Need for Bible Supremacy Affirmed for Hot Christian Issues

Is there a solution to the church's current gay crisis"? What the Bible really says about gay marriage - and what the Christian response should be.

Baltimore, MD (PRWEB) September 27, 2004 -- How should the church handle its current gay crisis"? Can people really be gay and Christian? What does the Bible say about gay love, sex-and marriage? These are just a few of the timely questions on which author Kye Faithfield attempts to shed new light in her book, Beyond the Closet: Healing the RIFT between Gay People and the Church (PublishAmerica 2004). Her conclusions on obedience, chastity, and even Christianity itself offer thought-provoking challenges to beliefs held by the many groups involved in the controversy. The very soul of our Faith is being ripped apart over these issues," says Ms. Faithfield. We urgently need to reestablish our commitment to the Bibles legitimacy in dealing with one another in love."

The conflict peaked in 2004 when the Episcopal Church installed its first openly gay bishop; the President backed an Amendment to define marriage; and the Southern Baptist Convention severed ties to its global Baptist World Alliance, for allegedly supporting homosexuals. Efforts to sanction gay marriage alienated many others; some plan to form independent churches beyond the purview of those with whom they disagree. Such actions are disturbing, says the author, because they further divide an already fragmented church. It is imperative that Christians reexamine the broader dimensions of our faith, how all of us together must live out our commitment to Christ," she writes. Citing some 300 Greek and Hebrew words and numerous scriptural references to clarify her positions, the author draws from her own past gay experience to offer frank Biblical resolutions to disputes, including the controversial gay marriage debate.
   
Yet the book is about more than gay concerns, Ms. Faithfield stressed. There is an insidious force at work in the church, a culture of self-centeredness intent on gratifying prideful ambitions at the expense of submissiveness and faithfulness, as Jesus taught. Holiness is being sacrificed to an intellectual arrogance that fosters moral irresponsibility, thus subverting the Bibles supremacy in daily life. Most frightening is that calling oneself a Christian no longer implies agreement on what that means. To walk with God is the highest purpose of faith, but many do not mature in that faith because they resist the Scriptures, which are much deeper than the wrong interpretations often blamed on them."
   
Asked about those who accuse Christians of being narrow-minded and mean-spirited, Ms. Faithfield acknowledged, Unfortunately, they are sometimes right. I have to ask: is real Christian charity resonating through our thoughts, words, and deeds? My book is about returning to basics-harmonizing faith with practice, healing the many conflicting Christianities back into the unity of Christ. That cannot be done without first allowing His Word to be the supreme authority over our lives. When discord prevails and false doctrines supplant the Bible, we know Gods judgment on the church is not far behind."

Kye Faithfield, a proposal writer and word processor, resides in Camden County, New Jersey. Beyond the Closet: Healing the RIFT between Gay People and the Church (ISBN: 1-4137-1730-6) is her first published book, and is available at online bookstores. Please visit the books website at http://healingtherift.com for more information.

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Contact: Kye Faithfield
http://healingtherift.com
Publisher: PublishAmerica, Baltimore