In response to Linda Harvey’s “A Seven-Point Plan to Protect Christian Youth Against Homosexuality,” I present this satire. But first, I just want to remind readers this is the woman who opposes youth access to HIV testing because she believes (without a shred of evidence presented) it contributes to an epidemic of STDs.
If we are to save this generation of gay youth for God, we must act now.
Here’s our Seven Point Plan for equipping gay youth on the issue of religiously motivated oppression:
1. Begin a serious Bible study for your gay youth community center on homosexuality, reading and discussing the Scriptures that pertain to this issue and how they have been misread and abused.
2. Repeat, and repeat again, and repeat again, that there is no evidence in Scripture or in science that homosexuality is a mental illness. This is not a developmental condition for people raised by bad parents, but is a generally immutable characteristic entirely separate from treatable issues such as clinical depression or choice of behavior. Once a person frees themselves of internalized homophobia, same-gender attraction feels natural to persons so oriented. This is critically important to state unequivocally and often, that God created people as gay, bisexual, and straight, and these created orders have always been a part of human life, to the revelation of God and to having a spirit that can be in close relationship with Christ. If you need more scientific ammunition, there are many fine sources available on the Internet such as statements by the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association.
Satire continues after the jump…
3. Put homosexuality in the broader context of other things which had once been considered sin, showing how we as humans have strayed from the intent and modified God’s teachings to fit our prejudices. For instance, Leviticus 18 describes the decadent sexual practices of Israel’s neighboring idolatrous cultures, rather than addressing homosexuality in the context of a loving committed relationship. Increasingly today, a variety of unrelated bizarre sexual practices is being obsessed over by the religious right when discussing homosexuality but this is a red herring, irrelevant to the discussion of gay equality. Many people who make a show out of bathing their political actions in the light of Christ will try and make many things begin to seem unacceptable, but His truth brings what is truly important into focus.
4. Make sure your youth know that no religious person that might oppress them will necessarily be that way forever. Homophobia is no different than any other form of spiritual darkness. What condemns a person to a life of ignorance is a refusal to examine new ideas and willfully, deliberately continuing to ignore scientific reality. This is a good place to discuss the number of “ex-gays” who have professed change and then been caught living a lie.
5. Also emphasize that gay youth do not have to apologize for what science says about homosexuality. All gay youth should be kind, polite, and civil to others, but we need to stop tolerating oppression carried out in the name of religion. Sentences that start with, “Love the sinner, hate the sin” are false concessions of their views in an attempt to make them acceptable to the culture. Those who are forcing “ex-gay” and anti-gay doctrine into our schools, laws and churches — especially those who claim to have science behind them– are twisting the facts and will be held responsible for seriously damaging the lives of gay youth and the body of Christ. The message prohibiting homophobia is not only good, but necessary as part of God’s careful, protective provision for the gay youth he created.
6. Now, here’s the tricky part. Teens need to have some idea about the horrible things ex-gay ministries do and how psychologically destructive and damaging this “therapy” often is. How can this be communicated without getting overly graphic? It’s important to cover suicide risks, the constant relapses into anonymous sex, and the risks of being shipped off to “straight camps” by your parents. Also, one should mention the near 100% failure rate of “ex-gay” ministries Now — how is your school or gay youth center going to do this? Pray about what amount of detail you feel is appropriate, but given the astonishingly low amount of knowledge of “ex-gays” most people have, the risks of these programs need to be talked about.
7. Finally, we need to caution our kids against cutting themselves off from those who would use religion to oppress them. This is too explosive an issue to not be constantly confronting ignorance and homophobia wherever it is found. It is a serious mistake to believe those who suffer from ignorance will change without getting to know a gay person as someone they care about. The Bible commands us to live by example and be the light in a world of fear and ignorance.
You know, this really doesn’t read like a satire.
Daniel,
yet again, brilliant.
I’ll second that. It sure doesn’t read like satire to me. Ironic possibly, given the context. But that’s actually good advice.
Does Linda Harvey have a seven point plan to protect children from left handedness? Just curious.
I think that this is excellent advice. However, to avoid being filtered by most fundamentalists as irrelevant I would like to suggest the removal of the first part of this sentence in point 2:
Most people in that group believes that the only source of knowledge about for example how God creates people is the Bible and there is no verse explicitly stating that God created people as gay. With the “right” mindset such a claim would be interpreted as a lie, and few people hear out what someone percieved as a liar has to say.
I am of the opinion that even if there was some way to prove that for example having a homosexual orientation is not a created trait but in fact learned or a result of some biological process in early human development, that would be no reason to opress people that doesn’t fit into normality.
There aren’t biblical verses explicitly stating most things that people use the Bible to defend–where is there explicit mention that abortion is wrong, or that God did not create people as gay, or that gays should be forced to become ex-gay, or that homosexuality is unnatural?
Besides, biblical exegesis can be used to argue otherwise.
Well done, Daniel. When I read Ms. Harvey’s posting I was amused that people can be so naive as to believe that there is a heterosexual “recipe” — “Add nonsense and stir.”
But maybe what’s even more surprising is that professing Christian believers seem to believe that they are in control of anything, since ironically, when God is encountered, lesson number one is that we are not in control.
Oh the irony!
Linda Harvey would benefit from your wisdom, Daniel.
This is something that she’d do well to read and heed.
She cannot be more expert than YOU about what the things she espouses would really do.
Alas, that is her arrogance at work. Simply because she gets away with it, doesn’t mean she’s right.
She doesn’t know young gay people like you Daniel and doesn’t want to.
Mores the pity, she doesn’t believe you’d be a good influence.
This is inexcusable on her part. And serves nothing good in the long run.
Skemono, you are right in both your points. However, I think it is a good idea to weigh one’s words extra carefully and compensate for other people’s bad exegesis and theology when writing texts such as the one above. Especially since it is so very well written.
Let me respond to Linda Harvey’s Seven Points.
“Begin a serious Bible study for your youth group on homosexuality, reading and discussing the Scriptures that pertain to this issue.”
This is actually good advice. On my blog, Christ, The Gay Martyr, I strongly recommend that LGBT folk familiarize themselves with both Biblical and Gnostic scripture. The difference is, I recommend that scripture be read thoroughly for the purpose of understanding what it really says. Ms. Harvey recommends scanning scripture for verses that support prejudice when taken out of context.
“Repeat, and repeat again, and repeat again, that there is no evidence in Scripture or in science that homosexuality is inborn.”
This is a lie! There’s plenty of evidence in Gnostic scriptures such as the Gospel of Phillip, the Secret Book of John and the Egyptian Gospel. There’s also a scripture in Matthew 19 regarding Gay men(“Some men are born eunuchs from their mother’s womb, and some have been made eunuchs by men, and some
have become eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven”), and it is in no way condemnatory. Ms. Harvey obviously subscribes to the Bush/Cheney philosphy that if you repeat lies often enough, they’ll be believed.
“Put homosexuality in the broader context of sexual sin in general, showing how Scripture points to the weakness for sin all humans have especially as we stray from God’s created order and His teachings.”
She’s telling people to distort scripture. A homosexual person can be immoral and guilty of sexual sin if she does something that harms or demeans herself or another person. However, having homosexual orientation and acting on that orientation is by no means sinful. I would demand of anyone using scripture in this dishonest way to cite me specific texts so that they could be discussed in context. Believe me, the “sexual sin” argument falls apart instantly when placed under the light of context and clarification.
“Make sure your youth know that no one is condemned forever through homosexual behavior or any other sin. What condemns a person is refusing to accept Christ as Saviour and lack of repentance, while willfully, deliberately continuing to sin. This is a good place to discuss the number of former homosexuals who are now publicly telling their stories.”
More distortion. Anyone telling you this should be asked, “What are you defining as sin, and where is your evidence?” After they tell you, point them to Matthew 19: 16-19: “And, behold, one came and said to him, ‘Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have Eternal Life?’ And (Jesus Christ) said to him, ‘Why do you call me good? There is none good but One, that is, God. But if you seek Eternal Life, keep the commandments.’ He said to him, ‘Which?’ Jesus said, ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness, honor your father and your mother, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.'” These are the scriptural commandments that make one worthy of salvation under God’s New Covenant with humankind. Notice that none of them have anything to do with homosexuality! Let me also point out that you won’t find anything about ex-Gay ministries being sanctioned here or in any other part of the Bible.
“Also emphasize that Christians do not have to apologize for what the Bible says about homosexuality. All Christians should be kind, polite, and civil to others, but we need to stop apologizing and giving special recognition to homosexual sin or those involved. Sentences that start with, “I’m not homophobic, but….” are concessions to a framework of thinking that those advocating homosexuality have developed and our culture often now accepts, but Christians should not.”
She is placing individual Christians on the same level as God, and advocating that they pass judgment on others. According to scripture, this is sinful (Luke 6:37: “Judge not, and you shall not be judged, condemn not and you shall not be condemned”).
“Teens need to have some idea about what homosexuals do, and how physically destructive and high risk this behavior often is. How can this be communicated without getting overly graphic? It’s important to cover HIV risks, the lack of protection of condoms, the risks of oral sex, and the risks of anal sex. Also, one should mention the highly promiscuous nature of adult, homosexual lifestyles as most live them.”
Again, distortions! Ms. Harvey wants to limit the information young people get about homosexuality to anything that can be considered negative. She also advocates teaching stereotype and prejudice as fact. She is dishonest, and should not be considered a competent teacher on sexual issues.
“We need to caution our kids against friendships with people practicing homosexual behavior, and with those who condone it, particularly those who call themselves Christians… It’s a serious mistake to believe they are mature enough to be thrust into situations which the enemy will use to confuse them.”
This statement is inherently anti-Christian! Jesus Christ spent most of His time associating with the outcasts of society. He did not call them or consider them “the enemy.” For someone who claims to be such a strong Christian, it’s interesting that she would portray the faith as something that crumbles easily in the presence of same-sex desire. This idea of homosexuality as something you can catch or be recruited into is old and tired, not to mention false! More important, it has nothing to do with Christian doctrine.
I really don’t get this fundamentalist obsession with the sexual practice of others. Do these folk think persecuting Lesbians and Gay men will get them into Heaven that much sooner? Man, are they in for a shock! There is Gnostic scripture in the Secret Book of John which details the fate of those who torment homosexual people, and it’s not pretty. I kid you not!