Exodus and Focus-on-the-Family have a new effort to “equip” parents, teachers, ministers, youth workers, and concerned citizens to confront the attempt to encourage students to view homosexuality as a normal part of human existence. Homosexuality must be portrayed as something evil, sinful, and disordered. It is called “Groundswell.”
They are opposed to the “lies” perpetuated in schools by teachers, counselors, and others who encourage students to deal with their same-sex attraction in any way other than believing that the attractions are disordered and forbidden. They demand that the students suffering from same-sex attraction and the adults surrounding them must accept the view that God rejects homosexuality in all circumstances. Through the Fundamentalist view of theology and biblical interpretation, those young people can be healed of their homosexuality and realize their true heterosexual selves (or at least live the rest of their lives as virgins and devoid of intimate relationship). Their interpretation of God’s will demands that anyone “suffering” from same-sex-attraction-disorder who does not develop a heterosexual orientation must refrain from any kind of relationship in the sense of eros.
This line emphasizes their continued contention that same-sex attraction can be cured:
“We hear from many desperate students who long to overcome their unwanted same-sex attractions, but have been told that their only choice is to accept a gay identity. They respond with grief and depression to the lies that their sexuality is fated and that they have no right or hope of change.”
What Exodus and Focus-on-the-Family refuse to admit is that the vast, vast majority (if not 99.9%) of those who have gone through and who are currently involved with Exodus and ex-gay ministries will never become honest heterosexuals. They may hope for change, but their intrinsic orientation does not change. Even many ex-gay proponents admit that it may take a lifetime for a homosexual to realize any change, if at all. Their change into their true heterosexual selves may only be realized in heaven. This is hope?
Overwhelming antidotal evidence, and some resent reliable research, demonstrates that God is not in the business of changing homosexuals into heterosexuals. They may cease any type of same-sex behavior, they may actually get married to someone of the opposite sex, but almost all admit that their homosexual orientation has not changed. God may well deal with sexual addiction or compulsion, and all manner of emotional problems that contribute to such conditions. The promise that God will heal someone of homosexuality is false.
Anti-homosexual Christian definitions are dishonest and their actions are manipulative. An “Ex-gay” person is defined as anyone who is involved in an ex-gay ministry or who simply does not want to be homosexual. Their definitions have nothing to do with whether someone stops being attracted to members of the same-sex and develops an honest sexual and affectual attraction to the opposite sex. Ex-gay proponents promise homosexual people, young and old, that with the ministries’ help, with much prayer and scripture reading, with good Christian counseling, and with a refusal to consider that Scripture, God, and the Church may be able to view homosexuality in any way other than sinful, destructive, and rebellious behavior, that those suffering from homosexuality can become heterosexuals, just like God created them to be in the first place.
Soon, in the future, their manipulation, lies, and theologies will be shown to be corrupt, immoral, and dishonest. In the mean time, however, they will raise lots of money, destroy lots of lives, drive many people away from God, and perpetuate a view of Christianity that so tragically harms the cause of Jesus Christ and perverts the Gospel of Christ. It is not that I or many others do not hold Scripture to be authoritative, true, right, or important, but we agree with the growing consensus that the way the Church has dealt with homosexuality over the centuries has been and is wrong. Yet, their misinformation and wrong scriptural interpretation and application goes on doing great harm.