RESTORING FAITH TO THOSE WHO DOUBT
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…where those who believe can find common ground… |
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…and share their experiences with others from
all walks of life! |
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“Trust
in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct thy paths.”
Proverbs 3:5-7
1. What is Repenthouse.org?
Repenthouse.org is a website maintained by the Repenthouse Publications, a publishing company headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area, California,
specializing in inspirational and self-help literature. Our primary purpose is to facilitate the
repentance mandated by God in the Bible as recorded in Isaiah 55:7 and Mark
1:14-15, thus “helping humanity come clean for Christ.”
2. What kind of material do you
publish?
We publish
both fiction and nonfiction, from two-page tracts to thousand-page textbooks,
on a wide variety of subjects presented principally, though not exclusively,
from a non-denominational Evangelical Christian
perspective. We are also interested in
exploring not only interdenominational discourse but also interfaith relations
among all major world religions. Readers
are invited to review our Topics page for a summary of the subjects we’re considering for publication from
month to month. Our Submission Guidelines page covers the general rules in two simple sections: content and form.
3. What do you mean by Evangelical Christianity? Don’t all Christians practice evangelism?
Given the terms of Lord’s Great
Commission recorded in Matthew 28:19-20 (“Go ye therefore, and teach
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of
the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded
you…”), we certainly hope so. But just what
is this Good News (in Greek the evangelion) we are called to
preach “to every creature” (Mark 16:15)?
How does it make a difference
in our lives as Christians?
First, it teaches that
salvation is effected by grace through our faith
in God’s revelations
(Ephesians 2:8), particularly with regard to the Atonement, and not by means of “works,” or any number of good
deeds. The Bible also reminds us that,
however sincerely felt, faith that does not produce ethical action is dead (James 2:20-26). The prophet Isaiah acknowledged millennia
ago,
“We
are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;
and our iniquities, like the wind, have
taken us away.”
Second, Evangelical
Christianity emphasizes the “born again” experience described in John
3:3-16. We must be born “from above” – a
parallel meaning of the Greek adverb anōthen used in John 3:3 – and spiritually renewed by the
experience (2 Corinthians 5:17), making us children of God and not of the
material world that resists His will.
Third, we accept the inspiration and authority of the Holy Bible, containing the spoken and
written Word of God, to guide us in all matters of faith and morality. Although it contains many timeless historical
and psychological truths, we don’t regard it as a work of rational scientific
inquiry like Charles Darwin’s Origin of
Species or Bertrand Russell’s ABC of Relativity. We thus tend not to adopt Young Earth Creationism or Flat Earth pseudoscience as cosmological
viewpoints.
A trans-denominational
coalition of Bible-believing Christians, Evangelicals
can be found in virtually every Protestant
denomination and tradition, particularly within the Reformed (or Calvinist,
including the Presbyterian), Baptist, Methodist (or Wesleyan-Arminian),
Moravian, Pentecostal, and charismatic churches. We share a common core of beliefs with other denominations as well,
including Anglicans, Latter-day Saints, Lutherans, Orthodox Christians, Restorationists,
Roman Catholics, Seventh-day Adventists, and even Unitarian-Universalists. Some Catholics consider themselves
Evangelical Christians because of the Church’s emphasis on traditional
evangelism. We likewise share a special
spiritual affinity with Jews, to
whose ancestors the Lord first revealed His will for His people, and with whom
we believe His Covenant to be fully in force to this day, and
also with Muslims, who
continue the Abrahamic tradition and revere Jesus Christ as a Prophet of God.
4. If I’m a Roman Catholic and support the mission of
the Church, may I still submit articles to Repenthouse for publication?
By all means. Repenthouse Publications was founded to provide educational material on the
subject of Christianity to all readers interested in learning about
them. We respect a wide diversity of
opinions – even when they differ from our officially editorial policy. We want people from all walks of life to
communicate with each other freely but respectfully, to share ideas and common
ambitions with each other, and ultimately to learn what we can from each other
while striving to make the world a better, kinder, and more productive home for
all its inhabitants.
We ask that you identify a
denominational viewpoint as such so we may target the appropriate
audience. That stated, we may
occasionally publish works critical of specific practices or even teachings
within non-Evangelical groups. We do
this to promote discourse among the adherents of different doctrinal viewpoints. What are the Roman Catholic Church’s latest
teachings about purgatory, for
instance, and why do most Protestants still reject them? What advantage if any is to be gained from venerating saints? Is the Church’s official teaching on limbo, particularly the Limbo of the
Infants, widely understood by believers?
How do interdenominational families navigate points of
disagreement? We want to hear from both
sides of these and similar issues. Authors should be careful not to allow their
criticism of a particular institution devolve into an outright attack on the
faith of a brother or sister in Christ.
5. As a
member in good standing with the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints (LDS), may I
quote from the Book of Mormon as inspired scripture?
Authors should always exhibit the courage of their convictions.
We only ask that you identify your point of view for the benefit and education our reading audiences. We may ask you to clarify or defend a point
of faith in your text that you may take for granted but which may not be
familiar or acceptable to non-Mormons.
In the Book of Mormon, for example, Jacob 2:27 seems to prohibit polygamy. Later commentators have claimed that the
prophet Jacob was referring only to “unauthorized” polygamy different in intent
from the institution practiced by many early Mormon leaders, including the
Joseph Smith (1805-44) and Brigham
Young (1801-77). Though the practice was officially
discontinued in 1890, perhaps under political pressure as some critics
maintain, many fringe groups drawing inspiration from the Book of Mormon still
practice it, often in secret. Many more
defend it as a reputable tradition in spite of the
Apostle Paul’s ruling, “let every man have his own wife, and let every woman
have her own husband” (1 Corinthians 7:2).
The editors of Repenthouse Publications will determine at their sole discretion what material they will publish
and in what format. If you as an author
are asked to explain or modify a particular passage and opt not to do so, we
may reject your submission entirely.
6. Is Repenthouse a vanity
press?
Absolutely not. Vanity
presses will publish virtually any book regardless of theme,
typically in bulk and with little or no editorial control, at its author’s
expense, which is usually considerable. Repenthouse Publications, on the other hand, only publishes works on doctrinally sound topics,
carefully editing them for accuracy and readability, and printing them on
demand at the reader’s expense. Most
titles are also made available in e-book
format. Although our editorial staff is
highly selective about the material we publish, we never ask authors for
payment up front. As the Bible reminds
us, “I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and
there was no profit under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 2:11). We believe laborers should be paid fair wages
for their work, which is typically a creative endeavor.
7. Does Repenthouse pay
advances to authors?
No. We pay royalties based on actual sales, not
prospective sales. We are intent not to
gamble away company resources or our clients’
savings. “A feast is made for laughter,”
the Bible teaches in Ecclesiastes 10:19, “and wine maketh merry: but money answereth all things.”
8. Is Repenthouse a
not-for-profit organization?
No. We are dedicated to securing a modest profit
both for ourselves and our clients. We
occasionally ask authors if we can distribute shorter publications, such as
evangelical tracts, to the public free of charge as a way to
advertise the messages they contain.
They may choose to opt out of this program as they so choose. “Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbour, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired
shall not abide with thee all night until the morning” (Leviticus 19:13).
9. How are royalties paid?
Royalties
are usually paid by PayPal within 60 to 90 days of the first
sale, and then once a month after that. This
admittedly lengthy time period was established by
Amazon.com, Inc. We hope to be able to narrow it somewhat in the future. At present there is no guarantee that we’ll
be able to do that. Royalties may also be
paid by mail.
10. How thoroughly do you edit manuscripts?
We edit them
extensively for grammar, spelling, punctuation, style, taste, and
overall accuracy. We also keep an eye on a work’s doctrinal integrity.
That’s why we ask our authors to identify their religious
viewpoint. If you’re writing from an
Anglican or Baptist perspective, for instance, you probably won’t want to
include a stay in purgatory as a key plot element, whereas when writing from a
Roman Catholic perspective you may.
Similarly, though not all
Christian denominations teach that unrepentant sinners are condemned to an
eternity in hell, none believe that it’s possible for the damned
to escape from hell. A setting that
looks and feels like hell, furthermore, may turn out to be something else
entirely, such as a prison, a zoo, or even a laboratory on the surface of an
inhospitable planet. That said, we expect our authors to know their craft. All writers spend most if not all their adult
lives perfecting that craft, so we’re willing to work with authors who
demonstrate talent at the expense of training.
We expect their style to improve as they continue to write.
Authors should be informed
about the subject matter that inspires them to write. If you submit a story about everyday live in
the Middle Ages, for example, make
sure you know how the characters put food on the table, get to work, and go to
the bathroom (whether or not you actually describe
these utterly mundane activities in your text).
Beware of littering your work with anachronisms – and that includes
anachronistic ideas. In his 1950 novel Barabbas, for instance, Swedish
Nobel Prize winner Pär Lagerkvist (1891-1974) takes special care to evoke the
time of Christ faithfully, but presents a decidedly
Lutheran understanding of atonement in his narrative.
Authors may freely interpret historical events
according to 21st-century theories of human behavior, but they should avoid
reading the specific circumstances that prompted the Council of Trent (1545-63), for instance, back into the Book of Acts. If at all possible
they should expand on a contemporary understanding of their characters’
actions. Watch the language you put into
the mouths of your characters as well.
Caesars and centurions shouldn’t talk like Southerners. Read as much contemporary literature as you
can find and mirror the dialogue in it without copying it directly. The works of Philo of Alexandria, as an example, bridge the gap between the
Septuagint and the New Testament in terms of style, and a
study of the Talmud, however
cursory, sheds light onto the birth of Christianity in Galilee.
If in-depth research is
required to vet a specific manuscript, a correspondingly higher percentage of
editing fees will be deducted from royalties paid to the author.
11. Do you accept simultaneous
submissions?
As a general rule, we do
not. This means that you should never
submit a full manuscript to us that you’ve already submitted to a different
publisher for review. You should also
never submit a manuscript that we’re in the process of reviewing to another
house for consideration. The review
process can take up to six months. If
you wish to withdraw a manuscript from consideration, let us know Note that
this rule applies to full manuscripts only, not to simple proposals,
outlines, or suggestions. That’s why we always start with a short summary of the work you’re trying to get
published. If we’re interested, we’ll
ask for more. Repenthouse Publications assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts. Most are simply deleted. In these days of rampant computer hacking,
however, you never know where they might wind up. Therefore we
strongly recommend that you follow our submission
guidelines to the letter. Authors who violate the rules may be
blacklisted.
12. Are your publications
copyrighted?
Yes, but with a proviso. Because of
the restrictive cost involved, articles, monographs, pamphlets, tracts
comprising fewer than 10,000 words are normally registered for copyright as
part of an anthology once a year.
Copyrights are held by Repenthouse Publications and may in some cases be sold back to the authors of a copyrighted work.
13. Do I have to be a Christian to
be published by Repenthouse?
No – but it certainly helps. We are
in fact interested in a wide range of viewpoints taken from both Christian, Jewish,
Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, and even secular perspectives. But because we are an Evangelical
Christian publishing house, we insist that manuscripts not openly
disparage mainstream Christianity or its key doctrines (the Virgin Birth, the Divinity of Christ, the Atonement, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection,
the Ascension, the Inspiration of Scripture, the Second Coming, and the Last Judgment). We acknowledge that most non-Christians, and
even many putative Christians, doubt or even deny some of these fundamental
teachings. If you do, we ask that you
identify the ideological source of your beliefs.
Christadelphians, Christian
Scientists, Gnostics, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Latter-day Saints (or Mormons),
Oneness Pentecostals, Swedenborgians, and Unitarians all offer unique Christologies
that have been branded sectarian by mainstream Christians. We welcome submissions from their members and
adherents as long as we are informed which audience to
target. To cite a random example,
Presbyterian readers will gain a greater appreciation for distinctive Pentecostal
teachings, such as the Gift of Tongues,
if they are clearly identified as such. The
Assemblies of Yahweh, Grace Communion International (formerly the Worldwide
Church of God), Iglesia ni Cristo, La Luz del Mundo,
the Two by Twos, the Unification Church (whose members are – or were – popularly
known as Moonies), and The Way International all espouse non-Trinitarian
doctrines that have been labeled heterodox. The largest of these have their own
publication societies with their own authority control, not unlike the censors
in the Roman Catholic Church who issue the nihil obstat
and imprimatur declarations printed in many
religious books. We extend a hand of
friendship to them as brethren in Christ.
Repenthouse has no interest in dividing or in any way restricting the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). We actually hope to
foster dialogue not only among the various denominations but among the world’s
many religious traditions. We strive to
be a publishing house where Sunnis can sit at the same intellectual table as
Moonies and Flat-Earthers and discuss their beliefs in a spirit of mutual
respect and collaboration in achieving the greater good for everyone.
14. Is it
all right to address scandals within Christendom, such as pedophilia in the
Roman Catholic priesthood or elder neglect in Christian Science nursing homes?
Of course – as long as your approach is motivated by love for the
victims of these painful proceedings and not out of a desire for
vengeance. As Jesus taught, “There is
nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was any
thing kept secret, but that it should come abroad” (Mark 4:22). There are often victims on both sides of the
argument – specifically victims of delusion.
God often calls writers to expose such unpleasant truths to public
scrutiny. False accusations should never
be leveled against any individual or institution, however, so authors must be
careful to document their assertions accurately. Familiarize yourself with the dangers that muckrakers and other investigative
journalists face – beginning, naturally with the prophet Jeremiah, whom the Lord called to preach
against both political and religious corruption, not to mention public apathy.
15. What if I’m a Christian but rarely if ever attend
church?
As publishers we don’t pry
into the personal lives of our authors beyond asking them to tell us a little
“about the author,” which we print on the back of your book. “The eyes of the Lord,” however, “are in
every place, beholding the evil and the good,” as the Bible reminds us in
Proverbs 15:3. It goes without saying
that every True Christian knows God wants him or her to commune with other
believers in a reputable house of worship where the Bible is preached
faithfully under the type of leadership outlined in Titus 1:6-11. On the other hand, most of us have
encountered our share of lying, thieving, and often lustful pastors who have fleeced their flocks
instead of shepherding them after the manner of Christ (John 10:1-17). Likewise, many churches led by God-fearing
pastors have been infiltrated by atheists,
communists, devil worshippers, Freemasons, idolaters, moneygrubbers,
sex maniacs, social justice warriors, troublemakers, ultraliberals, and sundry
subversives doing the devil’s bidding to destroy that congregation
from within. God calls many of us to
write in part to expose corruption in the churches, but always with the ultimate aim of healing them, not of driving the faithful
from the community of Christ.
We understand how popular megachurches can sometimes dampen a
believer’s zeal because their leaders are obviously serving mammon instead of
God (Matthew 6:24). Nevertheless
we want to stress the importance of finding the right church for you and your family. How can anyone pray, “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth, as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10), and not be impelled by the Holy
Spirit to seek out the company of other true believers? Readers are naturally more inclined to trust
a regular churchgoer than an occasional attendee or an outright hypocrite who
doesn’t practice what he or she preaches or professes to believe. We shouldn’t have to tell you that building
readers’ confidence is crucial to
an author’s success.
16. May I use a pseudonym?
In a published work, yes, if you must. You will enter into a legally binding contract with Repenthouse Publications under your true, current, and legal name,
which we request along with your date of birth, Social Security Number (or business EIN
if the Internal Revenue Service has issued you one), and mailing
address. None of these
particulars will be disclosed to the public.
You may use pseudonyms, or
pen names, in your publications provided they are in no way fraudulent,
proprietary, inflammatory, or offensive.
We ask that you use as few of these as possible – say, one for nonfiction, another for romance stories,
and still another for mystery stories,
if needed. These need not reflect your
actual sex or gender, and may be sexually
ambiguous. We reserve the right to
approve pseudonyms based on length, spelling, pronunciation, and meaning. That stated, authors are encouraged to come
up with imaginative and memorable pen names to suit their purposes.
17. Are royalties taxable
income?
Usually,
yes. Authors living inside
the United States and its territories are required to complete IRS Tax Form W-9, a Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification, on which
most provide their Social Security Number.
Those who have started a business to sell their writing may use this
business’s Employer Identification Number or EIN. If royalties paid exceed $10.00 per year,
authors receive IRS Form
1099-MISC, Miscellaneous
Income, showing the total amount of non-employee compensation paid during the
tax year. Repenthouse
doesn’t withhold taxes. Foreign
nationals must complete IRS Form W-8BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax
Withholding, to certify their non-U.S. taxpayer status.
We strongly recommend that
you meet with a tax accountant before submitting manuscripts for
publication. An excellent resource on
the subject is Carol Topp’s Business
Tips and Taxes for Writers.
You probably won’t get rich writing inspirational literature, or even
earn enough to get by without working a primary job, but you can gain
recognition from publication in the evangelical market. Every now and then, of course, one of us
receives a special blessing from above and cashes in. As much as you may enjoy writing – and we
hope you do – don’t imagine that it translates into easy money. It takes patience, perseverance, dedication, a clear vision, and a lot of hard work
to write successfully. Most people need
a lot of practice at first as well. Once
they succeed in selling their work, or establish a loyal following on the web, they will have to
spend the rest of their lives honing and perfecting their craft to keep up with
other writers – and the latest technologies.
We hope they’ll enjoy every
minute of the creative process, in spite of the
occasional rejection, setback, and failure.
A formula that earns an author thousands one
year may barely generate reviews the next.
Public tastes in literature are fickle and fleeting. For that reason, writers have
to master the fine art of letting go and moving on. Some of your most highly prized ideas, even
ones you’ve spent years working into the shape you
envisioned as a teenager, may have to be jettisoned in favor of a project more
in touch with today’s social issues. Most
importantly, you have to be able to consider others’
opinions carefully, without overreacting to them; to glean what you can from
their input without swallowing criticism hook, line, and sinker; and to
continue your creative process with new insights but without discouragement. You must remain rooted in the present even
while you recreate the past on paper (or in cyberspace). Moreover, as much as you may revere family
values (as we hope you do), you can’t write for Leave It to Beaver (1957-63) anymore.
You may still enjoy the show in reruns, but the day and age for that kind of
narrative didn’t survive the Kennedy administration. It was a tad dated even then.
Don’t think we’re encouraging
anyone to burn their treasured manuscripts.
As the old saying goes, what goes around comes around. Long-dead fads sometimes come to life again,
albeit in new and usually unexpected contexts.
Never be afraid to tailor your work for mass consumption. Keeping your traditional values alive in such
projects can prove challenging to some.
18. Will you help promote my book?
To the extent that we can do so without losing money, we will promote your work on our websites. We will advise you of opportunities to
showcase your work at Christian retreats, workshops, and book signings held
near where you live, work, or visit regularly.
This task becomes easier for all parties involved once you’ve built a
following, either through your literary output or some other channel, such as
preaching, singing, or reading aloud to children in libraries. You may also be asked to assist by maintaining
your own social media page, website, blog,
podcast, or YouTube channel to make your work more accessible
to the public.
19. Am I
allowed to address serious doubts in my writing – a doubt that God even exists,
for instance, or that Jesus really saves, or that Christians are any better
people than atheists?
As a general rule, yes, but with
the following conditions. Doubts should
be articulated in detail so they may be properly addressed. Given our mission to restore faith to those
who doubt, however, we ask our authors not to end their manuscripts on a note
of doubt or despair, as some works of existentialism, like Søren Kierkegaard’s Fear and Trembling, may seem
to. Instead we
required that you offer attainable, tangible, and reliable hope to those who
have given up on God’s promises to return, reconnect, redeem, replenish, and
resolve discord – even if that hope isn’t fulfilled completely, immediately, or
even ostensibly. Don’t allow the seeds
of doubt to grow into depression, despair, or disaster. Always provide a feasible alternative and at
least set out in the right direction toward it even if you (or your characters)
don’t reach your ultimate destination. Authors
should likewise never underestimate the psychological
value of hope in the face of hopelessness. If nothing else it trains the mind to look
for, develop, and above all implement solutions to real-world problems that
often seem hopeless. “[May] the God of
all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after…ye
have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” (1
Peter 5:10).
20. What if I don’t believe in God at all but have the
utmost respect for believers who are not hypocrites?
Contrary to what you may or may not believe, God frequently uses
unbelievers to reach believers. We are
all Our Heavenly Father’s children no matter what we may happen to believe or disbelieve.
Some of us are simply more wayward
and undisciplined than others, and
the Lord will rein us in as He
sees fit. Always remember, “the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). Likewise, none of us is perfect: “There is
not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth
not [at some point] (Ecclesiastes 7:20).
Sharing a common purpose with
the Christian community even as an outsider is preferable to remaining
completely aloof from us, or critical of our way of life, which should be
characterized by humility instead of pride.
Engaging in discussion with the people of God can lead to blessings on
both sides of the apparent divide. So
yes, if you can agree not to disparage believers and the Biblical doctrines by
which we endeavor to live our everyday lives, we will gladly review your
contribution to our literary treasure chest.
The Lord Jesus famously broke
bread with tax collectors, prostitutes, and other social outcasts. Rubbing elbows with righteous men and women,
who are after all sinners just like you saved by God’s boundless grace, will work in your favor for reasons
you may not suspect.
21. I
specialize in the writings of the Early Church Fathers. Would it be all right to summarize them and
apply them to contemporary matters of faith, doctrine, and observance?
To the extent that their teachings are
firmly rooted in New Testament Christology,
as most of them are, we welcome them.
This is particularly true of the Apostolic
Church Fathers, like Ignatius of Antioch
(ca. 35-ca. 110), who worked directly with the Lord’s Apostles, and the Greek Church Fathers like Irenaeus
of Lyons (ca. 130-ca. 202), who wrote in the language of the New Testament. The somewhat later Latin
Church Fathers like Tertullian
(ca. 155-ca. 222) took Christianity in a new direction. Writings that draw on the canon of Scripture
will appeal to a wider audience of Christians than those that focus on more
exclusively Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox doctrine.
The works of Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430), particularly his Confessions; Saint Francis of Assisi
(1181-1226), particularly Canticle
of the Sun; and Saint Thomas Aquinas (1225-74), particularly his vast Summa Theologica. Saint Thomas More’s Utopia (1516), widely
believed to be a satirical novel (though some critics disagree), remains
popular and influential as well. In many
respects it invites comparison to Augustine’s The City of God.
22. I’m just a drunk who enjoys writing stories for
children – moral stories that never glorify the use of alcohol,
by the way. Is it OK if I submit
some of them to your company?
You may. As long as your
propensity toward alcohol doesn’t influence your writing, specifically by
encouraging others, especially young people, to fritter their lives away by
pursuing strong drink, we’ll give them all due
consideration. That said, if your bad
habits are well known in your community, you may not be able to serve as a
proper role model for children or adults.
As an Evangelical Christian publishing house, we are obliged to take an
author’s reputation into consideration when deciding what material to
publish. Although we appreciate your
honesty, we can extend more favorable consideration to those on the road to recovery from a substance addiction.
23. Do you publish material in any language besides
English?
For the time being we are publishing short pieces, typically
tracts, in Spanish, French, and possibly Portuguese, in addition to English, but not currently on
other languages.
24. English is not my first (or even my primary)
language, but I have studied it extensively in school. if I write in broken or foreign-sounding
English, can you edit to make it read like a native speaker’s writing?
To a limited
extent, yes. But if your vocabulary, spelling, and differ
so widely from the norm that native readers will have trouble understanding it
as written, you might as well hire someone better skilled at the language to
rewrite the manuscript for you. Submit
what you’ve written on the condition that it might be rejected if it requires a
great deal of editing. Note, however,
that many dialects of English are spoken worldwide, so there is no longer just
one “standard” language.
24. Does Repenthouse publish
for GLBTQ (or LGBTQ) readers?
As stated on our Further Submission Guidelines page, and thanks to the
Reverend Sonny Mooney, we have largely accepted the reality of sexual orientation and gender identity (including
bisexuality and gender fluidity) as they are defined by contemporary science. We understand that many of our readers still view
homo-, bi-, and queer sexuality (along with transgender
or genderfluid identity) as the
worst imaginable forms of abomination in God’s sight, usually based on their
understanding of Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13, Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians
6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:8-11. However, having
researched the issues in depth for a period of over twenty years, we – or at
least most of us – have concluded that GLBTQ (or LGBTQ} sexual and social phenomena
are all unquestionably part of the natural order of life and are consequently not
sinful – or by nature “abominable” – in and of themselves. It is rather what we do with our sexuality
and gender identity that can become sinful if it is allowed to devolve into the
misuse and abuse of human relationships.
Such behaviors are common to persons of all
sexual orientations and gender identities.
Experience has taught us that many people in the GLBTQ (or LGBTQ) community
sincerely love the Lord and want to serve Him regardless of their sexual characteristics. Who are we to turn them away? God is their Judge – in fact, everyone’s Judge;
we are not. We have learned that most
efforts to change – or “heal” – sexual orientation and gender identity
ultimately fail. We are interested in
their stories of finding salvation without changing who they fundamentally are.
_______________
Repenthouse Publications
Prayer Box 2925
Antioch, CA
94531-2925
USA
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