IN response to Lesley Lickley's opinion that the church should be forced to conform with the masses' views on homosexuality (Religious cheek, letters, January 24), how would she like to be forced to do something that she feels wrong, whether or not we all agree with her?

Who else would she force to conform? Would she feed meat to a vegetarian, pork to a Muslim or Jew?

The church's view is that homosexuality is wrong (despite controversial gay bishops!) and it is entitled to that opinion, even though it is a minority view and not very fashionable.

No one should be forced to do something that they feel is wrong.

Tolerance is about respecting other people's views and agreeing to differ if we don't agree. Tolerance is not about making people or groups conform to your view.

If the church or any one chooses not to embrace homosexuality, they are not respected for upholding what they believe in. They are not praised for refusing to agree just to be popular. Instead, they are called bigots. The church is not persecuting homosexuals, it is just not prepared to go along with the popularist view.

Forcing people to conform and perform actions they believe to be wrong is a very dangerous line to take.

Adolf Hitler tried to impose his views by force, with the result that millions of British servicemen died for this country defending the right to uphold our beliefs, only for political correctness to make a mockery of their sacrifice 60 years later.

Wrong is wrong, even if everyone else is doing it; right is right, even if no one else is doing it?

Perhaps we'd all do well to remember that!

G Dawson, Millfield Gardens, Nether Poppleton, York.