The eBook version of Prostitutes and Polygamists is on sale for only $3.99 (a 60% discount). The sale lasts until the end of May 7 (2016), so if you want to pay full-price for the book, you better wait until after May 7 to purchase it.
You may be asking, “Why should I buy this book?” Here are five questions to help you decide.
1. Are you married? If so, this book is for you. I begin with a discussion of God’s ideal for marriage. Do you know what God’s first command to the humans was? It was, essentially, “Have a lot of sex!” (my paraphrase of “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth”; Gen. 1:28). I should add, this command was meant to be obeyed in the context of a lifelong committed relationship between a man and a woman.
2. Are you single? If so, this book is for you. I conclude with a discussion of “Sex and the Single Savor” (pages 185-196), and how the church can idolize marriage, making singles feel like second class citizens. “When humans worship the gifts and not the God how gave them, the Bible calls it idolatry. Our culture makes sex into an idol, and the church makes marriage into an idol” (p. 186-187). Theoretically, I think these first two questions should cover all the options, but you still may not be convinced, so let’s ask a few more questions.
3. Do you think Christians need to talk more about sex? If so, this book is for you. The Bible talks about sex a lot so people that value the Bible a lot should also talk about sex a lot. “When the church whispers about sex and the culture yells about it, who’s voice is going to be heard?” (p. 19). At this point the questions become far more serious.
4. Have you or someone you know been a victim or a perpetrator of rape or sexual abuse? If so, this book is for you. While I don’t claim expertise about how to help victims or perpetrators of rape or sexual abuse (seek professional help), part of the prescription for healing could involve reading about the stories of sexual abuse in Scripture. You may be surprised to hear about sexual scandals involving Abraham, Sarah, Lot, Jacob, Judah, Tamar, Moses, and David.
5. Do you wonder about the biblical teaching on homosexuality? If so, this book is for you. There are other books that go into more depth, but the Bible actually doesn’t go into much depth on this subject. I devote a chapter to the topic and to telling the surprising story of the city of Sodom as God repeatedly shows mercy to the residents of Sodom before the eventual judgment (pages 161-183).
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If you answered “no” to all five questions, then you definitely should not buy the book.