[.ca] The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage (ISBN 0802491766)

Solid and Scriptural:
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.

A good start:
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.