are one,” so that the world may know we are his disciples. The world is not impressed by a church where everyone is essentially the same.

There are instructions in the Bible about removing unrepentant individuals from a congregation, but I know of no mandate for congregations to separate themselves from other congregations. I believe Jesus would have us expand our circle of spiritual relationships, not subtract from them. 

Harvey Yoder, Harrisonburg, Va.

Harold Miller proposes that scripture is clear about same-sex marriage, unlike other issues such as women in ministry, slavery and war. I’m wondering where he finds that clarity. Many folks have believed scripture to be clear regarding limiting women in ministry, supporting slavery and going to war as well. It is ironic that he refers to Matthew 18:17 as evidence to treat someone as an outsider. This verse follows Jesus’ story of the wandering sheep that is outside the flock, reminding us that God rejoices over the ones on the margins and does not want any to perish. Furthermore, it precedes the scripture to forgive 77 times. Scripture does clearly proclaim love for one another. To treat the LGBTQ community as less than or to restrict their rights is not an act of love. One does not have to look far to find an LGBTQ ­brother or sister or family member who has suf­fered immense pain due to the dogma of many churches. What makes same-sex marriage so frightening that it forces many to ignore the real clarity of scripture?

Karen Loganbill, Moundridge, Kan.