IT has long been said by many that the priesthood should forever be the realm of the male. The fact that the Rev Alex Shergold turned out to be woman explains a good deal.

Compassion or understanding seems to be words not known in her vocabulary.

In my previous letter I said the word gay was not mentioned in my Bible, also it would seem I have a somewhat different Bible to what Rev Shergold has!

She says, quoting Genesis 19th chapter that the people requested of Lot to bring out the two Angels so they can know them carnally, whereas in my Bible it requests Lot to bring out the two Angels that we may know them, the word carnally is never mentioned, are we to assume what it means because the Bible tells us to?

I'm certain that if I were to ask my friends to bring their visitors to me so I may know them they would be only too pleased that I showed interest in them.

This is not an attempt to twist the words of the Bible but it would be surely to the benefit of mankind to at least try to see the good in people rather than suspect the dark side of people at every turn.

I'm not a regular churchgoer and as Rev Shergold says, people are leaving churches for many good reasons, could it be that she is one of these reasons?

E E BOAL, Lordswood, Southampton.