Palmerston North Cherie Crawford is responding to the "Homosexual bondage in Rose City" article: My sister 'googled' living waters and read the article by Craig Young and I would like to thank you for a well-written article. If I could make comment on a few matters, in light of the issues raised. It would be for starters, where 'is love', where love is due? This is in regards to the living waters teaching on acceptance and wholeness… A gay guy I knew, I heard recently, committed suicide, because he was 'struggling with being gay?' More truthful to say that he struggled with the judgmental comments of those who were supposed to love. We speak of equality in society and equal values. It saddens me when people discriminate, against reasons to which there is no justification. Once again, 'where is love, where love is due?' Well one thing is for sure, it isn't in this living waters course. Maybe some people benefit from this course? I don't know. But, my sister was doing it, in a New Zealand area. She was just evicted from her house, by one of the living water leaders, she had missed a few classes, and yes...maybe see was having a few struggles. But hey, don't we all! I admire people who have the 'balls' to say 'hey I'm having a hard time', can you get around me and support me. I'm one of those people who love to get around those types of people, and say - 'hey, let me take you out for coffee and and lets talk about it', or 'lets go and do something fun', because I care about you. Thats what helps fix problems! Isn't that what loves about. How can we speak about love, when we don't demonstrate it? How can judge others and say 'I don't like this part about you', when we are clearly not perfect ourselves'. Or do we just think we are? I agree with Craig Young, this course is not run by professional counselors or academic professionals in the field of helping people. At the least, there should be some sort of training to equip these 'so called' professionals. There are no practical solutions to help people who enter this course, nor is there on-going support. Hence, lets open up our feelings of past abuse or the like, to then be patted on the back and told - 'this is this weeks session done', nothing until next week. If you want a course on digging up the past to become more broken - then this is surely a step into the right direction. Where's the love? Without putting forward a one-sided agreement, yes...some people may benefit hugely from this course. But, I look at society and how judgmental a lot of people can be, and I think that in the confines of a domination that extends itself to being a guiding course for demonstrating love and acceptance. I think that it must demonstrate it. If someone is struggling with an abusive relationship, or the like, you help them and encourage them to see their self worth and love themselves enough to leave. I drove six hours to pick my sister up, on the day of her eviction from her flat. I've spent over a week with her, to the neglect of my studies, but hey that's what family does. But, I just see how hurt she is from her ordeal with this leader of the course and the judgment she got, from not confirming to certain expectations. What were they - you may ask? Missing a few lessons and having her partner enter her room. Mmm, well that's surely not love! All I can say, is that I hope she gets her $300 refund, but to the remarks of her old flatmate, 'its selfish of you to ask, someone else could have done the course in your place'. One thing that I remember, from the guy I knew who is no longer with us. Is that sometimes people will judge even the most beautiful people...because this guy was great...he would light up a room with his smile. But I remember him and I think that the one thing that is most important in life, is to be true to yourself. With this in mind, you will determine what's right for you and avoid whats not. I hope in society we can become more 'loving' than 'judgmental', if so, we would truly see that 'love in all its essence' has the power to help people in 'brokenness'. We would find ‘equality'; because we would not be focused on 'discriminating' against those who we think are 'less' than what we think they should be... need not I mention what this is in reference to. Cherie Crawford - 18th April 2007