Tomorrow's sermon will be a talk by a professor of religious history, since our regular UU minister is on vacation. His topic has been listed as regarding attitudes in the Torah towards gay men (he himself is gay).

He is using Genesis 19:4-11 and Judges 19:22-26 to illustrate his talk. I found them distressing to read; I was shocked and dismayed that he would focus on the attitude towards the gay man who was a guest and ignore the attitude towards women, one of whom was Lot's virgin daughter and the other his concubine.

I would skip this Sunday's service if I weren't committed to be an usher. Maybe after ushing, I can just slip out the door. As horrified as I am now, I can just imagine myself standing up and talking back right in the middle of the service.

Or maybe he will address both possible issues, the treatment of gay men and the abuse of women as illustrated in those two versions of the same story.