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UNFAIR: Why the "Christian" View of Gays Doesn't Work [Paperback]

John Shore
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)


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Book Description

December 13, 2011
Reading John Shore is unlike reading any other author. He radiates brilliant intelligence and passion, yet is devastatingly funny. One of the first prominent Christians to challenge conventional Christian thought on homosexuality, his writings are widely recognized to have permanently changed the debate on that issue, and remain central to its ongoing conversation. 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.


Editorial Reviews

Review

"Should be required reading for any Christian who claims that gay people can't also be Christians ... . John Shore is smart, he's funny, and he's right. ... And I challenge anyone who believes that the Bible justifies the persecution of their gay and lesbian neighbors to read this book's concluding essay." - Dan Savage, It Gets Better

"For most of us, the fact that gay kids growing up in evangelical homes are made to feel worthless, unloved and unwanted is just plain depressing. For John Shore ... it's a challenge--an opportunity to teach, to preach, to gently mock, and, most importantly, to throw the love of Jesus right back at evangelicals." - Randy Roberts Potts

"Amen! A book that gives voice to the thousands of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people who have been told they must sacrifice their identity to be Christian" - Gwen Ashby, Associate Director, Believe Out Loud

About the Author

John Shore is an award-winning book author. His articles for The Huffington Post's Religion section are among its most popular. His blog, JohnShore.com, is one of the most read and commented upon in the blogosphere. He is the founder of the growing movement known as Unfundamentalist Christians.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 184 pages
  • Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (December 13, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1467950424
  • ISBN-13: 978-1467950428
  • Product Dimensions: 0.4 x 5.4 x 8.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #823,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Shore is an award-winning book author and prominent blogger. He is the founder of Unfundamentalist Christians.

Praise for Mr. Shore:

"John Shore is America's preeminent non-douchey Christian. His blog is a must-read." -- Dan Savage, "Savage Love," founder of the It Gets Better Project.

"John Shore is awesome. The minute I started reading his stuff, I knew he was a brother from another mother." -- Rob Bell, author of "Love Wins," "Sex God," and "Velvet Elvis."

"John Shore is a gadfly, calling the Christian Church everywhere to act the way it says it believes about love and justice, which of course makes him an uncomfortable presence in those churches that do not like to be forced to face reality. So were the prophets of old. So was Jesus of Nazareth." -- John Shelby Spong. author of "Re-Claiming the Bible for a Non-Religious World," "Why Christianity Must Change or Die," "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism," and others.

"Shore is a humorist whose work is more comedic than Donald Miller, and his appeal to Christians is more direct."-- Michael Spencer, a.k.a. The Internet Monk, and author of the bestseller "Mere Churchianity."

"John Shore is funny as hell and smart as hell, which is good because I've heard that we're both going to spend a long time there." -- Tony Jones, Theoblogy; The Tony Jones Blog; author of The New Christians; The Sacred Way; Postmodern Youth Ministry; Divine Intervention; Ask, Seek, Knock; and others.

"John Shore is a remarkably gifted writer who knows exactly what he is doing." -- Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of "The Deep End of the Ocean" (an Oprah's Book Club selection), "Twelve Times Blessed," and "The Breakdown Lane."

"John Shore is one of those rare writers who can make people laugh and think at the same time. He's one of the most talented, funny, and deeply thoughtful writers I know. He's a sincere pleasure to read."-- Richard Louv, author of international bestsellers "Last Child in the Woods," and "The Nature Principle."

"John Shore, the legitimate son of Kurt Vonnegut and Dave Barry, writes with a freaky energy and humor and imagination that illuminate his characters' and readers' hearts. He's the real thing."-- Richard Lederer, author of more than thirty books on the English language, including the bestselling "Anguished English" series and "The Miracle of Language."

"Shore is a madman and a genius."-- Eric Metaxas, author of bestsellers "Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery," and, "Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy," the Christian Booksellers Association 2011 Book of the Year.

"John Shore's unique, honest, and passionate writings draw us to dig a little deeper, to listen with the intention of truly hearing and understanding each other. He gives voice to those without a platform; he puts into words our latent questions/ observations about today's topics that are begging to be addressed from the viewpoint of an informed Christian"-- Spencer Burke, founder of TheOOZE.com

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars More than "Unfair" December 21, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
John Shore writes a very popular blog on religious and social issues. Early in 2011, I observed as a few folks began emailing John about their struggles with the church's position on homosexuality and the prejudice they faced from the church because of their sexuality. Without fail, John responded with grace and love to those letter writers, and in his responses, issued numerous challenges to the church to repent of their sins.

Sensing the power of these personal stories, John issued a call for folks to share their stories, to share the pain inflicted upon them by the church, and their struggles to reconcile faith and sexuality.

Those letters form the framework of "UNFAIR: Why the "Christian" View of Gays Doesn't Work"

Each of these letters tore at my heartstrings as I read of the hatred and abuse heaped upon the writers, and I am angered by the fact that this abuse was committed in the name of Christ.

Yet there is liberation in the letters as well, as some of the writers relate wonderfully touching, amazing personal experiences of a God that offers no condemnation, but only love and welcome.

Interspersed between these letters are John's own reflections, in articles that challenge the church to actually inhabit the gospel of grace and share that grace with others.

Finally, John and his wife Cat systematically lay waste to all so-called "biblical" opposition to homosexuality, taking each of the so called "clobber passages" and stripping them of the rhetoric that has been attached.

As a former conservative evangelical, and now progressive pastor; I have studied the issue of homosexuality for years. I can say that without a doubt, this book is the best treatment of the subject that I have ever read.
... Read more ›
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Comforting December 30, 2011
Format:Paperback
If there was a minister like John Shore in my community, I would resume going to church. I was raised a Catholic,
and became a member of the Presbyterian church for almost 2 decades, when I left because of increasingly strident
hate speech about gay people. I have several friends, co-workers and family members who are gay, and none of
what they say at church has been true to my experience. The things they say and do at the church, also are hurtful
to other people, whose children, brother's, sisters, neighbors or friends are gay. This book was very comforting,
with biblical truths that back up what I had long concluded on my own. I encourage people to read it. Read the
whole thing, or just a part of it, and you will have the same feeling of relief. Thank you John Shore.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful! December 30, 2011
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was once embarrassed to call myself a Christian because the word has sadly become synonymous with those who tout extreme, fundamentalist and hateful views. Reading this book gave me hope that Jesus' message of love and his passion for obliterating hypocrisy are alive and well today! As a heterosexual, married woman who loves the GLBT community, I can honestly say that my faith, my morals, my freedom and my marriage have never been threatened by the existence of people trying to live thir lives honestly. God bless John Shore.
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
By K. Byrd
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
John Shore is a funny guy. But he is passionate about an issue that is no laughing matter: the continued discrimination against our GLBT brothers and sisters, often in the name of Christianity.
So, what's a straight married guy doing writing so much about gay issues? Because he is a Christian who takes seriously the Command above all commandments: to love God with all your heart and to love your neighbor as yourself. And who is your neighbor? EVERYONE is your neighbor, including people who are gay.

UNFAIR: Why the "Christian" View of Gays Doesn't Work is a book that had its genesis in an email John Shore received from a young girl who was terrified to come out to her Southern Baptist parents, a girl who still clung to her Christianity but could no longer lie to herself about an immutable part of her constitution. Every aspect of the prospect of coming out was fraught with peril. John Shore writes: "After picking my heart up off the floor, I thought,"How can people read letters like that and ever doubt that a person can be both gay and Christian?" The problem, I realized, was that people weren't reading such letters."

What follows are essays from John's blog, followed by letters that he received from gay people relating their experiences with Christianity, Christians and the church. These letters provide an opportunity to slip on the shoes of others and walk a mile or two in their lives, lives often imbued with a soul shattering pain born of the belief that the God you love and long to serve considers you an abomination. Can you imagine? Please, I beg you, try.

Imagine hearing that an essential part of your inborn self was an affront to God. Imagine trying, trying, trying, TRYING to be something you are not, to live a lie that burdens the soul.
... Read more ›
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it...share it!!! September 24, 2012
Format:Paperback
This book is one of those that I read - and read again - and then left in my doctor's office to share with whoever picked it up!
This is a great way to share bits of love and insight with people you don't know, and will never meet....and its message is too important to sit on my shelf!
Buy it...read it...SHARE IT!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars Perspective
Since I am a parent I really didn't want to read more horror stories of hate and ugliness. But this might be a good book for someone that needs to know they are not alone.
Published 4 days ago by K. Abney
4.0 out of 5 stars A self-evident truth
While the title of this book is a self-evident truth, the author does a good job at exploring the argument that biblical teachings--especially in Leviticus and in the writings of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Art
5.0 out of 5 stars Every one should know this
Most people think that gay people choose to be gay and could be different if they wanted to be. Sorry folks, God sent them to the world the way they are. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Paula J. Strickland
3.0 out of 5 stars mmmmmmm
Seriously if you are going to argue a point you need to hear both sides of the story. Otherwise you can't debate a good debate.
Published 4 months ago by Karen Gutherless
2.0 out of 5 stars The usual feel-good baloney
I am an elderly gay man who has been in and out of various churches. I do not consider my feelings to be sinful in and of themselves, but homosexual activity is a sin. Read more
Published 5 months ago by othoniaboys
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent
For TOO long there has been a major disconnect in what many Evangelical Christians practice and preach. Read more
Published 5 months ago by C. Clay
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars isn't enough! --> "UNFAIR!"
"UNFAIR" is quite simply, an excellent book. John Shore has an incredibly beautiful gift: the ability of communicating Jesus' instructions to "love one another" and "love thy... Read more
Published 5 months ago by boberto
1.0 out of 5 stars ?Biblical Truth?
If you are not interested in biblical truth you will love this book. Those who are familiar with Scripture, however, will find this book to be in strong opposition to what God has... Read more
Published 6 months ago by David A. Hunter
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read that gets to the heart of the issues.
John Shore takes the time to get to the heart of the issues surrounding being gay & Christian. And how Christians can & should do more to bridge the gap created by the old views of... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Vanity Scare
4.0 out of 5 stars Relationship is the Key to Understanding -- This is a Good Start if...
What shifted my dogma that had been handed to me when I entered the Evangelical movement was RELATIONSHIP. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Kathy Baldock/Canyonwalker
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