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UNFAIR: Why the "Christian" View of Gays Doesn't Work
UNFAIR offers the best of Shore's galvanizing essays on homosexuality and Christians/Christianity, interspersed between inspiring, heart-wrenchingly honest letters sent to Shore from gay people testifying about what it's like to grow up and live both gay and Christian. Its concluding essay, "Taking God at His Word: The Bible and Homosexuality," is an original, comprehensive, and masterful argument for why using the Bible as the basis for condemning "unrepentant" gay people is not only untenable and unscriptural, it's immoral. If you read only one book on the subject of gay people and Christianity, make it UNFAIR.
184 pages, ebook
First published November 8, 2011
3 people are currently reading
41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
January 10, 2012
VERY thought provoking! Having grown up in the "Bible Belt" leaning to the "Christian Right", I had most of the prejudices described in the book but always justified it by saying I was "hating the sin, not the sinner". What a hypocrite I was!! This book really opened my eyes to what the Godly view of gays should be! I recommend this book to anyone who struggles with reconciling their love for gays with the "Christian viewpoint"!
December 29, 2018
If Bible, Gender, Sexuality: Reframing the Church's Debate on Same-Sex Relationships is reasoning for the mind, this book is reasoning for the heart. The book unfolds as a series of letters by lesbian, gay, and bisexual Christians (no transgender or other sexual or gender minorities, sadly), and blog posts from John Shore's blog. There's also a condensed essay on the clobber passages used against queer Christians in the back of the book, reinterpreting them in an affirming light.
Personally, I got more out of the letters from queer Christians than I did from Shore's commentary. One exception would be his essay “Come Out Of The Woods, Christian Soldiers: World War Gay Has Ended.” It's pure, unadulterated satire about how conservative, homophobic Christians have lost the culture war against gay people, and how they should return home from war. It's pure comedy gold.
The biblical analysis chapter might be good for someone looking for Biblical and affirming arguments without a lot of time for in-depth analysis. Overall, I think this book is really good for queer Christians looking for support in the testimonies of their peers, not so much for convincing the hard-hearted.
Personally, I got more out of the letters from queer Christians than I did from Shore's commentary. One exception would be his essay “Come Out Of The Woods, Christian Soldiers: World War Gay Has Ended.” It's pure, unadulterated satire about how conservative, homophobic Christians have lost the culture war against gay people, and how they should return home from war. It's pure comedy gold.
The biblical analysis chapter might be good for someone looking for Biblical and affirming arguments without a lot of time for in-depth analysis. Overall, I think this book is really good for queer Christians looking for support in the testimonies of their peers, not so much for convincing the hard-hearted.
September 16, 2012
This is a collection of letters and essays by LGBTQ Christians, plus several of John Shore's pieces about Christianity and gay people. Very moving--and much of it very familiar for me. Highly recommend this book for anyone, gay OR straight, struggling to reconcile "biblical" Christianity and homosexuality.
January 20, 2012
Shore makes an emotional appeal that Christians need to do more than "tolerate" gays and that there is no legitimate foundation for the demand that gay Christians must remain celibate to be in good moral standing. Hurrah! I could not agree more. However, I was expecting a more academic argument, and Shore provides the emotional appeal of a career blogger. This book was certainly not a waste of my time, just not what I was expecting. I would recommend Shore's essays "Wings on a Pig", "The Inevitable Rise of Progressive Christianity", and "Taking God at His Word: The Bible and Homosexuality" as I found those to be the chapters with the most compelling, rational arguments in the book (and I'm relatively sure you can save yourself the purchase price of the book by finding those essays on Shore's blog). However, for anyone seeking a truly paradigm-shifting academic argument regarding the intersection of faith and the gay community, I would HIGHLY recommend "Homosexuality: A Straight BYU Student's Perspective" by Brad Carmack.
August 18, 2013
This book is an important take on the question of homosexuality in Christianity.
In fact, looking at the question through the eyes of someone who is homosexual and affected by the Christian position is the only way to really understand what is at stake. Through letters sent to Shore, this book does just that: it shows that there isn't much of a debate here really. What these people have had to go through in the name of Christianity (a religion that is supposed to be about loving your neighbor) should never have happened.
If you are a conservative Christian, I challenge you to read the letters and not to rethink your position. And as Shore so well says, this is not about being obsessed with homosexuality, it's about saving the church.
In fact, looking at the question through the eyes of someone who is homosexual and affected by the Christian position is the only way to really understand what is at stake. Through letters sent to Shore, this book does just that: it shows that there isn't much of a debate here really. What these people have had to go through in the name of Christianity (a religion that is supposed to be about loving your neighbor) should never have happened.
If you are a conservative Christian, I challenge you to read the letters and not to rethink your position. And as Shore so well says, this is not about being obsessed with homosexuality, it's about saving the church.
September 22, 2012
John Shore's "Unfair" is a persuasive and Biblical sharing of stories of gay and lesbian Christians who have struggled with being gay and being faithful to God's word. Many have spent years in guilt, shame and fear. Many so-called "cures" have failed, with heartbreaking results.
John intersperses the personal stories with careful, honest and convincing Biblical exegesis of support for believing one can be both gay and a faithful Christian. It is definitely worth reading, discussing, and sharing.
John intersperses the personal stories with careful, honest and convincing Biblical exegesis of support for believing one can be both gay and a faithful Christian. It is definitely worth reading, discussing, and sharing.
September 5, 2012
Since I read most of John Shore's essays on his website before seeing them in this book, I most enjoyed the letters from real, live LGBT Christians. Who better to speak of the love and acceptance of God without respect of a person's sexual orientation than those who are living it? Then John Shore's essays added a healing salve on top of the healing I already felt from reading the letters. I have marked this book on my ereader to read over and over again.
December 8, 2013
This book was heartbreaking. Between the essays by John Shore were accounts of people who'd experienced some of the worst Christianity has to offer, yet never gave up on it. It was a humbling experience.
The essays are also excellent displays of both critical thinking and compassion. More people should read this book.
The essays are also excellent displays of both critical thinking and compassion. More people should read this book.
February 9, 2013
I am a Christian parent who absolutely adores my 15 year old lesbian daughter. She is my hero and one of the bravest people I know. Thank you John Shore for helping to answer some of my questions and for helping show the world that God loves us all.
This book is a MUST read!
This book is a MUST read!
December 17, 2015
Sad but true statement on Christianity's attitude toward the lgbt community.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews