God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, by Matthew Vines
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God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, by Matthew Vines
Best Ebook PDF Online God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, by Matthew Vines
The landmark book exploring what the Bible actually says—and doesn’t say—about same-sex relationships. As a young Christian man, Matthew Vines harbored the same basic hopes of most young people: to some-day share his life with someone, to build a family of his own, to give and receive love. But when he realized he was gay, those hopes were called into question. The Bible, he’d been taught, condemned gay relationships. Feeling the tension between his understanding of the Bible and the reality of his same-sex orientation, Vines devoted years of intensive research into what the Bible says about homosexuality. With care and precision, Vines asked questions such as: • Do biblical teachings on the marriage covenant preclude same-sex marriage or not? • How should we apply the teachings of Jesus to the gay debate? • Can celibacy be a calling when it is mandated, not chosen? • What did Paul have in mind when he warned against same-sex relations? Unique in its affirmation of both an orthodox faith and sexual diversity, God and the Gay Christian has sparked heated debate, sincere soul searching, and widespread cultural change on the issue of what it means to be a faithful gay Christian.
God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, by Matthew Vines - Amazon Sales Rank: #22442 in Books
- Brand: Vines, Matthew
- Published on: 2015-06-16
- Released on: 2015-06-16
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 8.18" h x .60" w x 5.50" l, .51 pounds
- Binding: Paperback
- 224 pages
God and the Gay Christian: The Biblical Case in Support of Same-Sex Relationships, by Matthew Vines Amazon.com Review Q&A with author Matthew Vines
Q. Briefly, what is the story of when you initially acknowledged to yourself that you are gay?
A. I didn’t even let myself think about whether I might be gay until I was 19. The personal, familial, and spiritual consequences of understanding that about myself before then would have been debilitating to me. But going away to an LGBT-friendly college gave me the space that I needed to start removing a lot of the psychological barriers I’d built up over the years. Once I finally let myself think about my sexual orientation more honestly, it was glaringly obvious to me. But while that was relieving in a sense, it was also terrifying in light of my family and church background.
Q. As a devoted Christian, how are you able to reconcile your orientation with your faith?
A. That was the question that loomed large for both me and my parents after I came out, and it’s what led me to take a leave of absence from school and undertake an intensive study of Scripture. I’ve now dedicated four years of my life to researching the issue of same-sex relationships and the Bible, and I’ve come to believe that the Bible doesn’t address the issue of committed, monogamous same-sex relationships. And while it’s true that biblical silence doesn’t necessarily mean divine blessing, same-sex marriages are consistent with Scripture’s core teachings about human sexuality, which is why I think God does bless them.
Q. You say you hold a high view of Scripture. What does that mean? Why is it important?
A. In denominational debates about this issue over the past several decades, the key fault line between Christians hasn’t actually been whether they support or oppose same-sex relationships. From the viewpoint of theologically conservative Christians, disagreements over this issue are merely symptomatic of a deeper disagreement: Is the Bible authoritative for Christians, or not?
If you argue that we are free to agree or disagree with parts of the Bible we may not like, then supporting same-sex relationships is easy: just say that the biblical authors were wrong and move on. But that isn’t how I see the Bible, and it isn’t how most evangelicals see it either. When I say I have a high view of Scripture, what I mean is that I don’t feel free to set aside parts of the Bible that may make me uncomfortable. Instead, I have to seriously grapple with Scripture, daily striving to submit my will to the Bible rather than submitting the Bible to my will. For Christians who share that understanding of Scripture, biblical interpretation on same-sex relationships is far more consequential in determining our beliefs.
Q. Why did you feel it was necessary to re-examine the Bible passages on same-sex relationships?
A. Jesus indicates in the Sermon on the Mount that good teachings should bear good fruit. The consequences of the evangelical church’s categorical rejection of same-sex relationships have been anything but good: higher likelihoods of depression, illegal drug use, relational brokenness, and suicide. Those are all red flags that opposing same-sex marriage isn’t the best understanding of Scripture. That bad fruit was the main reason I felt I needed to take a closer look at the Bible on this subject.
Q. What did you discover in your research that helped you and your family with accepting your orientation?
A. The first thing I realized was simple but significant: The longest discussion of same-sex behavior in Scripture—in Paul’s letter to the Romans—referred only to lustful behavior. The types of loving, committed gay marriages we see on a regular basis today are never discussed in the Bible. In fact, the entire understanding of same-sex orientation as an exclusive, permanent, and unchosen characteristic of some people is completely foreign to the world of the Bible, which helps explain why the Bible’s discussion of same-sex behavior looks quite different from our modern debate. Understanding those differences was crucial in bringing my parents to a place of affirming my sexual orientation.
Q. How does the case you present in God and the Gay Christian change the conversation regarding the inclusion of LGBT Christians in the church?
A. Given that the six references to same-sex behavior in Scripture are all negative, it’s easy to see how the debate has unfolded in the way that it has. For a long time, it’s seemed like there have been two options: either accept Scripture’s negative judgment on same-sex unions, or set aside certain passages from Scripture and accept same-sex unions. But as I argue in the book, that is a false choice. Through a careful study of the type of same-sex behavior described—and condemned—in Scripture, Christians can affirm committed, monogamous same-sex relationships and also affirm the full authority of the Bible. That understanding is critical to laying the groundwork for LGBT acceptance in conservative and evangelical churches.
Q. What do you hope is the outcome from your book?
A. My initial hope for the book is that it helps to finally open up the conversation on this issue in conservative churches, where there has been little to no theological debate so far. When I was trying to come out to my church a few years back, it was incredibly difficult even to start the dialogue with most people. When that’s the case, the strength of your arguments almost doesn’t matter, because if you can’t get a hearing, nothing will change. If the book can help to start the dialogue in those churches, that would make a tremendous difference for the LGBT people who worship there. Beyond that, my longer-term goal is to help forge a world in which all Christians embrace and affirm their LGBT brothers and sisters as true equals. This kind of theological dialogue is indispensable in shaping that future.
Review Praise for God and the Gay Christian“For anyone who wants to know why some evangelicals find that the Bible does not condemn same-gender marriage, Matthew Vines’s book answers the question. Christians who oppose gay marriage should consider what he has to say.”— Tony Campolo, professor emeritus, Eastern University; co-author of Red Letter Christians“Many people believe you can either hold a high view of Scripture or affirm gay relationships, but not both. Matthew Vines proves them wrong. Provocative and relentlessly Bible-focused, God and the Gay Christian offers hope and insight for Christians who have felt conflicted on matters of sexuality.”— Justin Lee, author of Torn: Rescuing the Gospel from the Gays-vs.-Christians Debate“A must-read for all Christians, but especially parents. Matthew Vines brings great insight and wisdom to the conversation so urgently needed by today’s church. God and the Gay Christian has the information I was searching for when my son, Tyler Clementi, came out to me. This book will have a great impact on families, freeing parents of misunderstandings about their LGBT children while letting them hold securely to their faith.”— Jane Clementi, co-founder of The Tyler Clementi Foundation “Matthew Vines has accomplished a rare feat in this book, combining a detailed mastery of a wide range of material from the ancient world and the Christian tradition, a clear and articulate writing style, a deep commitment to his Christian faith, and an incisive judgment that can cut through complex arguments and mountains of data, and identify the core issues and their implications for human life. This book makes significant contributions, not only to ongoing scholarly conversations but also to the average person who wants to probe more deeply how to think about God and the gay Christian. It is the breadth of his reach and the integrated character of his vision that makes this book particularly worth reading.” — Dr. James Brownson, Reformed theologian and professor of New Testament; author of Bible, Gender, Sexuality“God and the Gay Christian is a game changer. Winsome, accessible, and carefully researched, every page is brought to life by the author’s clear love for Scripture and deep, persistent faith. With this book, Matthew Vines emerges as one of my generation’s most important Christian leaders, not only on matters of sexuality but also on what it means to follow Jesus with wisdom, humility, and grace. Prepare to be challenged and enlightened, provoked and inspired. Read with an open heart and mind, and you are bound to be changed.”— Rachel Held Evans, author of A Year of Biblical Womanhood and Faith Unraveled “Few things in today’s world divide churches and Christian communities more deeply than the issue of homosexuality. What lies at the very heart of the matter is the Bible and its interpretation. The very few biblical verses that touch upon same-sex-related matters say nothing about love and enduring relationships between people of same sex—on the contrary, these texts condemn harshly the activities they describe, such as attempted rape, debauchery, or depriving a person of his male honor. This has led theologically conservative Christians to condemn altogether what is today called ‘homosexuality.’ As the consequence of such an interpretation of the authoritative Scripture, hundreds of thousands of members of Christian communities have faced the difficulty, if not impossibility, to live out their non-heterosexual orientation while maintaining their Christian identity. Matthew Vines dedicates his book to ‘all those who have suffered in silence for so long.’ He reads the Bible and biblical scholarship as an evangelical gay Christian, giving a voice both to the biblical texts and its readers. He takes seriously the biblical text which for him represents the authoritative word of God; historical scholarship that reads the biblical text against what can be known of its historical context; and the experiences of Christians who read the Bible today. Importantly, his own personal voice is to be heard throughout the book, which only adds to its credibility. A careful scrutiny of the six biblical passages that somehow address same-sex behavior leads Vines to make a compelling argument against mandatory celibacy for gay Christians. More than that, he argues that Christians who affirm the full authority of Scripture can also affirm committed, monogamous same-sex relationships. Matthew Vines’s well-read and well-argued book deserves to be read by all those who have suffered in silence, but also by members and ministers of Christian communities struggling with the recognition and appreciation of their gay members.”— Martti Nissinen, professor of Old Testament Studies, University of Helsinki, author of Homoeroticism in the Biblical World: A Historical Perspective“Matthew Vines lives at an intersection of identities: a committed, theologically conservative Christian who also happens to be an out gay man. In offering both a scholarly and profoundly personal reconciliation of a duality often depicted as hopelessly at odds, he performs a public service that is valiant, hopeful and long overdue. He points the way forward for all those still stranded at the intersection.”— Leonard Pitts, Jr., Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist; author of Freeman “Matthew Vines brings within reach of non-specialists the rich store of scholarly work on what Scripture does and does not say about same-sex relationships. Coupled with his poignant descriptions of the damage done by traditional exclusionary interpretations, his book is an essential resource for all who seek to find their bearings in the current debate over the Bible’s teachings for gay people.”— Dr. Mark Achtemeier, Presbyterian theologian; author of The Bible’s Yes to Same-Sex Marriage
About the Author
Matthew Vines is the founder of The Reformation Project, a Bible-based, non-profit organization that seeks to reform church teaching on sexual orientation and gender identity. Matthew took a leave from his studies at Harvard University to research what the Bible says about homosexuality. His teaching on this topic has been featured in media worldwide, including USA Today, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Matthew lives in Wichita, Kansas.
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351 of 413 people found the following review helpful. Not as convincing as advertised By James Pyles Matthew Vines is an Evangelical Christian who is seeking to not only establish that the Bible does not actively condemn loving, monogamous, homosexual relationships, but actually supports them, and he’s going to try and do that using a high view of the Bible.I’ve seen other resources, primarily online, from various progressive churches that are inclusive of the LGBTQ community by taking a low view of the Bible, that is, by not accepting that the Bible is inerrant and ultimately the authoritative Word of God. It’s more of a set of “guidelines” and therefore, the sections of the Bible condemning homosexual behavior are not to be taken literally or, they were social norms that were once valid in ancient societies but have no application in the modern world of faith.Vines, by contrast, embraces the full authority of the Bible but believes it has been misinterpreted and misapplied, resulting in the Evangelical Church’s long condemnation of homosexual behavior and of gay people, including the gay Christians in their (our) midst.Dirst, let’s take a look at the reasons Vines believes Evangelicals should re-evaluate how they read the Bible relative to LGBT Christians:1. First, we saw that a categorical rejection of same-sex relationships has been deeply damaging to gay Christians.2. …we saw that the concept of same-sex orientation did not exist in the ancient world. Prior to recent generations, same-sex behavior was widely understood to be the product of sexual excess, not the expression of sexual orientation.3. …the church has an established tradition affirming that lifelong celibacy should be voluntarily chosen, not mandated. Maintaining a condemnation of same-sex relationships would require us to revise that teaching.Since point two is most applicable to an actual examination of Scripture, I want to focus on why Vine believes (and I agree with his perspective here) those portions of the Bible condemning homosexuality do not address sexual orientation as we understand the concept today.Vine says there are six major Bible verses used by Evangelicals to support the condemnation of Homosexual behavior: Genesis 19:5, Leviticus 18:22, Leviticus 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and 1 Timothy 1:10. One by one, Vines addresses each of these points but he might as well have saved himself the trouble because of a few details that make those arguments moot.“As we saw in Chapter 2, same-sex relations in the first century were not thought to be the expression of an exclusive sexual orientation. They were widely understood to be the product of excessive sexual desire in general. This understanding, I want to stress, cannot be reduced to a mere misconception. It was a reflection of widespread cultural practices that differ greatly from modern ones.-Vines, pg 106Vines expands on this matter greatly in Chapter 2: “Telescopes, Tradition, and Sexual Orientation.” Dating back to the days of Moses and extending up through the first century CE, the available Biblical and historical information indicates that any same-sex behavior we witness in these records was related to issues of ritual idolatry or status. Homosexual and heterosexual temple prostitutes were part of many pagan rites in the ancient near east and we can certainly see Leviticus 18:22 applied to that context, particularly since many of the prohibitions listed in the Torah have to do with warning the Israelites away from worshiping “foreign gods.”Homosexual acts as sexual excess and establishing status relate specifically to anal penetration with the individual doing the penetrating having the higher status. Vine establishes, and again, I agree, that in each of these cases, the men and women involved in homosexual acts were also participating in heterosexual acts. This wasn’t a matter of sexual orientation whereby the homosexual person has no choice about being attracted to same-sex people. These were people who indulged in pleasurable sexual (and other) activities for the sake of pleasure and perhaps status (Master vs. slave, Older male vs. younger male), but who had heterosexual relationships/marriages for the purposes of procreation.“So how did we get to where we are today? The modern understanding of homosexuality as a sexual orientation began to develop among an elite group of German psychiatrists in the late 19th century. Prior to 1869, the terms “homosexual” and “homosexuality didn’t exist…Even then, while some doctors began to think of same-sex attraction as an exclusive sexual orientation, that understanding didn’t begin to gain wide acceptance until the middle of the 20th century.”-ibid, pg 42The heart of Vines’ argument is that none of the Bible passages in question could possibly have to do with sexual orientation or a “loving, committed, monogamous” same-sex relationship because, as such, the concept of sexual orientation didn’t then exist and was not the focus of the Biblical sexual prohibitions.As far as that goes, Vines makes a good case, but the best he can say is that the Bible is silent on sexual orientation. Of course, we have no idea if human beings experienced homosexuality as an exclusive sexual orientation in ancient times. We only know that such experiences don’t exist in our historical record, nor do they seem to be presupposed by the Bible. Each and every marital relationship described within the context of the covenant people of God was heterosexual, that is, between a man and a woman (or between one man and several woman in the case of men like Abraham, Jacob, and David). There are no normative examples of romantic and marital relationships between two men or two women within the covenant community.I stress that point because Vines not only wants to discredit the condemnation of homosexuality oriented people based on the Bible, he wants to establish that the Bible can be used to support marriage equality. While he does well in his first argument, he flounders in the second.Addressing whether or not same-sex couples can become “one flesh,” Vines states:“In Ephesians 5:31-32, the phrase “one flesh” is said to be a mystery that relates to Christ and the church. The relationship between Christ and the church does not involve sexual union or anatomical difference…Not only does Ephesians 5 never mention gender-determined anatomical differences, it focuses instead on the fact that husbands and wives are part of the same body.“So according to Ephesians, gender difference is not necessary to become one flesh in the Bible’s understanding of those words. What is necessary is that two lives are joined as one in the context of a binding covenant.”-ibid, pg 149In my opinion, Vines is playing fast and loose with his Biblical hermeneutics and sinking into eisegesis, or projecting what he wants to see in the lines between the Bible verses. Stepping back and taking a longer view, as I said above, the Bible never presupposes same-sex couples in a normalized marriage within the covenant community of Judaism or later, the early Christian ekklesia. The overarching template of sanctified marital relationships in the Bible is one man and one woman.On the one hand, Vines says that the Bible’s prohibitions against homosexuality do not apply to sexual orientation and thus the validity of modern same-sex bonding, but on the other hand, he attempts to force the scriptures to sanction modern same-sex bonding based on how those scriptures define marriage, including Ephesians 5. I don’t think he can have his cake and eat it too.What about Vines’ other two points?In Chapter 3: “The Gift of Celibacy,” Vines challenges Evangelical Christianity’s “answer” to gays in the Church: life-long celibacy. Vines believes it is cruel to force a gay person who is devoted to Jesus Christ and who loves God to remain sexually unfulfilled for their entire lives, deprived of the same love and companionship that straight couples in the Church enjoy. He says that orientation is not a choice and Vines as well as all other gay people cannot simply change who he is/they are attracted to. Celibacy is unsustainable in a human existence, and Vines provided compassionate stories of gay Christians whose lives were tremendously and negatively impacted by attempting to follow this Church “policy.”Vines correctly points out, using a number of heartrending examples, how Christian families have been torn apart by a gay child coming out, which has led to gay Christians leaving their churches and their faith, parting from their families, abusing drugs and alcohol, and even committing suicide. All this because the Church demands they either change something about themselves they find impossible to change or to deny that part of themselves by remaining celibate and alone forever.But I think Vines’ argument comes down to the following:“Instead of asking whether it’s acceptable for the church to deny gay Christians the possibility of sexual fulfillment in marriage, we should ask a different question. Is it acceptable to deny gay Christians the opportunity to sanctify their sexual desires through a God-reflecting covenant?”-ibid, pg 161Vines began his book by saying he intended to provide evidence to support the supposition that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality as an orientation and does not condemn loving, monogamous same-sex relationships, and I think, based on how we understand the history of homosexuality in the ancient world, he makes a good case. But his evidence for Biblical support of same-sex relationships based on sexual orientation up to and including marriage equality is much weaker and seems to come down to whether or not the Church thinks it’s being fair to gay Christians.He cannot, in my opinion, make the Bible support same-sex marriages within the Church, but he can make a credible appeal for compassion and even mercy. I don’t deny his love for God, nor can I deny his experience, or the experience of myriads of other gay people who say that they have no choice in the matter, they are attracted sexually and romantically only to members of the same sex. Further, I can be compassionate about the struggles of forced celibacy (the New Testament generally treats celibacy as voluntary and even as a “spiritual gift”).So, what’s the answer? I don’t have one. Relative to writing a book review, I don’t need to produce one. All I have to do is render an opinion whether or not the author successfully made his case. I must admit, I have been challenged in terms of the Biblical statements regarding homosexual behavior as addressing excesses in indulgence rather than orientation as such, but still see no active Biblical support for acceptance of marriage equality within the Christian Church.Does that mean I’m being mean or cruel? Vines separates Christians into either those who affirm homosexuality or the non-affirming group. I guess I’m still in the latter category, which is too bad.I have a confession to make. I was hoping Vines would deliver a devastating argument that I would fine impossible to refute Biblically, a real “game-changer” that would permit me in all clear conscience based on sound scriptural exegesis to accept that homosexual orientation and monogamous same-sex bonding was sanctioned or at least permitted by God. It would resolve a great deal of dissonance between my current Biblical perspective and my desire to be compassionate and accepting.So where does that leave me? Can I accept that a person can be gay and authentically a Christian, in “right relationship” with God through their faith in Jesus Christ? How can I hold a person accountable for something they experience as out of their control, as inseparable from their identity and personality? I don’t know. I don’t know if our understanding of homosexuality as a sexual orientation existed before the late 19th century. There’s no evidence it did, but who writes the history books?On the other hand, who wrote the Bible? If God intended same-sex couples to be normalized within the covenant community, why isn’t there any indication in the Bible?Vines has virtually no Biblical evidence of support for marriage equality, and his only scholarly source, and it’s a good one, is Dr. James Brownson. Dr. Brownson’s son came out as gay at the age of eighteen, resulting in Brownson authoring the book “Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church’s Debate on Same-Sex Relationships.”I mentioned before that the best I can say about Vines’ book is that the Bible is silent about how it views same-sex attraction as an orientation, since the concept didn’t exist Biblically and historically. I don’t know what that means for gay Christians, but I think it’s premature to say that it is a “requirement of Christian faithfulness” for believers to “show that supporting LGBT people is not at odds with being a faithful Christian.” (pg 183)While I don’t believe Vines was entirely successful in selling all of his points, his book serves as a reminder that there have always been disadvantaged, disenfranchised, and vulnerable populations among us that for one reason or another, we demonize, marginalize, or ignore. The Bible is God’s revelation to human beings in written form, a record of God’s interaction with His greatest creation: people. What it shouldn’t be is a straitjacket that binds us so tightly that we fail to act with compassion, kindness, and mercy. We all are, after all, created in the image of God.God’s image does not have a sexuality or sexual orientation, but it does provide us with the ability to choose who we are in relationship to God and to each other. We can also choose to behave lovingly and with respect to all others who have the same image, including people who experience grave disadvantage, sometimes just because of how we choose to interpret the Bible.So far, I know the Bible doesn’t automatically condemn LGBT people. Beyond that, I’m still learning. The one thing I do know though, is that it’s no sin to care about someone, even if they aren’t the same as you. If that’s a mistake, I’ll choose to err on the side of compassion.
78 of 89 people found the following review helpful. If you're a Christian with an opinion on gay marriage, you need to read this book By Tom Braun As controversy has swirled in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision upholding gay marriage I wondered if anyone had managed to write a rigorous, Biblically-grounded defense of gay marriage. The answer is: yes, this book is it, and boy is it a doozy.For author Matthew Vines, the issue is personal: he was raised in a loving, Christian, Bible-believing home, but realized when he was 19 that he was gay. What to do? After coming out to his dad, the two of them began an in-depth reexamination of scripture that would ultimately change both their minds on the subject.If you've studied what the Bible has to say on the topic of homosexuality at all you probably know two things: one, 'homosexuality' is not a word in either ancient Hebrew or Greek and indeed not something they had a cultural concept for (relevant Biblical passages tend to relate to specific acts); and two, there are six 'clobber passages' strewn across the Old and New Testament which have generally been used to show that the Bible comprehensively condemns gay sexuality.Vines of course digs into those six passages, but before he does so he spends several chapters laying some important conceptual groundwork. He examines the tools scripture gives us to judge whether a doctrine is good or bad, he delves into the history of the church changing its mind when presented with new information, and then he presents some new information: to wit, the church has only known about sexual orientations for about 200 years.What follows is one of the most fascinating parts of the book, an examination of the framework within which ancient peoples actually understood homosexual practices. It was a radically different one than we have today. In essence, virtually everyone believed that all men could be attracted to either men or women, but that interest in men generally arose when someone was no longer satisfied merely with women. Also, male-male sex usually occurred within the framework of pederasty, older men involved with young boys. The great taboo was not to be the 'effeminate' member within a relationship.It was an incredibly strange and rather icky cultural practice, but as they say, "The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there." Suffice it to say, concepts of fixed sexual orientation are quite modern and would not have crossed the minds of early Christians.Having explored this critical cultural context, Vines breaks down the relevant passages of scripture chapter by chapter: Sodom's sin, the 'abominations' of Leviticus, the list of sins in Romans 1, and so on. He dives deep into the text, wrestling with words whose meanings are often quite obscure (remember, the ancient Greeks and Hebrews didn't have a concept of 'homosexuality' let alone words for it, so if you see those crop up in your translation of the Bible, that is lazy translation).Honestly, most of the 'clobber passages' are quite easily dismissed (the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was not homosexuality but being generally horrible people, something that is easily proved from other scripture and backed up by contemporary sources). The real sticking point, in my mind, has always been Romans 1, which is not easily hand-waved away. However, after we have a framework in mind for how people of Paul's time would have viewed 'gay behavior', especially the common gentile sexual and cultural customs of the day, Romans 1 appears in quite a different light, one that is certainly not a blanket condemnation of homosexuality.Whether you find Vines convincing on these passages will be up to you, but he does grapple directly with them as they are. He takes scripture seriously and does not attempt to simply dismiss passages that he finds inconvenient.In the final chapters of the book, Vines turns the tables on the reader and asks the question, "Is forbidding gay marriage un-Biblical?" It's a pretty gutsy move, but I think he is right to re-frame the debate on the people who have suffered the most at its hands: gay believers. He makes a compelling case that forced celibacy is in every way un-Biblical and not a scriptural answer to the question, "What do we do with gay believers?"Vines also reminds us that sexuality and sexual behavior cannot be divorced. Gay believers who attempt to deny their sexual impulses as sinful almost invariably suffer great psychological damage and engage in self-destructive behaviors. Sexuality is a part of the God-created human identity: to say it is not good is to say that the whole created person is not good. Our gay brothers and sisters are created in God's image too, as the author rightly reminds us.I can't over-state how important this book is right now for Bible-believing Christians. The story that a Bible-believing Christian can only properly have one valid opinion on gay marriage is flat out wrong. There isa scripture-based argument in favor of gay marriage, and I doubt you will ever find it more compellingly stated than in this book.Of course at the end of the day, it is just that, an argument. It is possible to read God and the Gay Christian and be ultimately unconvinced by it. But it is also possible to read arguments for or against predestination, clerical celibacy, or infant baptism and be unconvinced. Most Christians don't think that people who believe differently than they do on those topics are heathens or heretics. If nothing else, I think that reading this book will show that gay marriage is something that genuine believers might find Biblical support for, whether you think they are right or wrong.If you are a Christian wrestling with this topic, I strongly urge you to read this book. Too often the Christian response to the topic of gay marriage has been to quote some out-of-context verses at each other and end the discussion. This book goes much, much deeper into what the Bible actually says about a very complex topic, while still maintaining a Godly perspective about the fact that yes, we are all created in God's image and loved by God.On a final note, it is possible that someone may wish to debate points of this review in the comments. Please refrain unless you have read the book. I have given Matthew Vines' arguments a pretty thin gloss here. Debate the book, not the book review.
25 of 30 people found the following review helpful. Best Book of It's Type By David Puranen I was raised in a very conservative Church (women couldn't be pastors, still had an used an overhead projector.) and in my third year of Bible College I started having serious doubts about whether God was really as against gay people as I'd been taught.I had to read through books and books on the subject (both affirming and non) until my eyes bled. Vines does an amazingly good job of providing a broad overview of both what affirming and non-affirming Christians believe and their reasoning, and how they both can differ from the historical information they're based on.One of the best features of this book is that Vines uses a standard conservative approach to reading the Bible. He doesn't make any emotional pleas for understanding. He just evaluates the evidence and leaves it up to the reader to recognize what he's saying.If you're a conservative person wondering about what the Bible says about gays this book is for you!
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