This book provides a biblical and constitutional defense against the persecution of Christians who do not support homosexuality (homosexual acts) and explains why their non-endorsement is a question of faith and religion, not of bigotry and homophobia. Dodds's intent is not to castigate those who identify themselves as gay or to inflame emotions, but to present a convincing argument as to why many Christians believe they cannot support the LGBTQ lifestyle.
There are Christians in America who have been persecuted (fired, jailed, sued, maligned, physically threatened, expelled etc.) for not supporting, approving of, or participating in the affirmation of homosexuality. Dodds emphasizes that there is a difference between tolerance and support, but that the line between the two has been blurred causing many Christians to be unjustly accused of intolerance and discrimination.
While the main focus of most books on either side of this issue is whether or not homosexuality is right or wrong from a biblical standpoint, this book focuses primarily on the injustice of persecuting Christians who believe that the Bible says homosexuality is morally wrong and thus do not condone it. The book supports the position that says it is reasonable, when taking into account the Scriptures that address homosexuality, for Christians to believe that homosexuality is immoral and that it is therefore a violation of their constitutional rights of freedom of religion and freedom of speech if forced to go against this belief or if persecuted for upholding it.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Preface... i
Introduction... iii
Chapter One ... 1
Sex is a Privilege...Not an Entitlement
Sexual Immorality Defined ... 2
Sexual Immorality Identified ... 5
Premarital heterosexual sex... 5
Polygamy... 11
Adultery.. 13
Incest... 17
Prostitution... 22
Bestiality... 28
Homosexuality... 30
Marriage according to the Bible ... 33
Main Point ... 37
Conclusion... 37
Chapter Two ... 39
The Scriptural Arguments...A Detailed Look
The Six Passages 40
Leviticus 18:22... 41
Leviticus 20:13... 46
Romans 1:18-32... 50
1 Corinthians 6:9-11... 55
Genesis 19:1-25... 58
1 Timothy 1:8-11.. 64
Main Point... 65
Conclusion ... 65
Chapter Three ...
68
Popular Gay Affirming Arguments... "Alternative Facts," Half-truths, and Spin
The Jesus Arguments... 69
The Animal Argument... 81
The Entitlement Arguments...82
The Emotional Blackmail Arguments...85
The Language Arguments...91
The Pope Argument...95
The "No right to judge" Argument...96
The Suppression Argument...105
The Homosexual Relationships of the Bible Arguments...106
The Submit to the Governmental Authorities Argument...118
Main Point ....... 125
Conclusion........125
Chapter Four ..........
130
But... "I was born this way"
Is it a Choice or not?............... 131
Explaining Righteousness...... 146
Main Point ... 158
Conclusion... 158
Chapter Five ...
161
The Gay Christian...An Oxymoron or a Reality?
The Baby Christian ... 162
The Backslidden Christian... 164
The Christian Imposter... 172
The so-called Christian... 175
The Mature Christian... 177
Evidence of Salvation... 180
Main Point ... 184
Conclusion... 184
Chapter Six... 187
Red Herrings: The Art of Blocking and Diverting
The Red Herring Interracial Marriage... 187
The Red Herring of the Civil Rights Movement...188
The Red Herring of Women's Hair... 201
The Red Herring of the Bible and Slavery... 209
Main Point... 234
Conclusion...235
Chapter Seven...
239
Forced to Choose: Is it a Question of Bigotry or Persecution?
Tolerance vs. Support... 239
Forced Conversion... 240
Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech... 241
Incidences of Christian Persecution in America... 243
Additional Examples of Christian Persecution in America... 252
The Biblical Mandate to Obey God... 256
Main Point... 257
Conclusion... 257
Epilogue.......259
Appendix: What Christians Believe and Why.... 272