But it's not a joke book

There's a joke about inmates in a prison have only one joke book so they memorize and number the jokes. Some inmates can get a laugh by shouting out the number. Others can't -- they don't know how to tell a joke. Perhaps we can also number the standard arguments against gays: 1. Not Adam and Steve! 2. Sodom and Gomorrah! 3. Leviticus! etc. They are self-contained, self-evident units -- just like a joke. They get a predictable reaction (like a joke) that gays are leading a demonic assault on God's church.

The arguments have gotten so stale they lose meaning -- also like jokes in a prison. Are church people behaving like prisoners? Persuasion comes through people we know and love. No one is convinced by numbered arguments. Why repeat them? And why do gays bother to respond? Is an arms race the proper model for Christian discussion?

But back to: Why repeat them? Amusement? Yes, some people are entertained by soap operas, which also attract sponsors. Perhaps habit. Ranting about those dratted gays proves you are a Christian. Perhaps fear of the loss of identity. If the church doesn't condemn gays does it have any authority at all?

Repeating numbered arguments doesn't get at the deeper reasons why they are used and obscures the real message of the Bible -- which isn't a joke book.