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What God Has Joined Together?: A Christian Case for Gay Marriage
 
 
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What God Has Joined Together?: A Christian Case for Gay Marriage [Hardcover]

David G. Myers (Author), Letha Dawson Scanzoni (Author)
4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)


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Book Description

May 31, 2005

Gay marriage has become the most important domestic social issue facing twenty-first-century Americans -- particularly Americans of faith. Most Christians are pro-marriage and hold traditional family values, but should they endorse extending marriage rights to gays and lesbians? If Jesus enjoined us to love our neighbors as ourselves, and the homosexual is our neighbor, does that mean we should accept and bless gay marriages? These and other, related questions are tearing many faith-based communities apart.

Across the country, states have voted, courts have debated, and churches have divided over the legitimacy of same-sex marriage. Amid the uproar one perspective is decidedly missing: that of thoughtful, pro-marriage Christians who, informed by their faith, are struggling to make sense of this issue. What God Has Joined Together? is an effort to bridge the divide between marriage-supporting and gay-supporting people of faith by showing why both sides have important things to say and showing how both sides can coexist. Drawing on scientific research as well as on the Bible, the authors explain that marriage is emotionally, physically, financially, and spiritually beneficial for everyone, not just heterosexuals.

They debunk myths about sexual orientation, assess claims of sexual reorientation, and explore what the Bible does and does not say about same-sex relationships. The book ends with a persuasive case for gay marriage and outlines how this can be a win-win solution for all.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.


Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Coauthors Myers (who serves on the board of the National Marriage Project) and Scanzoni (of the Evangelical and Ecumenical Women's Caucus) "take marriage... [and] our Christian faith seriously." Bringing together those two commitments to build a Christian case for gay marriage, they begin by arguing that marriage is good for society: marriage correlates to longevity; boys raised by married parents are less likely to commit crimes; married moms are less prone to depression than single moms and so forth. Why, the authors ask, should these good things be reserved for heterosexuals? They then consider what Scripture has to say about sexual orientation, rehearsing the by now familiar arguments that Jesus has nothing to say about homosexuality, and though the Bible does talk occasionally about homosexual sex, it does not deal with "loving committed homosexual relationships." Myers and Scanzoni's tone is calm, respectful and balanced. For example, though they present some of the latest scientific evidence about the causes of sexual orientation (including a chart of "mental rotation scores by sexual orientation"!), they also freely admit that scientific studies on this issue are still in the early stages, and that even conclusive scientific information "cannot... resolve values questions." With its traditional defense of marriage and its progressive embrace of same-sex relationships, this book cannot be pigeonholed, and that in itself is refreshing. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

“A well-reasoned, important and timely contribution to the national debate.” (David Popenoe, Co-Director, National Marriage Project, Rutgers University. )

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 192 pages
  • Publisher: HarperOne (May 31, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0060774614
  • ISBN-13: 978-0060774615
  • Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.8 x 0.9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,077,182 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

David G. Myers, Psychology of Psychology at Michigan's Hope College, is the author of seventeen books, and of articles in three dozen academic periodicals, from Science to the American Psychologist, and in four dozen magazines, from Scientific American to The Christian Century. For more information and free resources visit davidmyers.org.

 

Customer Reviews

8 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.4 out of 5 stars (8 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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46 of 62 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Book - needed!, June 11, 2005
This review is from: What God Has Joined Together?: A Christian Case for Gay Marriage (Hardcover)
Myers & Scanzoni have written a solid middle-ground book that builds lots of bridges. I hope that folks on different sides of the chasm will use this book to heal the terrible divide on gay marriage. Well written, easy to read, clear arguments, lots of information. Glad to read such a carefully balanced book; wonderful alternative to the angry bombast coming from both sides of the argument. - Tom Eggebeen
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12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars What God Has Joined Together?: A Christian Case For Gay Marriage, July 18, 2006
This review is from: What God Has Joined Together?: A Christian Case for Gay Marriage (Hardcover)
This is an excellent book for those interested in learning about Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, and the alienation of Gays from traditional Religion. I was impressed with the chapter on What the Bible Does and Doesn't Say. It corrects mis-translations and points out that "the word Homosexuality is never used in Scripture" and didn't exist until the late 19th century. This is an a good resource for Bible students as well.
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5.0 out of 5 stars A Solid Case for Supporting Marriage Equality, November 8, 2011
The authors do a wonderful job bridging the gap between those that try and differentiate between Traditional Marriage and Gay Marriage. They make the point that marriage, as defined in the bible, is about the qualities that make marriage important to society (i.e. love, willing to sacrifice for each other, someone to share your dreams with, etc) and not simply about gender.

I know that for myself I used to believe that Traditional Marriage was being threatened by Gay Marriage. After finding out that I had close family members that were gay, I learned that their hopes and dreams are the same as mine. The authors make the point that as we come to know those who are LGBT people we come to know them as humans and not simply as the "other".

There is a Jewish proverb that states, "An enemy is someone whose story we don't know." Books like this, if read with an open heart, can help us to understand that our LGBT family members and neighbors are not perverts that are just looking for sex with anyone, but, if given the opportunity, most want stable, loving, committed and legal relationships as defined by marriage.

I've read several other good books on this subject, but if you only read one, this one should be at the top of the list.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
A LONG-AGO SERMON recalled a time when the village church was burning. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
changing sexual orientation, sexual reorientation, reparative therapy, exotic becomes erotic, prenatal hormones, gay marriage, civil unions
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New Testament, United States, Bible Doe, The State of Our, James Dobson, Family Research Council, King James Version, Martin Seligman, Charles Colson, Christianity Today, New York Times, San Francisco, American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, God's Spirit, Skin Horse
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