God vs. gay? : the religious case for equality / Jay Michaelson.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The myth that the Bible forbids homosexuality is behind some of the most divisive and painful conflicts of our day. Michaelson shows that not only does the Bible not prohibit same-sex intimacy, but the vast majority of its teachings support the full equality and dignity of gay and lesbian people.

Why our fundamental values support, rather than oppose, equality for sexual minorities. "It is not good for a person to be alone": intimate relationship heals the primary flaw in creation -- "I am not asleep but my heart is awake: the voice of my beloved knocks": a loving God could never want the "closet" -- "Love your neighbor as yourself": love demands authentic compassion for others -- "By the word of God were the heavens made": sexual diversity is natural and part of God's creation -- "Thou shalt not bear false witness": honesty and integrity are sacred, "coming out" as a religious act -- "Justice, justice shall you pursue": inequality is an affront to religious values -- What the "bad verses" really say about homosexuality. Leviticus: one form of male intimacy is related to worship of foreign gods -- Sodom: cruelty and inhospitality are the "sins of Sodom" -- The Gospels: what Jesus didn't say about homosexuality -- Romans: men not being dominant is a consequence of turning from God -- Corinthians and Timothy: Christians should not mingle with a pagan, idolatrous, lascivious society -- David and Jonathan: love between men in the Bible -- Sexual diversity in Christian theology: how did we get here from there? -- Why inclusion of sexual minorities is good, not bad, for religious values. "You shall be holy, for I am holy": equality for LGBT people is good for families, marriage, and sexual ethics -- "When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me": the growth of religious values is good for individuals and religious communities -- "Everyone whose spirit moved him brought an offering to God": sexual diversity, like other forms of diversity, enriches religious lives and communities -- "And I have filled him with the spirit of God ... to devise subtle works in gold, silver, and brass": what is homosexuality for? -- "For nothing in creation can separate you from the love of God": postscript.

Lambda Literary Award nominee, 2011: Nonfiction.