This review gives you some insight into what you will find in the pages of ‘A Life of Unlearning – a journey to find the truth’:
“Anthony shares his life with us with all the colour that a story-telling evangelist can capture. The honesty of his story is compelling . . . Anthony doesn’t claim to be ‘right’, he simply tells his story. You can’t argue with it. It is neither right nor wrong, it simply is. His story faces the hard issues, HIV/AIDS, Suicide, Sexual Assault, Relationships, Marriage, Parenting, Domestic Violence, Loneliness, Guilt, Shame, Rejection, Love and Sex. He has nothing to hide and it is refreshing. I recommend this book as a non-threatening way to understand and process the issues of sexuality and spirituality; however, I can’t say you may not experience discomfort as the honesty in these pages invites you to be honest in your own life. Read it if you dare.”
– Dr Wendell Rosevear – O.A.M., M.B.,B.S., Dip. RACOG., FRACGP.
“Read it if you dare”. …is quite a challenge. Dr Rosevear says the reader may experience some discomfort. Christian or heterosexual readers may experience that discomfort when sexual experiences are described. To tell the complete story of resolving the issue of my sexual orientation openly and honestly, it was impossible to remove certain sexual experiences.
How explicit I was regarding those sexual experiences was a major consideration and because of that, some things have been omitted and others toned down. When you have such a broad readership, it is difficult to choose the content that will please everyone. Leaving some things out makes people feel like the story isn’t real and that the writer is holding something back.
In ‘A Life of Unlearning’, every account of a sexual experience has been included for a particular reason, i.e. to give insight into the journey. According to one’s own experience, sex can be meaningless, addictive, abusive, or the most profound act of love and intimacy two individuals can experience, whether they are of the same or opposite sex. Examples in my story are there to reflect the variety of experience and were not intended to be offensive or to titillate.
I felt that my story would only be valid if I was completely honest, and that telling it ‘warts and all’ was essential. One radio announcer called it ‘brutal honesty’. The common thread in most reviews is praise for the honesty.
May I suggest that if the reader is finding a section particularly awkward or offensive, then flip over a few pages and you’ll be back into the story. There will be times you may feel sorry for me, times you’ll be angry with me, and times you could even be disgusted by my behaviour. All I ask is that you suspend judgement until you’ve read the entire story to see where it all ends.
I invite you to walk with me on my journey and think what you might have done in my situation – as a man who loved God with all his heart, who tried so desperately to live a life pleasing to Him, a man who has shared your beliefs about homosexuality, but who was forced, by his own struggle, to grapple with these issues and finally found a place of healing, resolution and integrity.
Sincerely,
Anthony Venn-Brown