The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage:
6 Things You Need to Know About What's Really at Stake
By Erwin W. Lutzer / Moody Publishers
I like Erwin Lutzer. I think he is a great speaker and writer. There are, however, several statements in this book with which I must take issue.
First, he starts from the point of view that homosexuality is a choice. I am so tired of hearing the term "sexual preference," as if people could choose their sexual orientation. Nobody who has actually talked to a gay person could actually believe this. I'm sorry, it just isn't true, no matter how much we might like it to be.
When discussing whether homosexuals can change and become heterosexual, he points to several ministries and "thousands of testimonies" from those who have had their desires transformed. He says that gays write-off these stories by saying that the individuals involved were never truly homosexual. Again, anyone who has actually spoken to a gay person knows that is untrue. Gays and other reasonable minded people believe that they are living in denial, not that they were never gay to begin with.
The research overall is sloppy. Lutzer depends exclusively on sources who agree with him and ignores sources that might have a view that is different than his own. Worst of all, he attempts to incite panic and fear among evangelicals over the prospect of legalized gay marriage. He has no proof of the disaster he foretells. Lutzer does not provide documentation from countries in Europe where gay marriage has been legal for many years with no ill effects to "traditional" marriage.
I know that this is a volatile issue and that feelings run strong on both sides of the debate. Unfortunately, this book cannot be seen as help for reasonable people who want to follow Jesus and "do the right thing."
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