On the subject of the homophobia expressed by the current fundies, but many years ago when similar "movements" were evident, a very devout and very well educated minister gave a series of discussions for the "Youth" of the church where I attended, in which he discussed his own doctoral and postdoctoral dissertations on his own translations of surviving writings from both New and Old Testament times.

Most of the "Youth" were college level students, and several were intending to proceed to seminary. He showed facsimiles of a number of "writings," a small part of his collection, and impressed us all with his documentation and validation of sources, and the discussion was at a quite intellectual level.

At his conclusion of a full and thoughtful discussion of the Sodom episode in Leviticus, one of the pre-seminarians asked:

"So how did the Southern Baptists come up with their interpretation?"

His answer was quite direct:

"Obviously their translator was a pervert."

It may be the only thing I am quite sure that I remember exactly from the sessions; but I've not seen a contradiction of that opinion in the succeeding 50 years.

The good (my opinion) Rev. Dr. Bruce E. M. departed shortly thereafter to a post of Director of Educational Publishing at the headquarters for the American Baptist Convention. I regret sincerely having heard nothing more of him since.

John