Press Release Summary = “Bait” by Loren Stone, dives into the dramatic rift between conflicting Christian and homosexual points of view and tells in living color how explosively realism and idealism can collide.
Press Release Body = Boston: April 10, 2006: In today\'s politically charged climate, “opposing camps” of Christians and queers are persistently at odds. The Vatican authorities of the Catholic Church have stated unequivocally that homosexuality is, once and for all, a sin, and that priests who show those tendencies are not welcome in the Catholic ministry. The American Episcopalian church, however, has ordained an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire.
If we believe the church authorities who exclude homosexuals from the ministry, gay life and church life are incompatible. If we agree with many conservative Christians, homosexuality is a sin to be overcome with repentance and prayer. If we believe researchers, homosexuality is an orientation which is far more prevalent than most believe.
But the true nature of the Christian-vs-Queer conflict that\'s boiling in American mainstream culture is not about a Divine Plan or sin or scientific proof. It\'s not even theological in nature, according to lesbian author, Loren Stone. It\'s a conflict of Realism vs. Idealism – a persistent clash between the outlooks of those who believe that we are put on this earth to change it into an established vision of perfection, versus those who believe we are here to experience life as it presents itself to us, with all its faults and imperfections. The battle of Realism vs. Idealism is a battle of orientations, that have very little to do with sex.
The great divide between these two sides cannot be resolved easily, as the author illustrates in “Bait”, her novel about a family turned upside-down by their most intimate differences. The Christians in this story who believe that people are meant to perfect the Divine Plan of God, face their ultimate challenge in the example of a daughter, a sister, and a friend, who believes that we are here to experience all of life, imperfect as it may be. This family\'s collision is one that many readers will recognize in their own lives, and in their own nation as a whole.
“Heated conflict between between idealism and realism isn\'t going away,” says Loren Stone. “It\'s always been with us, and it\'s just going to become more pronounced. Humanity\'s conflicting ideals are tearing this world apart, whether they\'re Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Mormon, atheist, or secular humanist ideals. But I don\'t think that getting rid of idealism is an answer. We need our ideals now, more than ever. Our one hope – especially at this point in history, where differences in ideology are literally tearing this world apart – is to understand the true nature of our conflicting ideals and find common ground, instead of more battleground. That\'s why I wrote “Bait” -- to find common ground in my own life and tell a balanced story to an imbalanced world.”
“Bait” can be purchased online at the website http://www.baitbook.net. Review copies for print and online publications can be requested by sending an e-mail with the reviewer\'s name and surface mail address to info@baitbook.net.
Web Site = http://www.baitbook.net
Contact Details = Bait - A Novel Loren Stone P.O. Box 15108 Boston, MA 02215 617-816-1382 info@baitbook.net
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