Homosexual and Religion Essay -- Gays and the Bible

The essay by Peter J. Gomes, entitled ï ¿ ½Homophobic? Read Your Bible,ï ¿ ½ can be analyzed in many ways. The essay discusses the issue of homosexuality as it relates to religion. The Baptist minister provides an unexpected approach to the subject. Mr. Gomesï ¿ ½s thesis statement in this essay is, ï ¿ ½The army of the discontented, eager for clear villains and simple solutions and ready for a crusade in which political self-interest and social anxiety can be cloaked in morality, has found hatred of homosexuality to be the last respectable prejudice of the centuryï ¿ ½ (ï ¿ ½Homophobicï ¿ ½ 414). This essay uses effective evidence to prove the thesis statement while also doing a good job of refuting opposing views. First of all, the evidence that is used in this essay is valid. In a formal argument, any assertion must be backed up with specific, compelling evidence that is accurate, timely, relevant, and sufficient. Such evidence can be data derived from surveys, experiments, observations, and first-hand field investigations or from expert opinion (White 5). Mr. Gomes mentions the verses in the Bible in which the information he is referring to can be found so that the reader can check the verse for themselves. This allows the readers to investigate deeper and form their own opinions. The evidence that he cites is taken directly from the Bible. The Bible is his primary source, not another personï ¿ ½s thoughts or another professorï ¿ ½s notes. In doing this, the information is more likely to be accurate and without bias. Three of the verses from the Bible that he cites are found in the Books of Kings I and II. After investigation, I found these verses to merely discuss prost itution, not homosexuality at all. And anyways, as M... ...backï ¿ ½ writing style allows the reader to follow his point closely without forcing it upon them. Mr. Gomes provides valid evidence to support his thesis statement in this argument. Overall, this argument essay is well stated and well written. WORKS CITED Gomes, Peter J. ï ¿ ½Homophobic? Read Your Bible.ï ¿ ½ Good Reasons With Contemporary Arguments: Reading, Designing, and Writing Effective Arguments. Lester Faigley and Jack Selzer. 2nd ed. New York: Pearson, 2004. 412-14. Gomes, Peter J. The Good Book: Reading the Bible with Mind and Heart. New York: Morrow, 1996. ï ¿ ½Peter J. Gomes.ï ¿ ½ 2001. Biography Resource Center. 17 Feb. 2004 White, Fred D., Simone J. Billings. The Well-Crafted Argument: A Guide and Reader. Boston: Houghton, 2002.