Even parents of murderers will still visit them in prison. Sick world we live in.

Call me evil, but I revel in the knowledge that when this father dies, his last heartbreak will be realizing that there is no heaven. Piece of shit.

It is kind of different. For startes, I gave the benefit of the doubt with this example (people can choose to leave their religion, whereas I have established many times that you cannot choose to be attracted to the same sex).

The father does have the choice to do this. However, he also has to bear the consequences of his act, and I'm sure that God will be making the father rather regretful as time progresses. If no regret is ever felt, then I stand by my original statement of lack of paternal instincts.

I wouldn't go that far, but on his deathbed, I hope he does realise that he had only one life to live, and can never go back and make up for the emotional damage and lost time that he let his son experience.

I'm agnostic now after being born to Muslim parents, but even I can tell you that Christianity isn't all about free will. It's also about avoiding sins such as lust, with homosexuality being included in this. And by the way, I have no ill will against gays, and my posts are only to say that people here shouldn't be so quick to judge the father and label him as "someone who hates his son." It may be much deeper than you think.

I kind of disagree with the first paragraph. You have as much a chance of being homosexual as you have of being Christian for example. Some people are born more prone to religion than others, and for others it's based on external influence. The same can be said about homosexuality. But I digress.

As for comparing shunning of apostasy with shunning of homosexuality, I think if a parent shunned their child for following a different belief would be a better example than the law of Apostacy. It would be more apples to apples. For that, as I said, I don't know how I feel about this and I'm just being honest. I would have to put myself in that son's shoes, and at least be a father to know what any of this actually means.

I personally don't think shunning would be the right thing on a personal level, regardless... :(

And a single 3 letter word in that letter is to blame for all that hate and predjudice, the word being...

'GOD'

GOD and the bible is surely responsible for more hate, prejudice, intollerence and evil than anything else EVER in the history of mankind!

1. How the hell did this get on the internet?

2. I think this is fake, partly for the reasons stated above.

13. I dont think any mentally healthy father would reject his son like that.

13-2. If this is in fact real, that dad must really hate gays. More than he love(s)(d) his son.

5. If the dad actually believed in God, then he would believe that God made people the way they are, and he would cut the "God did not intend this" crap.

6. I think spurge wrote this to troll us all. He wrote the letter, submitted it to nydailynews.com at 9:02 AM under the name Anthony Bartkewicz... just to troll us all

7. Why is the on the internet? Why would someone put a letter like that on the internet, other than to attract attention or maybe seek revenge?? idk

8. Nice try spurge. Can't fool me

9. This list has many confusing elements

10. That is all.

Less ambiguity about what?

Less insulting? Who am I insulting?

What dialogue? There WILL NEVER BE a dialogue. For someone so smart, you have a hard time grasping the reality of the situation. The problem with religion is that nobody can ever raise argument against it. It just causes further retraction into the safety of the hallowed shell. All appeal to common sense and peaceful protests and marches are "Assaults on Christianity". This is the face of persecution.....obviously.

Rational argument just can't exist. Solar Orbit, Round Earth, Witch-trials, The Inquisition. Religion is the foundation of nearly all segregational hate in this country, from Asians, to the Irish, to Blacks, etc etc. It never ends. Every major religious nation is in CONSTANT WAR. It's just an endless cycle of hate and violence. And the worst part is, you real Christians- the good Christians (I know there is a difference), tolerate it, or maybe it's worse that you can't even see it.

http://www.reason4living.com/articles/totw0144.htm

More people have died in the name of atheism than by the name of God. Numbers hardly lie.

So you've converted? What's to say that the son didn't convert too? Maybe he chose not to live under the bounds of what people would consider sin, but he considers "part of himself". Who's to say that the son is even a Christian anymore? Why is he bound by the beliefs of his father and being punished as such? Did your parents disown you for leaving the Muslim faith?