Choice Reads

Cory Lee

Title: Torn: rescuing the Gospel from the gays vs. Christians debate

Author: Justin Lee

Student: Cory Lee

Why this book?   Torn influenced my life more than words can really express. In this book, Justin discussed the struggle of accepting who he is in accordance to his faith. In most cases, members of the LGBTQ+ community who grew up in Christian homes usually abandon their faith–either out of fear of retaliation from family members or out of resentment from those who condemned homosexuality. When I came out publicly in my last year of college, I was heavily involved in a campus ministry. I knew there was a possibility of losing my student leader position and several other responsibilities I had within the ministry, but I couldn’t live a double life anymore. For nearly a decade, I had been hiding this secret, afraid of loving that one part of myself that my fellow Christians and that God couldn’t love. That’s when Torn came into the picture.

While it was by complete coincidence that I came across Torn, it helped me realize that I didn’t have to choose between being gay and Christian, and that was Justin’s sole purpose for writing the book. He not only wanted to share his coming out story, but he also wanted to show people–especially those in the LGBTQ+ community–that you don’t have to choose between who you are and your faith. He explains there doesn’t have to be a line drawn in the sand just because a group of people don’t agree with you. He encourages love and understanding from both sides of the argument, and he accomplishes this goal by opening up lines of communications from those who have questions about a subject the Church won’t discuss.

Justin Lee shared his story, his struggles, and his understanding of what it means to be gay and Christian. He offered a lot of insight for someone like me who was seeking answers, but most importantly, he helped me love myself for who I am.

Check Availability!