The 10th anniversary of the brutal death of Matthew Shepard at the hands of two homophobes in Laramie, Wyoming, will occur next month. The University of Wyoming is marking the occasion by dedicating a memorial bench on their campus to Shepard.

I hope that you will join me in pausing to reflect on what Shepard's death says about the society in which we live and the dangers of bigotry. The fact some Christians interpret their "holy" book as providing a rationale for cruelty and hatred does not excuse it and must not render it immune to critical examination. Bigotry, regardless of whether it is given a religious rationale, is dangerous and must not be tolerated in a civilized society.

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