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Heavy Burdens: Seven Ways LGBTQ Christians Experience Harm in the Church by Bridget Eileen Rivera
littlebutton's review
I didn't realize until about a hundred pages in that the author was celibate because she feels god calls her to that. I'm still too deeply in my own queer religious trauma to have any interest in hearing someone defend that life choice. She can do whatever she wants, but what I want is to not read about it.
cbodini's review
challenging
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Any Christian who is serious about welcoming LGBTQ+ people into their fellowship should read this book.
waveycowpar's review
challenging
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
An eye opening look not just at the issues that plague LGBTQ Christians when they encounter the prejudices of Heterosexual Christians but also into the development of the modern Evangelical/Protestant sexual ethic and the inconsistencies of both it and the application of biblical principles to heterosexual sexual ethic questions all wrapped up in a beautiful bow of God’s grace for the human being made in His image and a refocus on the core of the Gospel, the death of Christ in our place that brings us into His family and makes us coheirs with Christ in the Kingdom of God our Father, whether heterosexual or LGBTQ, whether celibate or married, wherever on the gender spectrum we fall or whether we theologically land on traditional sexual ethics or an affirming position.
lucy_fox's review
5.0
This is the book that has most encapsulated my personal reasons for being LGBTQ affirming, though the author herself is not affirming. I very much just appreciated her historical and researched argument for straight people to just get off queer peoples’ backs. And to recognize the hypocrisy in their own lives. It has been a book that has helped friends of mine who aren’t fully affirming, but basically don’t feel the need to push their opinions on their friends and helped them feel the freedom to fully love and celebrate their queer friends and their partners without feeling like they have to betray their personal beliefs.
gabby_lee's review
I tried really hard to like and understand this book. As a queer person who grew up in a church, I thought I'd enjoy this work and gain some insight from others in the community. But after 60 pages of nothing but circular logic and talking about sex, I lost interest. The author seemed ambiguous on whether or not queer attraction was a sin, which I found interesting.
dghoiem's review
4.0
A friend of my son is transitioning and I want to love and support her as best I can so I am trying to educate myself and be more loving and supportive. This book was a start.
Heavy Burdens provides a good lesson on the history of the church and where a lot of the unreasonable stances towards the LGBTQ community come from. Even if you believe homosexuality is a sin, that's not an excuse to treat those made in God's image the way so many Christians do. This book does not try to convince anyone that the Bible does not call homosexuality a sin, but it does look at how this became the end all be all of sins to many Christians and ways in which our actions are damaging and how we can better show love to those who are queer.
So many Christians won't go near a book that may challenge their beliefs, but I appreciate the way Rivera doesn't talk down to Christians who don't see eye to eye with her on this issue and simply puts forth a Biblical perspective and provides ways in which we can do better.
Heavy Burdens provides a good lesson on the history of the church and where a lot of the unreasonable stances towards the LGBTQ community come from. Even if you believe homosexuality is a sin, that's not an excuse to treat those made in God's image the way so many Christians do. This book does not try to convince anyone that the Bible does not call homosexuality a sin, but it does look at how this became the end all be all of sins to many Christians and ways in which our actions are damaging and how we can better show love to those who are queer.
So many Christians won't go near a book that may challenge their beliefs, but I appreciate the way Rivera doesn't talk down to Christians who don't see eye to eye with her on this issue and simply puts forth a Biblical perspective and provides ways in which we can do better.
mrindahl's review
5.0
I want every straight person in ministry to read this book. I want every straight person to read this book! I want everyone to read this book!!
Heavy Burdens is somehow both accessible and well-researched, highly readable while still taking its subject seriously. Bridget Eileen Rivera has managed to thread the needle of keeping her book approachable while holding her readers accountable. Anecdotes set the stage for each chapter, highlighting different issues LGBTQ Christians face in the church. Rivera draws on history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and theology throughout the book, in addition to offering tangible ways to support LGBTQ Christians and resources for further reading.
This book is not an argument for or against same-sex marriage, so don't expect that theology debated here. Instead, prepare to be drawn in by the stories shared, shedding light on the real harm done at the hands of the church.
Heavy Burdens is somehow both accessible and well-researched, highly readable while still taking its subject seriously. Bridget Eileen Rivera has managed to thread the needle of keeping her book approachable while holding her readers accountable. Anecdotes set the stage for each chapter, highlighting different issues LGBTQ Christians face in the church. Rivera draws on history, sociology, psychology, anthropology, and theology throughout the book, in addition to offering tangible ways to support LGBTQ Christians and resources for further reading.
This book is not an argument for or against same-sex marriage, so don't expect that theology debated here. Instead, prepare to be drawn in by the stories shared, shedding light on the real harm done at the hands of the church.