BEING gay and not ACTING on the attractions are two different things. I have been doing this work for over 30 years now. During that time, I have met ex-gays who don’t ACT on their homosexual attractions — but they still HAVE them. I know people who no longer CALL themselves gay — even though they (1) are not heterosexual, (2) have no attractions to women and (3) continue to have sexual/romanttic attractions ONLY towards men.

I have met ex-gay men who no longer “identifiy” as gay — whatever that means — but they still masturbate to gay fantasies. I have met “former homosexuals” (like EXODUS VP Randy Thomas) who admit they meet the “secular definition” of “bisexual” and have ongoing “lust” towards both men and women. Alan Chambers, President of EXODUS, says he has to struggle daily against “that which comes naturally for him”. Truly straight men don’t struggle daily with gay feelings.

They may not HAVE to ACT on their homosexual orientation, but it is still there. They are still gay. Even Joe Dallas of EXODUS admits this is true, explaining that “ex-gay” is “really just a convenient way of saying “a Christian WITH homosexual tendencies who would rather not HAVE those tendencies”.

That is truly a Christ-centered response. Thankfully, we have all these wonderful God-fearing Christians modeling that response for us. They truly are following the Great Commandments that Jesus taught.

Any efforts toward coercion, force, punishment, persecution, violence or harassment will prove counterproductive.

You think?

With all due respect even many so-called “former homosexuals” are still gay. Saying no one HAS to be gay is not speaking the Truth – or do we need to bring in those who are Ex-Ex gay to tell us why.

Follow-up, if questions are asked, would be to engage in loving dialog, sharing the testimonies of former homosexuals who’ve “been there, done that; and it doesn’t work.” That, plus the message of a heavenly Father who never stops loving you, warns that certain behaviors have devastating consequences which can be avoided, and forgiveness is always available for anyone who wants to turn their lives around to following the Way of Christ Jesus. His Good News is that the reign of Love and Righteousness is the threshold of heaven –available to all of us sinners if we repent (turn our lives around to live a new life).

Any efforts toward coercion, force, punishment, persecution, violence or harassment will prove counterproductive.

It has been my observation that when a person can distinguish between a moral belief and a moral action, then they do not have the fear of doing what is right in the eyes of God. Too often people are caught up in a moral belief to realize that it is in fact interferring with doing what is morally right.

Ann, very well said.

Michael,

It is perplexing that anyone could enmesh these two ideas together, but they do. It has been my observation that when a person can distinguish between a moral belief and a moral action, then they do not have the fear of doing what is right in the eyes of God. Too often people are caught up in a moral belief to realize that it is in fact interferring with doing what is morally right. Instead of using individual and critical thinking to discern the difference, they get caught up in the “noise” of others.

This is a quote from Edmund Burke –

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing”

If mentally retarded kids, or Christian kids, or handicapped kids were specificaly being targeted for bullying and violence — and if there were a long history of mistreatment of these groups — wouldn’t you specifically say: “Violence against these specific groups is wrong”? Would you keep your kids home? Would you suggest an “alternative?”

I don’t think so,

Case in point: It took EXODUS more than a year (and a lot of nagging by me) to adopt even a wimpy “official” anti-hate/anti-violence/anti-bullying statement. Speaking out against Hate Crime laws was real easy. Officially taking a stand against the hate itself was not.

And keep in mind that EXODUS is still affiliated with NARTH whose “expert advisor” (Berger) advises parents and teachers NOT to try to stop anti-gay teasing, ridiculing and bullying.