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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Mel ask of Falwell in a rhetorical question?

2. How does Mel describe Noni?

3. When do Mel and Lyla begin dating?

4. For what is Falwell known concerning the Civil Rights Act?

5. Why does Mel feel guilty on his honeymoon?

Short Essay Questions

1. How does Lyla become a Christian?

2. What is Mel's memories of a boy named Darrel at camp?

3. From where does Mel say his self hatred arose?

4. What does White relate about Falwell and civil rights?

5. What does Mel say about whom he might blame for his homosexuality and his feeling miserable as an adolescent?

6. What does Mel White recall about a young seminarian who preached at a church camp Mel attends when he is twelve?

7. How does Mel try to avoid being discovered as being gay?

8. What movie and book does White produce while serving as the pastor of Evangelical Covenant?

9. What does White worry about on his honeymoon, and how does he solve the problem?

10. What does White start to pursue concerning his feelings of attraction to other men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. Do you believe Mel White was hypocritical in continuing to earn a living working for the religious right after he began to realize that he was probably homosexual? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

2. Why do you think Jerry Falwell refused to answer Mel White's letter requesting a discussion with White about homosexuality and the Christian church? Do you think Falwell handled this situation justly? Discuss fully with examples from the text.

3. Discuss the situation when Mel White decides to travel to Acapulco, Mexico to work with Billy Graham instead of traveling to Chicago to live with Tom Montgomery. What does this situation say about White? About Montgomery?

Essay Topic 2

Monogamy and marriage fidelity are topics that occur throughout Stranger at the Gate. Discuss the following:

1. What are the meanings of monogamy and fidelity?

2. Do you think monogamy is realistic in a long-term relationship? Why or why not?

3. Do you believe Mel is committing adultery when he is sexually involved with men though still married? Why or why not?

4. Do you think if gay marriage were legal, homosexual couples would be just as monogamous as heterosexual couples? Why or why not.

Essay Topic 3

Homosexuality is one of the predominant themes of Stranger at the Gate. Discuss the following:

1. Research the history of homosexuality in the United States and write an informative essay about what you find. Relate the information to what you read in Stranger at the Gate.

2. Engaging in homosexual acts used to be a crime in the United States. It was only in 2003 that laws against homosexual acts were declared invalid. Do you think homosexual acts should be legislated? Upon what basis?

3. Many other countries still have laws against homosexuality--some of them outlaw only male-male sex; others any homosexual sex. Research one country that still outlaws homosexual sex and compare/contrast their culture in regards to religion and sex to that of the United States.

(see the answer keys)

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