This essay, by a former long-time secretary of ONE, Incorporated, is from an unpublished book he completed in 1925. At that time, the author, after long service in the Army (later in the Navy as well) was concerned with defending traditional army tactics against the Billy Mitchell "heresy" of "tactical bombing.

Much of this material grew out of lively barracks-room bull-sessions despite the fact that discussion of homosexuality was heavily tabooed in those days. Yet his presentation is amazingly sound.

This "chapter" surveys those Biblical passages commonly interpreted as condemning homosexuality. Starr examines the evidence with a depth, clarity and forcefulness which compares well with essays based on much later scholarship. We know that some readers are turned off by all such scripture weighing. We would remind them that far more Gays are torn apart by a misreading of St. Paul than by oedipal problems and if there are in the world even 10 persons who wish to be both Gay and religious, we see no reason why we ought not provide the rationale to make life easier for them.

ED.

that an Arkansawyer might make about the Mississippians and which might be taken seriously by someone who has never heard a Mississippian's opinion of Arkansawyers. The Biblical Arkansawyer gives his Mississippians no chance to refute his indictment.

Here is the gist of the story. If you wish the exact words, turn to Genesis, Chapters 13, 14, 18 and 19. Really to understand all of it, however, you need to read many commentaries and other literature, some of which has only an incidental bearing on the matters dealt with.

Abraham went out of Egypt to a place in Canaan between Bethel and Hai and later into the plain of Mamre in Hebron. He and his nephew Lot, who went with him, were rich in cattle, tents, silver and gold. The land was not able to bear them, and strife arose between their two crews of herdsmen. This part of the story seems veracious: population's pressure had made itself felt before history's dawn. The two families separated, and Lot journeyed east to dwell in the cities of the plain of Jordan toward Sodom. The men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly.

Amraphael of Shinar, Arioch of Elam and Tidal of Goyim were commanded by Chedorlaomer in a war against Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim and the king of Bela or Zoar. History says nothing of this war. Amraphael may have been Hammurabi of Babylonia, who is calculated to have lived between 2,124 and 2,081 b.c. The fighting is alleged to have occurred in the vale of Siddim, the salt sea, which moderns suppose to be the Dead sea. That vale was full of slime or bitumen pits — such as the brea or tar pits in Los Angeles. The fleeing kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fell into those tar pits and their comrades fled to the

mountains.

The territory involved is that in which the man-loving men, the Essenes, lived 150 b.c. to 150 a.d. and for indefinite times before and afterward. That Jesus of Nazareth was an Essene is consistent with all of the reports given of him. Equally credible is the report that homosexuality has been common all through that desert country for the last 5,000 years or so.

Chedorlaomer captured Lot, who dwelt in Sodom, and Lot's goods, along with all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and headed back north. One captive escaped and told Abram (alias Abraham), who armed his 318 servants, chased the marauders to Dan, smote them by night, recovered the plunder, women and people and brought Lot back. (It is not we but the biblical writer who distinguishes between women and people.)

we are told he went out to meet Abram and hold him, "Give me the persons and take the goods." But Abram said, "I will not take anything that is thine, even a thread or a shoe latchet, lest thou say, 'I have made Abram rich.''

Mr. and Mrs. Abram are shown at home in Chapters 15, 16 and 17, which have naught to do with Sodom et als unless we contrast the as-yet-unmentioned man-love of Sodom with Abram's fertility. Thus far the patriarch's sexual batting average has been zero. His name is now changed to Abraham. In Chapter 18, three men visit him and tell him he is going to knock his wife up he and she being past the age of such phenomena. When Sarah doubted, one of the visitors asked, "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Sarah denied, saying, "I laughed not," for she was afraid; and he said, "Nay, but thou didst laugh." We follow the narrative closely here, for it has abrupt changes of subject which might otherwise be imputed to the gistifier.

Abraham's visitors rose up and looked toward Sodom, and Abraham went with them to start them on their way. The Lord meditated upon Abraham's promised multiplication and of his clan's piety. Then the Lord said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great and their sin grievous I will go down now and see whether they have done according to the cry." The men went toward Sodom, but Abraham stood before the Lord.

Abraham asked, "Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous in the city: wilt thou spare the place for them? Be it far from thee to slay the righteous with the wicked. Shall not the Judge of the earth do right?" The Lord said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous, I will spare the place for their sakes.” And Abram talked him into sparing it for the sake of ten, should there be that many.

Two angels came to Sodom at even. Lot, sitting at the gate of Sodom, saw them, rose to meet them, bowed and said, “My lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, wash your feet, tarry all night, rise up early and go on your ways." They said, "Nay, we will abide in the street all night." Lot insisted, though, and they entered his house. He made them a feast and baked unleavened bread and they ate. But before the strangers lay down the men of Sodom, old and young, surrounded the house and demanded of Lot, "Where are the men who came in to thee tonight? Bring them out and let us fuck them." Lot went out, shut the door after him and expostulated, "Please, brothers, do not be so wicked. Look: I have two daughters that no man has ever fucked. Let me bring them out and you can fuck them. Only, do nothing to these guests under my

Apparently the king of Sodom got out of the oil weep, for roof."

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