The Truth About Same-sex Marriage: 6 Things You Need To Know About What's Really At Stake

Rating:
Summary: A Hateful Right-Wing Piece of Pseudo Christian Propaganda
Review: Anyone who reads these reviews will have a good idea of what this book really is: an unbalanced, bigoted piece of extremist propaganda that poses as "the truth." What's really true is that gay people are a part of God's plan every bit as much as people who are left-handed or green-eyed. Gay people are law-abiding, family-committed and country-loving. Those who love and commit to one another deserve the same degrees of respect and societal support as any heterosexual couple. If you want to know "the truth" about same-sex marriage or "what's really at stake", don't read this hate-filled book that masquerades as true discourse. It's garbage.

Rating:
Summary: Well-written and Biblically Sound.
Review: In the first chapter of THE TRUTH ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGES, Dr. Erwin Lutzer lists the purposes that he wrote the book: to encourage and equip God's people to defend marriage, giving reasons why its definition should not be broadened to include same-sex marriages; written as an illustration of compassion to the gay community to illustrate that the Church (the true body of Jesus' believers) still offers a place of understanding, direction, and hope for all sinners; and finally that the book is written primarily intended for the Church as a call to action and a reprimand for the double-standards and hyporicy in our own lives and for not truly following Christ. The book is divided into 6 short chapters. The book briefly explores how things got to way they got to be, offers solid reasons why Christians should should oppose same-sex marriages, and provides a few tips about what Christians can do to influence our society and culture and return to being the salt and light of the Earth.

Lutzer's book is in no way defamatory or hateful towards homosexuals. The book was written in a spirit of mercy and grace. The only people that the book condemns are the members of the Church and how we have failed to live the life God has called us and lived lives full of hypocrisy by treating some sins more or less sinful than others. Sin is sin, whether that sin be lying, murder, adultery, child abuse, or homosexuality. In fact, THE TRUTH ABOUT SAME-SEX MARRIAGES makes a point at illustrating that those who struggle with the sin of homosexuality are no less human or loved by God than any other believer who sins (which is all of us).

The book is informative, but it is quite short, too. Therefore it serves more as a primer than a hardcore examination of sin or a treatise on everything that Christians can do to start influencing society and culture again. I recommend this book for all Christians. It would especially appeal to those who know that they are opposed to same-sex marriages or think that they should be, but don't really know why.

Rating:
Summary: Solid and Scriptural
Review: Lutzer here provides six action points for Christians who are opposed to the rise of same-sex marriages in America today. He encourages the church to speak, claiming that for too long the body of Christ has been silent on the decline of biblical marriage. He encourages Christians to take a fresh look at the Scriptures, allowing the Word of God to speak for itself on the subject of homosexuality in general and same-sex marriage in particular. He also encourages the church to act now and to seek God in this moral and spiritual crisis regarding the institution of marriage.

Lutzer is very clear in stating that concerned Christians can and should be developing friendships with homosexuals, while at the same time working fervently to preserve biblical marriage. The author here does not participate in any kind of bashing of homosexuals, but does assert God's standard for sexuality and for marriage.

If you want to bury your head in the sand and ignore the present peril of biblical marriage in our country, don't read this title. If you are concerned however, and want more information and suggestions for speaking the truth in love, get this book.

Rating:
Summary: Solid and Scriptural
Review: Lutzer here provides six action points for Christians who are opposed to the rise of same-sex marriages in America today. He encourages the church to speak, claiming that for too long the body of Christ has been silent on the decline of biblical marriage. He encourages Christians to take a fresh look at the Scriptures, allowing the Word of God to speak for itself on the subject of homosexuality in general and same-sex marriage in particular. He also encourages the church to act now and to seek God in this moral and spiritual crisis regarding the institution of marriage.

Lutzer is very clear in stating that concerned Christians can and should be developing friendships with homosexuals, while at the same time working fervently to preserve biblical marriage. The author here does not participate in any kind of bashing of homosexuals, but does assert God's standard for sexuality and for marriage.

If you want to bury your head in the sand and ignore the present peril of biblical marriage in our country, don't read this title. If you are concerned however, and want more information and suggestions for speaking the truth in love, get this book.

Rating:
Summary: A good start
Review: This is an excellent book as far as it goes but largely ignores the fact that homosexual behavior has such severe health consequences that several studies have found that people who practice this behavior typically live only into their middle forties (and AIDS reduces their life span by only about 10 percent, indicating the importance of other factors). A major reason why homosexual behavior is detrimental to health is not only due to AIDS but homosexual sex is also a major means of spreading infections, not just AIDS but a variety of bacterial and viral infections as well. Repeated infections means over use of antibiotics and, as a result, the body often becomes allergic to certain antibiotics, and/or the development of resistant bacterial strains results. After repeated infections, the body suffers from the effects of long term fighting of infections because the body's defense not only kills bacteria but also causes major damage to the body itself. Cancer of the liver is a well known result of long term liver infection. Other factors are important as well. Also, the author should have spent more time on the social factors. I have had close friends that lived the gay life style, so I understand the attraction. This should have been covered in more depth. Many I knew died young (some even before I completed my graduate work at the medical school) and others got out of the life style. It was not easy but, in time, they married and adjusted very well. These areas should have been stressed more. It was psychological orthodoxy for years that homosexuality was a stage that every boy went through, and those who adopted the homosexual life style as adults suffered from arrested development. As I work with those that are trapped in this lifestyle I have become convinced that this theory has some truth.