The Jan. 24 commentary by Dr. Tony Garland concerning the broken relationships of many young people and their families was heartrending. Most parents want a good relationship with their sons and daughters regardless of the life road they travel on. Yet we do know there are parents who do not want their children from birth on through their growing up years.

However, many children leave their homes on their own free will. I am inclined to believe that most who leave are in this category. In spite of their parents’ desire for them to stay, they choose to leave. Certainly by no means are all these young people homosexual. I have known several young people who left their homes with broken relationships and none of them were gay.

I have no way to know how many homosexuals are estranged from their families because of their lifestyle. Perhaps the doctor does. However, I question the fact that there are as many gays in the United States as there are African Americans. I wonder where he gets this figure. Regardless of the numbers, if every person in the world were gay, that would not make it right. The doctor says gayness has occurred in all human cultures, and that means it’s natural. So has murder, rape and incest. Does that make them natural?

God treats all of us with tender mercies, whether we recognize it or not, and has made a way for us to overcome. I desire also to treat all people with tender mercies. I have no desire to condemn, but to help. There is help for the homosexual. Many have come out of this lifestyle. You may contact Exodus International, P.O. Box 77652, Seattle, Wash. 98177, phone 206-784-7799 or their Web site www.exodusnorthamerica.org.

Lois MacGregor

Gouldsboro