George,

They call them the Bigotry Brigade--those fearless legislators and putative preachers who would preserve the sanctity of marriage and keep the work place the domain of heterosexuals. Their latest triumph is the rejection of a bill that would put into law the governor's executive order giving job protection to gays. A Baptist leader commends the decision because he says "that activity," by which he apparently means being homosexual, "is against the teaching of the word of God, and that settles it for us." Being against the teaching of the word God, it would seem, trumps the hoary Virginian right to work creed.

But maybe they aren't the Bigotry Brigade. Maybe, in their pursuit of God's will, all they want to do is to make us a truly God-fearing heterosexual Christian nation. If that is their aim just think of all the constructive things they could do.

For example, they could root out those state employees, like my fellow professors here in Charlottesville, who are homosexuals or atheists. Or both. Are they undermining the word of God before their students? At least, if the ones already here can't be sacked, new hires could be required to sign a heterosexual Christian loyalty oath.

And what about those state honors given to gays and atheists? I know of more than one atheist who has received from the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia an outstanding professor award. I know, too, of one who was a lesbian. How can we justify continuing to honor as the best educators in the Commonwealth people who defy, not to say defile, the word of God?

Then there's the question of the enemy within. What about those atheists and homosexuals already in the General Assembly? Should they be outed? Or the Congress of the United States? Maybe the Christian Brigade should propose a constitutional amendment for both the state and the federal government that would require all candidates for office to sign a purity statement. The First Amendment would have to be scrapped, but wouldn't that be God's will?

The possibilities are endless, aren't they?

- Paul Gaston (electronic mail, February 16, 2006)