Love In Action has finally announced a press conference for Thursday morning. It will be good to hear their side of the story since this whole situation really started by a blog that hasn’t been updated in almost two weeks now. The press release is worded in a fair tone more typical of NARTH and less like something form a small ministry-based organization. Most notably it acknowledges head on:
Controversy over an individual’s right to self-determination and choice in sexuality has recently been the subject of current debate.
Click below to view entire press release.
LOCAL MINISTRY CALLS FOR OPEN-MINDEDNESS AND TOLERANCE
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE, JUNE 15, 2005: Love in Action International, a Christ-centered Memphis-based international recovery treatment center, is calling upon the community to extend open-minded consideration and tolerance towards young people with same-sex attraction who are currently undergoing the organization’s youth program called Refuge.
Controversy over an individual’s right to self-determination and choice in sexuality has recently been the subject of current debate. Also under assault is the right of parents to determine appropriate therapeutic intervention for minor children according to social and personal conscience. Community and youth leaders, as well as individuals, who have been through the Love in Action International program, will address these issues at a press conference being held tomorrow.
The press conference is at 11 a.m. on Thursday, June 16, 2005 at our facility, 4780 Yale Road, Memphis. For more information, contact Tommy Corman at (901) 751-2468.
Openmindedness and Tolerance?My, how things are progressing in Memphis these days. I’m impressed.
As LIA said: “Controversy over an individual’s right to self-determination and choice in sexuality has recently been the subject of current debate.”
No doubt LIA will be mentioning all those long hard years of work they put into over-turning the sodomy laws that finally fell with Lawrence v Texas? You know all the times they and the Exodus leadership lobbied politicians, worked alongside the ACLU, pursuaded their collegues from Focus and FRC and PFOX and AFA of the danger and futility of such laws — and managed to turn around their views! All the letters they wrote to the newspapers. All the times they stood up in their church and called for an end to the laws. Great!
And also no doubt they will have had a neutral outsider, perhaps even an highly-regarded professional, prepare an audit of their program for release to the media — you know, simple stuff like how many change and what happens to those that do not. Stuff that might be useful to a parent about to “determine appropriate therapeutic intervention for minor children”. That audit will be very helpful, I’m sure. Perhaps they may even show why their program is considered to be a genuine and helpful theraputic intervention for unwilling 16 year olds by all the mainstream professional bodies.
And I don’t doubt their sincere wish for open-minded consideration. We know how dedicated these Exodus people are to “Equal Time” when it comes to matters of sexuality, because they will also be inviting along some of their drop-outs to talk openly about their experiences.
Oh, and John Paulk.
Woo-hoo!
eewh, what happened then? Sorry about the bulk italics everyone.
grant, it appears that Dan failed to close the italics at the end of his post. Only he or the webmaster can do so, since they control the page.
Regarding the post, I’m not sure that the fact that Zach’s web page hasn’t been updated in two weeks means very much. Maybe he hasn’t been able to, after his being abducted.
Hello my name is Shawn and I am outraged at the current fiasco with this boy. I too spent years in Exodus and a live in program much like LIA..actually it was where LIA started in San Rafael, CA which is now called New Hope Ministries. It too tried to change my sexuality for many years spending hundreds if not thousands of hours in their so called “reparative therapy” I was featured in the recent documentary, “Fish Can’t Fly” I wish there was more I could do for these people. I want people to know my story that being gay is ok. I hope that they will not have to experience they same things I had to do through.
Shawn–
I truly hope this press conference isn’t to parade around the newly straight “Zach”.
I hope the kid is stronger than their brainwashing.
Note from Daniel Gonzales:
This comment was deleted because the commenter did not provide a source for what he offered as a letter written by Dr. Sander Breiner.
https://www.narth.com/docs/breiner.html
Dr. Sander Breiner is a NARTH psychiatrist who, in a letter to a mother who is concerned about her homosexual son, states:
“Your son is no longer a small child, and your major influence and impact on his life is past. So at this point in his life, you can no longer want things for him; he must want those things for himself. You can’t want him to be a doctor if it is his choice to be an architect. Neither can you want him to be heterosexual if he wishes to be homosexual.
Your best contribution to his life today, and in the future, is in your loving kindness toward him, and in his awareness of your respect for him.
The knowledge that his mother and father care for each other–and that there is an intact, loving family always there for him–will now be your major contribution to his welfare.”
If only LIA could take a hint from this guy, regarding the concept of self-determination.
John
Thanks John, sorry to be a hard ass and thanks for providing a source. I would have emailed you with my concern but I assume ddd@yahoo is a fake email addy.