According to Reuters, a press conference in Washington D.C. today at 1:30 pm EDT will announce the formation of the Freedom Federation.
The Freedom Federation is a new and unique federation of some of the largest multi-ethnic and transgenerational faith-based organizations in the country committed to plan, strategize, and work together on common interests within the Judeo-Christian tradition to mobilize their grassroots constituencies and to communicate faith and values to the Religious, social, cultural, and policymaking institutions.
The organizations list some of the usual suspects in such an effort, including some of the most shrill in the anti-gay realm, along with a few with which we are not familiar.
American Association of Christian Counselors
American Family Association
Americans for Prosperity
Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND)
Campaign for Working Families
Catholic Online
Concerned Women for America
Conservative Action Project
Eagle Forum
Exodus International
Faith and Action
Family Research Council
High Impact Leadership
Liberty Alliance Action
Liberty Counsel
Liberty University
Life Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Marc Nuttle
Morning Star Ministries
National Clergy Council
National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference
Renewing American Leadership
Strang Communications
Teen Mania
The Call to Action
Traditional Values Coalition
Vision America
The inclusion of Exodus in this list caused us concern as another breach of president Alan Chambers pledge to veer away from policy matters. Even with these few details, it is obvious that this group is going to be heavy on policy.
So we asked Chambers for an explanation and he gave us the following statement for the record.
I am attending a meeting today for the formation of a new conservative coalition made up of a wide variety of groups on a wide variety of topics. Because there will be focus on gay and lesbian issues I was invited to join the coalition and to speak. My stated purpose for being there is not to rejoin the policy debates or to engage Exodus in them. We have made great efforts over the last two years to be a ministry focused on spiritual renewal and not political renewal. We know that nations change when the hearts of people change. Today when I address this group, some of whom are friends that I deeply respect, I will do so, ironically, on behalf of the gay community. My overwhelming message will be that God is deeply in love with the most adversarial of gay activists and that as these groups do battle over policy they must never forget that fact.
I was asked to speak at the follow up press event, which is the notice you received, and decided instead to serve only as a testimony to my conservative colleagues in a meeting prior, which I believe will serve as a reminder that it is God’s kindness that leads to repentance. I imagine there will those who shout amen when I speak today and those who will write me off because I am no longer activist material. Either way, I hope at the end of the day what I share encourages my fellow Christians to treat others as they would like to be treated and when they find someone who is struggling with unwanted homosexuality that they will think of Exodus.
It is not entirely clear from this whether Exodus has joined or will join this group officially, but this reader doubts that — even with good intentions — anyone could substantially alter the mindset of this brood of vipers.
We should have more details after the press conference, but this may be one to watch.
Don’t most of those groups already “love” us enough?
“I hope at the end of the day what I share encourages my fellow Christians to treat others as they would like to be treated and when they find someone who is struggling with unwanted homosexuality that they will think of Exodus.”
Um, Alan, how about you leave us alone? Please? That’s how we would like to be treated.
How about *I* get invited to speak on behalf of the gay community? Afterall I’m a Christian too! I can speak as a Liberty University seminary alum, representative of the Gay Christian Network, and former Exodus member. Surely that makes me qualified…
I forgot to mention that I also love “Freedom”! I am a big fan and defender of the principle.
I also love to “plan, strategize, and work together on common interests within the Judeo-Christian tradition to mobilize their grassroots constituencies and to communicate faith and values to the Religious, social, cultural, and policymaking institutions.”
Being gay doesn’t preclude faith or values or the Judeo-Christian tradition. Is this a freedom group or a Evangelical social club?
Yeah, yeah, that’s the way they all talk. You’ll hear similar things even from that pillock Scott Lively.
Put a sock in it, Alan Chambers; we weren’t born yesterday, and we know and understand the lingo by now.
Eh,
Just another letterhead to keep track of.
I think the new shadow conservative movement scares the bejeebers out of them.
Well, back to protecting Iranian’s access to the Internet.
This federation is all about freedom-from-freedom.
“Freedom in Christ” is code language for “freedom for anyone who isn’t a conservative Christian” and “freedom from values that aren’t ours.”
As for being “multi-ethnic” — this federation is almost exclusively white, evangelical, and male.
Randy wrote once that he was for “ordered liberty” – a phrase right out of Orwell.
It gave me the creeps.
Oops, I meant “freedom FROM anyone…” above.
Those of us who support LGBT rights, women’s rights, and separation of church and state need to watch this coalition VERY closely.
“Today when I address this group, some of whom are friends that I deeply respect, I will do so, ironically, on behalf of the gay community.”– Oh yippeee! Alan Chambers now speaks for the gay community. Maybe next, we can have a member of the KKK speak on behalf of the Jewish nation.
@ Pomo: Fantastic. I think you should definitely make the new Freedom Federation that offer. You’ll be as welcome as a 10-point buck at an NRA convention!
I’m with several others–I’d really like the “love” to let up now. And I agree with Chili that this bears watching.
I didn’t actually think that Alan Chambers could live up to that policy promise, but dang, sometimes I’d like to be proven wrong!
Ugh, I get so tired of this “Judeo-Christian” crap. Jews don’t want a theocracy. STOP MERCY-“INCLUDING” US. Tacking on “Judeo” to “Christian” comes off as an oxymoron at worse and no more than a flaccid attempt at ecumenicism at best. This is a Christian organization with Christian interests. They want Christian prayers in public schools and “Jesus” in the curricula.
Here’s the trufax about most American Jews: We are, for the most part, liberal, socially flexible, and acutely aware of the consequences that come with the squelching of others’ freedoms. We identify with those who are oppressed (i.e. African Americans in Jim Crow America, and gays today), because our ancestors dwelled in places of tyranny and oppression. Much of it was tyranny and oppression justified by Christianity. Yes, strides have been made. Israel is a State. In America, we’ve been able to overcome antisemitism and thrive.
But just because we (kinda-sorta) share scripture, don’t think that we’re automatically going to identify with such right-wing Christian political alignment.
Lying stack of….
If Exodus is not a part of the group and active in politics, why be there? Why was Exodus a part of the news release of the Freedom Federation? Why be a part of a group with some other hate groups according to the SPLC?
What is interesting is who is not a part of this group, Focus on the Family.
Missing from the federation’s cherished freedoms are most of those enumerated in the Bill of Rights:
Freedom of the press
Freedom of religion (as distinct from religious liberty for Christians)
Freedom of speech
Freedom of assembly
Eminent domain (limitation on so-called property rights)
Prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment
Protection of individual rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights.
Speaking of Exodus, all things ex-gay… and surreptitiously parallel lives… the “American Association of Christian Counselors”.
As the AACC appears to be little more than a place for NARTHian people to assemble now that NARTH is publically discredited… anyone more interested than us in a self-serving explanation, and an update, should feel free to email the following.
Warren Throckmorton (Clinical Advisory Board AACA, co-chair Taskforce on Homosexuality AACA)
Mark Yarhouse (co-chair Taskforce on Homosexuality AACA, faculty “Healthy Sexuality” AACA, presenter AACA World Conference)
Stan Jones (faculty “Healthy Sexuality” AACA, presenter AACA World Conference)
etc etc etc.
You may wish to ask about that AACC ‘Taskforce on Homosexuality’ which had been charged with the awesome task of recommending to the AACC “what it believes are preferred policies for understanding homosexuality”.
Preferred? On what basis? What a curious but telling admission.
Is it any wonder the AACC (and their eCounseling.com site) reads as it does…
—————————————-
“Reparative therapy – which assists someone with changing or controlling their homosexual proclivities and desires – has been discredited and abandoned by virtually every key mental health association in the United States – except for the AACC.”
Christian Counseling Connection (the AACC newsletter, 2004/Issue 2), announcing the formation of the ‘Taskforce on Homosexuality’.
—————————————-
“Our position is that these disorders, at the very least, show the continued viability of “egodystonic homosexuality” as a mental disorder, if not the fact of homosexuality itself. For if homosexuality were a nonpathological condition, as gay apologists now assert, there should be at least a rough concordance between the rates of mental illness between homosexual and heterosexual sufferers.”
“[Medical and epidemiological evidence] … sharply refutes the view that homosexual relations are good and godly and normal acts.”
“The average age at death of an American gay male is now 45-50 years…”
“Homosexual behavior, as it is normatively practiced in the United States, yields not life and health, but debilitation, disease and premature death. Therefore, those who continue its practice with this knowledge (which has to include all literate gay males in America) are arguably living in massive denial and are being defiantly self-destructive.”
“… we would also suggest that the ego-syntonic homosexual is distress-free, largely because of a “seared conscience,” or someone living like those with a narcissistic or sociopathic personality disorder.”
“Combining self-determination with informed consent practice, it is unethical with anyone seeking counseling around homosexual issues to fail to disclose both (a) the option of reparative therapy as a valid, even though controversial, alternative to any gay-affirming therapies, and (b) the health and mental health risks, even the life-threatening consequences, of continuing to engage in any kind of (not just unprotected) homosexual behavior.”
Declaring the right to Reparative Therapy
Tim Clinton, President AACC, publisher of Christian Counseling Today, ExecDir Center for Counseling and Family Studies, Professor of Counseling at Liberty University, Chair Covenant Marriage Movement.
George Ohlschlager, Senior Editor and Writer of Christian Counseling Today, ExecDir American Board of Christian Counselors, Chair AACC Law & Ethics Committee.
If Alan Chambers “respects” us his “friends”, then he should do so in the same way we respect heterosexuals. Leave us alone! Stop reducing us to “behaviour” and “lifestyle”!
Way to go Alan. I love what you had to say regarding Exodus’ involvment and pray people will see the heart of Christ through that.
They’ve lost the culture war, and no amount of retrenchment is going to change that. The political exploiters – and despoilers – of the Judeo-Christian religion are in disarray.
They can hold as many meetings, symposia and fundraisers as they want.
They’re bankrupt, morally and fiscally, and the American people know that.
Maybe we should put Alan’s marriage to a vote and then see how “loved” he feels by us.
@ Alex: Absolutely. Of course, we’re not serious. We expect our comments to be taken as barbed jokes, not literally as gospel.
@ Jason: Please look at everyone else’s comments. Look at the Christian gay men, the Jewish lesbian, the Malaysian Christian transwoman, the redneck bisexual woman. Then ask yourself: “Do these people *look* like they’ve seen the heart of Christ through Exodus’ involvement in politics?” If you think so, ask yourself what you think the “heart of Christ” looks like.
Jason, I could almost echo that. I’ll edit for accuracy, as is necessary with you:
Way to go Alan. I love what you
had to say[just spun] regarding Exodus’ involvement [in a deliberately political organisation] and pray people will seethe heart of Christthrough that.We are, however, pleased to know that you approve of a liar and coward speaking on behalf of their target to a crowd of bullies. Let us know when we can return the favour.
(On second thoughts, we won’t bother asking — we’ll just do it. Ironically, of course.)
What ever next … Alan will be claiming to a voice for gay men and lesbians in Uganda even at the same as being aware of his own role in their marginalisation and persecution???
Oh. Too late.
Come to mention it — where was Jason Thompson when Exodus went over to Uganda with both 1) a notorious bigot and 2) a disciple of Richard Cohen to support the persecution of gay men and women? Dead silence from you as people were being attacked… wow.
You work for a fraudulent organisation, and you don’t care. You love only yourselves, and enjoy the misery you impose on others. Any claim to the contrary is snake-oil.
You need take a good hard look into the mirror, Jason. We cannot help you.
(On a lighter note: I noticed that Portland Fellowship continues to plummet southwards. Under your leadership Portland Fellowship has collapsed, yet your personal income doesn’t seen to reflect that fact. It’s a wonder you haven’t been fired. Care to comment?)
The self-satisfied political religion of Jason Thompson and Alan Chambers is gradually destroying Exodus and its local political “ministries.” Exodus’ local ex-gay activists are disappearing from Exodus’ referral list, and Exodus is scrambling to replace them with antigay churches that have no clue how to communicate with local LGBT Christians.
My prayer is that Jason and Alan’s war against individual and spiritual freedom, and against mental health, will only damage their respective denominations and not continue to cause collateral damage for denominations and faiths that affirm all of God’s children.
The heart of Christ is not found in men who encourage vigilantism, imprisonment, internment in re-education camps, and denial of constitutional freedoms.
And the heart of Christ is not found in men like Jason and Alan who oppress Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and agnostics because their own political religion can’t compete in a fair and open market.
Grantdale,
I would be VERY surprised if Jason comes back to respond. My guess is he commented here for no other reason than to A) advertise his ministry and B) offer an obligatory display of fellowship in keeping with this idea of “bridge-building” so that Jesus will give him his gold star for the day. Like other professional ex-gays, he’s not interested in honest conversation.