My thanks to Bishop Thomas J. Tobin for substantiating the need for the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment.

In his Oct. 14 letter, "Gay marriage is gravely immoral," he expresses his predictable opinion concerning a lesbian couple, writing that, "their attempt to have the state ratify their homosexual relationship is disturbing and morally objectionable." To support his position, he offers as supposedly factual evidence; some quotes from the sacred text of his religion, a brief and laughably vague lesson on where babies come from, and an even more vague reference to The Law of Nature.

The Bible lost its credibility on the issue of human rights when it was cited as justification for slavery a mere century and a half ago by members of the bishop's vocation (pro-slavery ministers and priests, along with politicians). Granted, abolitionists also used the Bible, finding more enlightened passages, but none that specifically denounce the institution.

Also, for accurate references of the Law of Nature, I'll look to the natural world, which yields an abundance of examples of homosexual behavior in a variety of species of animals, including that which is most closely related to humans, the chimpanzee. In the natural world, however, you will find no example of the Bishop Tobin's "traditional concept of marriage," unless you choose to include human behavior in your survey of the natural world, in which case you would find, in recorded history, thousands of years of homosexual behavior among humans. This is another actual fact.

Such a survey will also expose the burning alive of heretics and witches, genocide, and countless other violations of both human and civil rights perpetrated at the behest of powerful and intolerant leaders of governments and religions throughout history, executed in the name of morality and an adherence to "The Law of Nature" or "God's Law."

The First Amendment protects the bishop's right to express his opinion as it protects the rest of us from his opinions. At least it should.

BRUCE ARGO

Ashaway