We Were Baptized Too: Claiming God's Grace for Lesbians and Gays

by James Preston and Marilyn Bennett Alexander

Book Overview

Within the liturgy, congregations pledge to accept, love, forgive, and nurture the newly baptized member. The church, however, often lives out this covenant selectively, forcing its gay and lesbian... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0664256287
• ISBN13: 9780664256289
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press
• Length: 139 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Can the Church Tell the Truth about Those Who are Different?

The subtitle of Alexander and Preston's book is "Claiming God's Grace for Lesbians and Gays." Nevertheless, this is not a book for homosexuals. This is a book that raises important theological and liturgical questions for all of God's people. Reduced to their simplest forms the question are: "DOES the Church tell the truth about those who are different?" and if not, "CAN the Church tell the truth about those who are different?" Cutting through the psycho-babble and well-intentioned but destructive, liberal, social thinking, Alexander and Preston quickly get to the heart of the matter: (1) some denominations baptize infants and young children, boldly declaring that what matters is not our decision for Jesus, but his decision for us; (2) a growing body of scientific evidence argues for a significant genetic component to homosexuality, but (3) despite the commitment that denominations make in infant baptisms and a growing body of scientific evidence for sexual predispositions, most congregations effectively excommunicate homosexuals. The point is simple: every time the Church chases away an homosexual, we sin. In the face of our religious hypocracy and failure to keep the promises of infant baptism, Alexander and Preston calmly remind us, "We Were Baptized, Too." This thought-provoking argument demands to be read and discussed within the "straight" Church. Can we tell the truth about those who share our faith, but whose ways of loving are different from our own?