In an ironic twist, a priest in Latvia tells of his efforts to become ex-gay and how after they failed he found acceptance from God.
I was born in a communist family. When I was 12, I recognized that I was gay and I tried all sort of therapy to change my sexual orientation. I visited several psychiatrists and psychologists in six different countries!
When I was 17, after I tried a lot of doctors who did not succeed in changing me, I became Christian. At that point, I understood that if people cannot accept me, and I cannot accept myself, then God will accept me. Finally, I became Christian only because I was homosexual.
We wish Rev. Maris Sants all of God’s grace and protection in his plans to hold a service at the Anglican church after the gay human rights march in Riga on Saturday. The Latvian population is harshly anti-gay and the marchers do so under the threat of violence from Christian conservatives, nationalists and neo-Nazis.
UPDATE
About 50 people attended the service. Several hundred anti-gay skinheads and Russian Orthodox gathered outside. Although some worshipers were able to leave by the back door, some were pelted with excrement and eggs when they left. The police were reported to have watched and done nothing. A taxi with Swedish gays heading to the airport after the event was also attacked and anti-gays tried to run it off the road. Latvian police later arrested 14 people (13 of them on non-criminal administrative charges) related to the attacks.
https://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,19878988-1702,00.html
https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/15944/
CNN is reporting (via the AP) that the Latvian capital bans gay parade. City authorities in the Latvian capital (of Riga) on Wednesday denied a request by several gay rights organizations to hold a parade here this weekend, saying they could not guarantee marchers’ safety.
Maybe they can still march into the church? You just have to keep plugging away at it, to beat down the hate.
Why are you all so afraid of those who have overcome same sex feelings? If you don’t want to overcome, than that’s OK but why so intolerant, critical and downright mean to those who have overcome?
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
Mary,
1. We are not afraid of “those who have overcome same sex feelings”. We simply document their lies, inconsistencies, and often cruelty.
I hope you agree, Mary, that regardless of belief, there is no room for lies.
2. Most ex-gays have not “overcome same sex feelings”. Most admit that they still “struggle” and are still attracted to the same sex on the inside. All they did was make a religious declaration. And while there’s nothing wrong with making religious declarations if it makes you feel better, it doesn’t mean that they are now heterosexuals.
But you didn’t know that, did you? See, Mary, this is an example of their dishonesty. They fooled you into thinking that they are now straight. But if you actually ask them, if you corner them and don’t let them talk around the subject, nearly all ex-gays admit that they continue to “struggle” to be something they are not.
3. We are not intolerant of ex-gays. We support any person living in accordance with how they believe they should. We are, however, not accepting of those who use their personal religious decisions to campaign against the rights and freedoms of others. That is not something anyone should tolerate.
Would you tolerate it if I campaigned against your right to adopt or marry or live in the way that you believe God wants you to live? What if I said I was campaigning against you because of my religion, would that make it OK?
4. We are not mean to those who seek to live as ex-gays. We are, however, critical of those who seek to deceive governments and harm individuals.
Perhaps you prefer we behave like the Lativian Russian Orthodox mob who pelted gay Christians with feces (or did you bother to read this thread?). I noticed that while you are critical of us here at XGW, you were not critical of any of those people who sought to harm the Latvian Anglican Priest.
Perhaps you need to consider your alliances, Mary. Do you criticize us who seek truth and freedom, or do you join us in opposing those who lie and torment gays?
We are all born biologically heterosexual – scientific fact.
Marriage, adoption etc. is not a right – they are privileges granted by society.
No I have not been fooled at all. I know same sex attraction is an abnormal state of opposite sex attraction. The resulting feelings can be overcome and re-directed if one desires t do so.
OVERHAULING OF STRAIGHT AMERICA
https://www.parentsrightsusa.com/Overhauling%20of%20Straight%20America.htm
seems to be right on track so don’t preach about who tells lies and deceives others and who seek to deceive governments and harm individuals.
Time to look in the mirror!
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
mary,
“We are all born biologically heterosexual – scientific fact.”
That sentence doesn’t make sense. “Heterosexual” isn’t a word that defines body parts, mary. It is a word that defines the sex to whom one is attracted, emotionally and physically.
You claim a “scientific fact”. But you are not a scientist, mary, are you? You have no research credentials, you have done no study, you have no degree in a scientific field, have you?
But you come here claiming “scientific fact” and pretending that you have some basis to make this claim. Mary, that is called “bearing false witness” – you are claiming to be a witness of science, but your claim isn’t true.
“I know same sex attraction is an abnormal state of opposite sex attraction.”
Well, no, that also isn’t true. It may be your “opinion”, but it isn’t what the mental health professionals believe.
But you claim to “know” this. However, you aren’t a mental health professional, are you, mary? I think not. No, instead you are here again bearing false witness.
You come here with pretensions and make claims that you have not researched or even done the most cursory of review. You are being dishonest.
To support your hostility and animosity, you present an opinion piece written by a couple of guys in 1987. But you don’t tell us why this relates to us on this site in 2006. You simply use it to justify your biases and what appears to be hatred. You say I should look in the mirror – but I haven’t lied to you, mary, or tried to deceive you.
You’ve come here with no knowledge and made factually false statements, while pretending to have some authority for your opinions. You’ve displayed your ignorance, mary, and unfortunately it makes you appear foolish.
You do not address the false claims made by people such as yourself but instead suggest that I have no right to preach at you. I’m sorry, mary, but as long as you are lying – which I demonstrated above – then I certainly do have the right to call you out on your lies.
I can tell that you don’t like this being brought up. It makes it more difficult for you to feel superior to me when I point out your lies and deceptions. But I will continue to do so for as long as you make these false claims.
You need to either stop suggesting knowledge that you don’t have and making claims that are false… or accept that you love deception. You cannot both claim to love truth and also make truthless claims. Either you must repent of your dishonesty (both to God and also to us) or you must recognize that you are an ambassador of the Father of Lies.
TK
To those who believe no explanation is needed. To those who choose not to believe no explnation will suffice!
Why are liberals and leftist so long winded…it kills any position you might have had…notice how many times the word “you” is used in your comeback? According to shrinks that says everything about you and very little about the other person [me]!
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
Soooo, Mary.
The mind that is closed allows no light to enter.
The link posted is a screed a la The Protocols of the Elders of Zion.
I told you we’d be getting more trolls after the ADF featured us.
If “The Overhauling of Straight America” actually were some sort of manifesto used by gay activists, you’d think it would be somewhere on the internet on a gay site. How else would we know what our manifesto tells us to do?
However, a google search lists this little article to be posted ONLY on anti-gay sites. Hmmmm. I guess this is more on an anti-gay resourse than an actual gay manifesto.
Ah, but truth isn’t relevant to the anti-gay crowd. “To those who believe”, ranting, hatred, and lies are far more important and facts just get in the way.
Bottom line: gays insist on making their personal live’s public and same sex behavior is still abnormal behavior. Therefore it need not be legislated as normal. The reason: we know the behavior can be overcome like any other abnormal behavior. We’ve taught those with SSA to just succumb and this was a gregious error in belief. Time to show our youth how to change and hoe to overcome those abnormal same sex attractions [not asked for yet they definitely have]. If they choose not to overcome than so be it but don’t force the rest of us to accept them as normal and a civil right.
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
Overhauling of Straight America by by Marshall Kirk and Erastes Pill
Sequel based on this article:
After The Ball by by Marshall Kirk
https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/0452264987/702-5904605-0049636?v=glance&n=916520
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
T.K.
Truth be told, we are not anti-gay just anti-gay chosen sexual behavior.
Help the homosexual overcome the abnormal sexual feelings leading to abnormal sexual behavior.
Love does this.
[Moderator Note: recent posts by commenter calling themselves mary, SAM, joe and anonymous were all posted by the same person in an attempt at deception]
Can you please explain how SSA is abnormal for homosexuals, Joe? All the gay people I know find is much more normal for them (myself included) than trying to pretend we’re straight. I did just that, for years. Pretended. It was a lie.
I’ll tell you a story. I once visited Provincetown with my father. I was in my 20’s, hadn’t come out to him yet and we were traveling around the east coast together. There was a couple who gave each other a kiss, a rather innocent peck, as they parted from each other. My fathers reaction was a shocked “Those men just kissed”. I said, “Yeah, they’re probably a couple. Straight people do that all the time. I’ve seen you and mom do that, outside, in public”. My dad said, emphatically “No we haven’t! Straight people don’t do that!”. I laughed. Obvioulsy he was experiencing a very selective memory episode.
I don’t know for sure what you mean, exactly, by “making their personal lives public”, but your post reminds me of my dad’s response to that little kiss. I have straight peoples wedding celebrations, announcements, various examples of how heterosexual relationships are made public and the intrusion of the Religious Right into my personal life, going past my minds eye. I’d sure like you to not be there. It’s really none of your business who I sleep with.
Can you prove to us with valid scientific studies that gay people can change? The ball is in your court now, Joe. Thanks.
I guess my questions can also be directed toward Mary.
Please do not use the pronoun ‘you’ when referring to me, though and nothing longer than a short paragraph, as that would be ‘long winded’ and thus betray your liberal tendencies.
I have to say, Timothy as a liberal/leftist. That’s humorous.
I have to say, Timothy as a liberal/leftist. That’s humorous.
LOL! Basically conservative, Christian, Republican Timothy – you left wing pinko you đ And as another even more conservative, Christian, Republican, I agree with Timothy’s post entirely. Timothy liberal, that’s a hoot.
As for being long-winded, it’s hard when the world is more complicated than a quick black and white statement, isn’t it Mary? Sometimes you actually have to read and comprehend ideas that can’t be written on a sign. There is no excuse for self imposed ignorance.
I’ve never heard of “After the Ball” or the excerpts linked above. For all I know, the authors were shills and the book and effort to give anti-gay organizations a tool for fund raising. It certainly seems that is the only thing for which it has been used. No gay site that I can find refers to it. But even if the writers were gay and serious, would you like to be forever linked with the teachings of Westboro Baptist Church just because they call themselves Christian? I sincerely hope not, because if that man is not evil, it doesn’t exist.
I told you we’d be getting more trolls after the ADF featured us.
Sigh, I didn’t realize how correct you were Sharon. It’s depressing to know people like this exist and even more so that they call themselves Christians. People of good conscience can disagree, but there is no excuse for hatred and closed minds. To blithely speak of changing one’s sexual orientation as though it was just a matter of making the decision, well one can only hope that God will bring such a formidable obstacle into Mary’s life to create some humility and compassion in her for those young people she would condemn with such lies.
FYI: joe, anonymous, and mary all posted from the same source. This is just another illustration of the sad tendency towards deception and lies that is all too often evident in those fighting a culture war against gay people.
S/he pretends to compassion by claiming to “help the homosexual overcome the abnormal sexual feelings” but it is clear from his/her language that s/he had never been involved in ex-gay ministry and had chosen to remain ignorant and instead to go on a website to attack people that are gay. This is not compassion, this is hatred. Oh, mary will deny hatred but it is evident in his/her words and actions.
Dishonesty, callousness, and ignorance. These are the attributes that mary has chosen to show the world.
Mary I don’t follow all your religious word games so I’m just going to think of you as anti-gay in my mind. By the way, what makes you think I want to overcome my sexual feelings for men? I am greatly fulfilled by my man and it’d be crazy for me to be without him. That you’d blindly want to take him away from me makes you anti-GLBT.
FYI: joe, anonymous, and mary all posted from the same source.
Good catch Timothy. SAM as well was from the same source. I marked all the posts to prevent confusion for those reading back over this in the future. I was just in there checking and missed that đ
ooops…. I missed the SAM connection. Thanks David