Okay, now we get to a real confusing one. Almost everything everyone believes is based on trust in some authority figure. Most people haven't actually performed the gold foil experiment that demonstrates the existence of atoms, or even know someone who has. But we're taught about them by teachers who were taught them by professors, who were taught about them in their own classes, etc. There's simply not enough time or resources for everyone to experience everything, so we have to use trusted sources, teachers, encyclopedia articles, and other such authority figures.
The problem comes when we try to use those authorities as proof that something is true. I trust in my teachers and professors who taught about the nature of atoms. I trust in the textbooks and reference materials that talk about the gold foil experiment and its results. But that doesn't provide proof of the existence of atoms.
When we try to prove something true by referencing our trusted sources, that is called an appeal to authority. So when someone says "It's true because the prophet says so," they are making an appeal to authority. It's a logical fallacy because their argument doesn't actually provide proof. What they really should say is that they believe the prophet to be right. That isn't a statement of proof, but one of trust. And not everyone trusts the same sources.
Unfortunately, many people use this logical fallacy when debating about issues surrounding homosexuality. And it's not restricted to just one side of the argument.
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