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A Refreshing Look at All The Arguments

Author: Elreta Dodds

Modern Christians are routinely questioned about issues relating to sexuality – sexual choices, gender identify, what defines marriage, etc. There are only two answers, and only one of which is acceptable in society. You either accept another person’s chosen lifestyle wholeheartedly, meaning not that you tolerate it, but that you approve it and sanctify it, or you’re a complete bigot – filled with hate, incapable of love, and sticking your judgmental nose in where it doesn’t belong. As a Christian, if you feel that the Bible doesn’t support gay marriage or, even more importantly, condone homosexuality, your only survival strategy is to stay quiet. But that smacks of hypocrisy, and we all know it. In a country supposedly founded on free speech, why can’t you say what you believe?

Enter Elreta Dodds’ The Right to Be Christian in a Gay Rights America: A Biblical and Constitutional Defense against Persecution of Christians who do not Support Homosexuality. The purpose of this book is NOT a legal one. In other words, it’s not about ending gay marriage or talking about if gay marriage should or should not be allowed by a government or society. Dodds is also very, very clear that any cruelty to a gay person, physical or verbal, is completely wrong, and she does showcase what gay people have suffered during recent American history.

The point of this book then is about encouraging and allowing Christians to speak intelligently about what they believe regarding homosexuality and why. It’s not about changing the mind of a gay person or asking them to change their lifestyle; it’s about helping Christian’s defend their faith. This book is about what is morally allowed in the Christian faith and about speaking to that lovingly, but firmly and intelligently. It’s certainly not an easy debate, but it’s one that Dodd approaches with refreshing honesty and a straight-to-the-point, organized look at the Bible.

She starts with the hypocrisy of many who denounce homosexuality while living equally opposed to the Bible. Sex is not a privilege. God makes it clear (and Dodds shares the texts and the history) that sex is something that takes place within confines, specifically those of marriage. While many denounce the gay lifestyle, they’re also ignoring the Bible, presuming that being straight is a license to do whatever they want. It’s not. Dodds’ breaks it down: what exactly is allowed, regarding sex, and how do we as Christians weaken our own arguments by ignoring the rules we don’t want to follow, only to enforce them on others. It’s a sobering look, and Dodd’s backs it up with clear scriptures. It’s the “remove the plank from your own eye before going after the mote in someone else’s eye” argument, and it hits home hard.

Next, after laying the foundations for what constitutes sexual immorality (homosexuality is only one of the many things God lists, including premarital heterosexual sex, adultery, polygamy, etc.), Dodd’s takes a critical close look at six specific passages that address homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1: 18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, Genesis 19:1-25, and 1 Timothy 1:8-11). After explaining each of these passages and examining what they say and mean, Dodds turns to popular gay affirming arguments and breaks them down. Specifically, she focuses on these arguments:

  • Jesus’ arguments (including Jesus never directly said anything against homosexuality, Jesus was gay [He had a discipline whom He loved], and Jesus said some people are born that way).
  • Animal arguments (proven homosexuality in the animal kingdom means it is natural and therefore ok).
  • Entitlement arguments (including what I do in my bedroom isn’t hurting anyone and God is love, therefore He shouldn’t object to me showing love).
  • Emotional Blackmail Arguments (it’s unloving to call homosexuality a sin, saying it’s a sin is hate speech, and you’re a bigot and homophobic if you believe and say that homosexuality is a sin).
  • Language Arguments (the word homosexuality isn’t in the Bible – it’s a newer word and there’s a Greek word that means gay lover attributed to a Roman official in the New Testament and Jesus’ heals his lover).
  • Pope Arguments (Pope Francis said it’s ok).
  • “No right to judge” arguments (no one has the right to judge anyone else).
  • Suppression Arguments (How could a supposedly loving God ask gay people to suppress their desire for human love and contact).
  • Homosexual Relationships of the Bible Arguments (King Saul and David, David and Jonathan, Ruth and Naomi, etc.).
  • Submit to the Government Arguments (the Supreme Court ok’ed it, so Christians have too as well).

Image by stempow from Pixabay

After these arguments, Dodds dedicates several chapters to follow-on arguments that we hear day to day: are people born gay (i.e., is it really a choice), what about the fact that there are gay Christians, what about how the Bible deals with slavery, what about when people wanted to outlaw interracial marriage and the Civil Rights movement (is that not the same type of bigotry that leads people to oppose gay marriage), what is tolerance vs. what is support, and what does the Constitution allow us to say about our beliefs. These are only a few of the arguments Dodds deep dives into. The point is: she takes on every argument head on and shies away from absolutely nothing. It’s utterly refreshing, well argued and reasoned, clearly thought out, straight-to-the-point, and above all convincing.

As you can see, Dodds goes straight for the hard discussions, the ones that resonate through our society and that often give us pause. Slowly, with patience and a lot of Biblical backing, history, and logic, Dodds explains the fallacies in each argument, the differences between what the Bible says and what people have interpreted (and misinterpreted), and she gives the modern Christian the space and ability to speak plainly to their beliefs and to defend them against cries of “bigot” and other equally painful, life-ruining insults. Dodds does this all firmly, kindly, but without giving an inch, making this a must-read apologetic for any Christian. It’s also a great place to start if you have similar questions. Highly recommended.

– Frances Carden

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Frances Carden
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