Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful!
Review: As a teen I didn't know if this would be a good book, but I love it. I've struggled with my family and my church over being gay and this book really helped me to understand the Bible better and have a positive outlook on my situation. I've read all of the books on the topic and this is by far the best. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: The Children are Free
Review: For any Christian who wonders if the Episcopal Church did the holy thing by elevating an openly gay Priest to Bishop, for every Christian who questions if God loves and accepts homosexuals, for all Christians who wonder what Jesus would say about same-sex relationships, this book is the is the answer. Excellent! It is a well researched, clearly written and concisely presented investigation of what the Bible has to say about these confusing and often perplexing questions. Recommended as required reading for every Christian parishoner and Pastor. Especially inspiring for those who have ever experienced rejection by the Church.
Rating:
Summary: Free at last
Review: I've been searching for a book that wasn't just speculation but used facts, logic, and scripture to examine homosexuality in the Bible. I believe this to be it. The authors use real life examples to better explain the concepts and ideas they desire to put forth and these enable the reader to make a more personal connection and see exactly what they are trying to say. As I finished the book, I felt free. What I had always known in my heart had finally been put down on paper without the brevity of a pamphelet or the confusion of a study.
Rating: 
Summary: Invent your own religion
Review: If you want to invent your own religion, this book will be to your liking. Otherwise, the Word of God is very clear: those who engage in homosexual acts "will not inherit the kingdom of heaven." You can follow your own ideas or the Word of God. It's your choice. Those who invent churches that contradict the scriptures are deluding themselves.There are two types of people: The saved, who allow their lives to be judged by the Word of God and then seek the grace of God, and those who put themselves above the Word and decide to judge the Word and distort it in order to please themselves and comfort and excuse themselves. Nothing is safer than the former. Nothing is more dangerous to one's spiritual future than the latter.
Rating:
Summary: Different from the other books
Review: Many books have argued that the Bible does not condemn same-sex relationships. In the vast majority of cases, however, the arguments sound like loopholes and excuses, not a sincere reading of Holy Scripture. (Sadly, this includes even the ever-popular "What the Bible Really Says About Homosexuality.") This book is remarkably different! The authors don't make excuses or water down the text; instead, they take the Bible seriously and treat it respectfully, allowing the Bible itself to provide the best evidence for their case. Meanwhile, this book is so short, simple, and easy to read that anyone can benefit from it. "The Children Are Free" is chock full of anecdotes and examples, making it a delight to read, even for people who don't normally read about the Bible. Those of us more familiar with the subject will appreciate the clarity of the authors' argument. Other, similar books made me think, "Yeah, I guess I can see that," but this one left me wondering, "How could you come to any other conclusion?"
Rating:
Summary: Masterpiece
Review: Setting aside its few inconclusive arguments, the book is one of the best summaries of current scholarship I've ever read. Romans 1: The authors should have included a lot more information, particularly Jordan's phrase for phrase analysis and Townsley's work on parallelism. Despite these absences, the book does present a fairly clear interpretation of Romans 1 (heterosexuals engaging in gay sex during worship rituals to their god/dess) Genesis 19: I think there are a few more points that the authors should have given in order to further their case, but despite this they shattered the notion that Sodom was punished for gay sex, or that any of their sins included such. Leviticus 18-20: Authors conclude temple prostitution was prohibited, not general gay sex---Miner's work as a lawyer certainly helped him objectively view the context, but he and Connoley both leave out many powerful points that would have made their case so much stronger. Cor. 6/Tim 1.: Although, as in other discussions, they leave out a few details that would further their case, the authors' presentation here is fantastic!---a fascinating, thoroughly review of translation methods that anyone unfamiliar with translation would benefit from reading. In chapter Two, the authors go over the verses they believe to support gay relationships. Their analysis of David and Jonathan's relationship is very interesting, but not fully convincing. Their discussion of Ruth and Naomi is very speculative and the authors should have known better. Their discussion of the Eunuch literature was very convincing to me, as was their discussion of Jesus' encounter with a gay man, in which he implicitly blessed a gay relationship. So we have at least two Bible passages---both of which are from Jesus' own words---that are gay affirming.
Rating:
Summary: This is the most concise and freeing book...
Review: that I've read in a LONG time! I was near tears as I just could not put this book down. I read it in a matter of hours, I just couldn't put it down. The authors really seem to understand what it means to be Christ Centered, and bring Christ's love and acceptance to all, no exceptions. For it is by GRACE we are saved! WOW! I hope all Christians, not only lesbian & gay Christians read this book! It is concise, to the point without pushing propaganda, but truely and honestly looking at scripture and at the awesome person of Christ! WOW!
Rating:
Summary: This is the most concise and freeing book...
Review: that I've read in a LONG time! I was near tears as I just could not put this book down. I read it in a matter of hours, I just couldn't put it down. The authors really seem to understand what it means to be Christ Centered, and bring Christ's love and acceptance to all, no exceptions. For it is by GRACE we are saved! WOW! I hope all Christians, not only lesbian & gay Christians read this book! It is concise, to the point without pushing propaganda, but truely and honestly looking at scripture and at the awesome person of Christ! WOW!
Rating: 
Summary: SEEKS TO LEGITIMIZE PERVERSION
Review: The goal of this book is to free guilt-ridden homosexuals from the unalterable tenets of God, thereby giving them license to continue in perversion. The Bible is crystal clear in its views on homosexuality. Homosexual activity is not to be engaged in, period. No society in recorded history has accepted this behavior for obvious reasons - the emotional and physical devastation it reeks on its participants and society at large is obvious. The Children Are Free and the plethora of like-minded books aptly chronical societal decline. From that standpoint they might have some value. However, flooding the market with such tomes will never legitimize the subject matter in the eyes of moral, clear-thinking adults.
Rating: 
Summary: A good reexamination of the biblical texts on homosexuality
Review: This book argues convincingly that the Bible does not condemn committed same-sex partnerships. This means that if you don't like the argument, you have to go back to the Bible and explain why your reading is better than Miner and Connoley's reading. It also means that if you like their conclusion, you still have to go back and figure out whether the argument was persuasive.
They make the argument in three ways.
First, they argue that the biblical passages used to "clobber" gays have been misread. This misreading is most convincing for Lot and Sodom, where the anti-gay interpretation is clearly twisted. The authors' argument is more debatable for Leviticus, Romans, and 1 Corinthians. If you read the Bible in historical context, you'll probably be convinced; if you like to memorize passages in isolation, you won't be persuaded.
Second, they argue that gays and lesbians can be found in the Bible and receive sympathetic treatment. I loved this part of the book, though parts are pretty speculative. David and Jonathan was the most convincing, Ruth and Naomi the weakest. However, Christians should be most interested in the New Testament and not the Old. This makes the account of Cornelius, a Roman centurion, and his slave (whom Peter healed) particularly interesting.
Third, the authors move beyond close readings of the biblical text to argue that Jesus's central message affirms gay and lesbian partnerships. I was pleasantly surprised to see this chapter in a book by two admittedly conservative Christians. It's good to remember that Jesus rejected the narrow legalisms of the Judaism of his time. This is why I've never understood why anti-gay readings of the Bible rely so much on the rules in Leviticus, which they don't pretend to follow in their own lives.
In short, this book makes a good but not flawless argument that the Bible does not condemn committed same-sex couples. Read it with an open mind and heart, go back to the Bible, and see what God tells you.
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