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waveycowpar 's review for:
Years ago I saw a video of Matthew Vines talking about his biblical position on same sex relationships in a long YouTube video. And it was very “poor me…” which is a point he makes in his book that people relate to real people’s stories. But for me that screams emotions over logic and subjectivism over truth.
Consequentially, Mr Vines, you became your argument’s own worst enemy for people like me who don’t want emotion but want logic and argument and to be brought to his conclusions not emotionally manipulated to them, which is how I felt watching the video. And so I never gave this book a read.
So, I’m very pleasantly surprised that bar the introductory story about his family life and coming out experience and a couple of illustrations, and the last chapter where he tells three people’s stories, it’s actually all very logical.
There’s plenty in here to make you think. There’s plenty of times I was like “nah, how’s he gonna back up that statement.” But mostly he does do so and I’m like, “oh I see that understanding.”
This has certainly opened my eyes and made me think. I have to say though there’s two downsides. Obviously Vines is not the other Vines, he isn’t a linguist. So he doesn’t do a lot of looking into the Hebrew of Leviticus. He sort of just assumes the verses used to gay bash, or non-affirm, say what we translate them as in English, which I’m not too sure on for some of them… especially Leviticus 18:22. He does a bit with Corinthians to look at the two words Paul used; so it’s surprising he doesn’t other places.
The other downside is that he touches on the idea of a heterosexual marriage being a representation of Christ and the church and says the partners need to be different to fill this role and then points out two men or two women are two different people so tada it’s different so one can represent Christ and the other the church. I felt this section was too carnal, to about us, and not enough about how two people of the same gender can be that symbol.
I think this book has great potential to change hearts and minds though. The section on Genesis, and the first marriage and how same Adam and Eve were and that that is the emphasis; not that they’re different. That was very impactful to read.
Also, saying non-affirming Christians are actually doing the opposite of what they think they are doing and it could likely be them that are sinning and causing LGBT people to be less like Christ and further from God is an amazing point. And lastly, how asking gay Christians to be lifelong celibate bastardizes the Christian doctrine of celibacy is a stand out point. The church needs to grapple with that if they are going to continue to be non-affirming. As you’ll have to reinterpret Jesus and Paul on celibacy.
Consequentially, Mr Vines, you became your argument’s own worst enemy for people like me who don’t want emotion but want logic and argument and to be brought to his conclusions not emotionally manipulated to them, which is how I felt watching the video. And so I never gave this book a read.
So, I’m very pleasantly surprised that bar the introductory story about his family life and coming out experience and a couple of illustrations, and the last chapter where he tells three people’s stories, it’s actually all very logical.
There’s plenty in here to make you think. There’s plenty of times I was like “nah, how’s he gonna back up that statement.” But mostly he does do so and I’m like, “oh I see that understanding.”
This has certainly opened my eyes and made me think. I have to say though there’s two downsides. Obviously Vines is not the other Vines, he isn’t a linguist. So he doesn’t do a lot of looking into the Hebrew of Leviticus. He sort of just assumes the verses used to gay bash, or non-affirm, say what we translate them as in English, which I’m not too sure on for some of them… especially Leviticus 18:22. He does a bit with Corinthians to look at the two words Paul used; so it’s surprising he doesn’t other places.
The other downside is that he touches on the idea of a heterosexual marriage being a representation of Christ and the church and says the partners need to be different to fill this role and then points out two men or two women are two different people so tada it’s different so one can represent Christ and the other the church. I felt this section was too carnal, to about us, and not enough about how two people of the same gender can be that symbol.
I think this book has great potential to change hearts and minds though. The section on Genesis, and the first marriage and how same Adam and Eve were and that that is the emphasis; not that they’re different. That was very impactful to read.
Also, saying non-affirming Christians are actually doing the opposite of what they think they are doing and it could likely be them that are sinning and causing LGBT people to be less like Christ and further from God is an amazing point. And lastly, how asking gay Christians to be lifelong celibate bastardizes the Christian doctrine of celibacy is a stand out point. The church needs to grapple with that if they are going to continue to be non-affirming. As you’ll have to reinterpret Jesus and Paul on celibacy.