Dr Paul Allen

A leading Christian book publisher has resigned its membership in the National Religious Broadcasters (NRB) after a dispute over God and the Gay Christian, a new book published by an affiliated imprint. In a letter to board members, NRB president and CEO Jerry Johnson said that employees of WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group, the evangelical division of Penguin Random House , worked on the book. The book, which argues that same-gender sex is not sinful, was published by Convergent Books, a 16-month-old Penguin Random House line that describes itself as "publishing books for progressive and mainline Christians who demand an open, inclusive, and culturally engaged exploration of faith." "Unfortunately, while the Multnomah Publishing Group is separate from Convergent, as a legal and business entity, the staff of the Multnomah and Convergent operations are substantially the same," Johnson wrote. "Most notably, Steven W. Cobb serves as the chief publishing ex...

Image via Wikipedia Heartfelt criticism of your idea or your art is usually right (except when it isn't...) Check out this letter from the publisher of a magazine you've never heard of to the founder of a little magazine called  Readers Digest : But, personally, I don't see how you will be able to get enough subscribers to support it. It is expensive for its size. It isn't illustrated... I have my doubts about the undertaking as a publishing venture. Of course, he was right--given his assumptions. And that's the  except  part. Criticism of your idea is usually based on assumptions about the world as it is. Jackson Pollock could never have made it as an painter in the world as it was. And  Harry Potter  was rejected by just about everyone because for it to succeed the way kids read would have to change. The useful element of this sort of criticism isn't that the fact that people in the status quo don't like your idea. Of course they don't. The int...