But the REAL question people are asking is: “What percentage of Exodus members become heterosexual in orientation instead?”

The fact is, “less SSA” is still “SSA”. A drop in desire is not orientation change. And having attractions to both sexes (as Randy and Alan admit they do) is not heterosexuality.

Apparently one thing not changing at Exodus is their attitude toward identifying as gay .. at least per this recent blog article by Jeff Buchanan who is listed as Executive Vice president of Exodus ..

..

http://exodusinternational.org/2012/07/the-new-sexual-identity-crisis/

In fact, given the psychoanalytic roots of the model, it has surprised me that conservative Christians have bought into it for as long they have.

This has been a sore point for me for some time. The roots of psychotherapy are deeply atheistic; and, quite contrary to any Christian belief circa mid-1800’s. In fact, there was quite a battle surrounding all the ‘modern’ mid-1800’s innovations: Darwinism, Freud and psychoanalysis; and, last, but not least: Marxism.

The Christian beliefs, particularly Catholicism, saw these as encroachments and violations of the the dignity of the personhood; and, quite contrary to the right order of God and man. It is specifically reductionist science intruding upon God’s world.

I continue to marvel at how ignorant all of us are in regards to a history less than 200 years ago. Barton, NARTH have absolutely no idea what underlies their non-Christian history. “First do no harm” seems not to have entered their lexicon.

Thanks again, Warren, for pointing out this elephant in the room concerning the roots of psychoanalysis.

http://proverbspurple.wordpress.com/2012/07/08/exodus-international-sinking-or-sailing/

I think it’s because many of them really want to believe in miracle cures — even if it means embracing some elements of “secular” psychology. And perhaps money and poltics had something to do with it.

Gradually we’re sifting through it, to sort out what are actually “old wives tales” from genuinely useful therapies. The latter proportion is significant, but distressingly small. I think it fair to say that most of the many contradictory psychiatric “theories”, largely dependant on meta-physical concepts (“collective subconscious” etc) are faith-based conjectures, nothing more.

“In a time of increased opposition to gay rights by conservative Christian organizations and increased resistance to their anti-gay campaigning, Exodus ministries and their members became attractive partners to Christian right institutions.

Supporting people “struggling with same sex attraction” became useful cultural evidence that these seeming haters had a compassionate side. And as these organizations became Exodus’s partners and supporters, the stakes on the change question were decisively raised.”

http://www.religiondispatches.org/archive/sexandgender/6142/is_change_possible_shifting_the_ex-gay_question

“Exodus International president Alan Chambers has, in the past week, explained the Orlando-based ministry’s recent U-turn on reparative therapy to everyone from The New York Times to NPR to MSNBC’s Hardball.

And while the organization’s stance remains acceptable to most evangelicals, some scholars fear that Chambers’s theological convictions—sprinkled throughout those interviews—have not.

“It’s not that he is simply not saying the warnings [against homosexual activity] in Scripture. I could live with that,” Pittsburgh Theological Seminary professor Robert Gagnon said of Chambers’s recent comments. “It’s that he is saying the exact opposite of what Scripture clearly teaches … . He’s preaching an anti-gospel.”

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2012/julyweb-only/alan-chambers-accused-of-antinomian-theology.html#.T_8P8C0pD6s.facebook