Includes bibliographical references and index.

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 demand 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.