and don't like what they have heard about it
583195
I have not yet bought nor read The Passion of Christ: a Gay Vision, though I have followed the paintings as Doug showed them on Facebook and on his blog. I was deeply moved by the faithfulness to the Passion narrative as told in the Gospels, and to its burning desire to proclaim the meaning of that story in art. The church, it is said, is only or two generations from extinction; each must pass on the faith entrusted to the Apostles, to those who have heard too often the dry bones of yesterday's proclamation, and think they have heard the Gospel, or to those who have not heard it, and don't like what they have heard about it. The Gospel is about good news to the oppressed, and to the weak and despised: Samaritans, Roman soldiers thieves, whores, and murderers. Not so with the powerful, the well-connected, and the comfortable.

The paintings stand squarely in the tradition of Christian art throughout its course: proclaiming the gospel, and without words, as St. Francis noted. Art has always been democratically accessible to the crowds, before widespread literacy, and now to the cosmopolitan world in all its diversity. Children may be moved by art, speakers of other languages, and with other traditions may readily gain from encounters with art Art always has spoken to its own age first; we see the Virgin as a Renaissance Flemish or Italian princess, and think nothing of it. Our Lady of Guadalupe?  Entirely natural today.

Doug's paintings are beautiful, luminous, and hopeful. When so few artists devote so much of their talent, energy, and time to such a traditional religious subject, I thank Godde for this magnificent work's completion. I believe a copy belongs in every religious organization's library in the country.
4717433
I love books about people buying old houses and fixing them up, but this is not a memoir about DIY. It's a books about two people who bought a beautiful wreck of a Tudor castle in Wales and then resented anyone else who showed any interest in what they were doing.

Unlike the others who have reviewed this book, I did not like it. The reason? I didn't like the two homeowners. They were set on buying a piece of Welsh heritage -- and even got public money from the Welsh government to buy back things that had been stripped out of the house -- but made no bones about the fact that they resented having to let anyone else into the house to appreciate it. They actively avoided answering the door when paying visitors stopped by, they were very obviously resentful of their B&B customers, and they hated people stopping by to see what they were doing with the house. Frankly, these two really put me off. I would never want to stay in or visit a place where the owners were so resentful of my presence ... and their attitude does a disservice to the house.

The author herself says that she and her husband are misanthropes, and in my opinion people-hating people shouldn't be in the service industry. These two knew they would have to let in visitors to their house because they didn't have the financial means to restore the place otherwise. But rather than be gracious about it, they made it clear that it really inconvenienced them.
2924245
Just wanted the record to show that there are people who don't approve of this book.  The only thing I can think of saying that will be helpful to you (being that most of the comments on here are not going to be helpful) is that if you like the first chapter, you will probably like the book; but if the first chapter seems weird to you or doesn't seem right, then you are not going to like the book.  I didn't like the first chapter at all, but kept reading since I was in a group of people that were reading it.  After a few more chapters, nothing changed, and I just simply couldn't go on anymore because I completely disagreed with HIS message, and how he presented HIS views.  If you can find somebody that will tell you that the first three chapters are crap, but the the rest of the book is good, then maybe some of the book is alright after all.  One very basic point, is that I don't appreciate when people try to misuse God's word to support their individual viewpoints that are separate from God's word.  It should be the other way around, people should be making points and sharing views and illustrations to help people understand God's word.  People should be grounded in God's word, not in human nature, not in their instincts, not in what feels good to them.  If you agree with me on this basic point, then I would not get the book.
3823328
This was a gift, I don't like it why would anyone would want this I don't understand.
1947031
Not impressed, it doesn't teach children why parents need to say no sometimes. The boy in the story is basically getting a reward for listening and not saying no.
813494
Bought for my family working at feedlot. They do not like them and will not wear. They report uncomfortable and cold. Finally gave remainder of package to charity.
2708672
I'm just not a huge fan. I know other people like them though.
3216251
THIS PROBLEY WOULD HAVE BEEN NAS DOWN FALL TO SOME,BECAUSE I...HAVE HAD SOME PEOPLE THAT I KNEW BACK THEN WHO DID NOT LIKE THIS!!!...BUT I LIKED A FEW SONG'S...THATS ABOUT IT.YOU CANT GO BY WHAT PEOPLE SAY,ALL THA TIME!!!
359127
Just let me say I don't like it, Just let me say I don't like it Just let me say I don't like it
3242420
I've heard a lot about this book, and people recommended I read it. It was not BAD but I didn't really enjoy it.
740602
My kids did not like it (9 and 12 years old).  they thought it was just a story, they did not seem to learn anything 9 according to them).  I did not read it myself.
101167
I don't understand why people hate this book so much. There's nothing about our society- work, raising children, writing college papers, etc.- that isn't infested with manipulation. Do you really expect a love between two people who are raised in our society to be any different? I think what irks most anti-Rules people about this book is that, unlike the hidden "rules" one encounters everywhere else (a retail worker using certain words to make a sale more likely to happen, for example), _The Rules_ is blatant about encouraging manipulation in relationships. I'm not saying that the advice given in _The Rules_ isn't unethical and ultimately hurtful to a relationship, but I fail to see how this book doesn't perfectly fit into our society.

As for the book itself, I give it a 1-star rating because it's poorly written. While it is an interesting read, if only for the controversy it's caused, it isn't well-written at all, and I felt talked down to throughout most of it. All of the evidence the authors provide as proof that their Rules work is anecdotal. At one point in the book, the authors admit that readers may encounter happily married women who *didn't* follow The Rules, but the authors ask readers to consider that perhaps these women aren't truly happy and are only pretending for the sake of keeping up appearances. It's interesting to note, however, that these authors don't bother applying this same question to their friends who did follow The Rules and are now happily(?) married. It's hard to read this book and not notice the dozens of suspiciously omitted bits in otherwise detailed accounts of Rules Girls and Anti-Rules Girls.
3167755
Some members liked some of it and others did not like at all. Would not choose the author again I don't think.
502460
Not a fan,I do not like how it is worded. I do like the illustrations
1092003
i hate it because i never heard it. i bought this a year ago ,and i still don't know what it sounds like because...you saw the title ...
3453668
After you've owned it a while, it's really annoying.

The kids that sing the song start to sing on their own after a while which is really annoying.  With the new and improved speaker on this thing, you can hear them from far away making you feel like your in some kind of Twilight Zone episode or something.
4710897
You are simply better off listening to their older stuff. This is derrivative, and not even all that.  You can tell they are trying, but somehow it all falls flat. I think its time to move on chaps - what worked back then, needs to move forward. So difficult, when that formula worked so well. Then again, it may not be the stlye of the music thats wrong, so much as the soul of the content.