Love In Action had their press conference today and as of my lunch break here in LA only a few statements had been posted online here. John J. Smid’s statement boils down to, [paraphrased] “Parents who agree with us on homosexuality have the legal right to put their minor child into our program. We’ll take kids who don’t want to be here as long as they don’t prove too disruptive.”
Numerous times throughout his statement Smid refers to homosexuality in general as “unhealthy,” “destructive,” “wrong in the sight of God,” and “inappropriate.” Smid states that “We are a ministry whose mission is to assist others in living a life of self control.” but clearly feels gays who wish to be left alone and raise families must be unable to exercise this self-control he’s so big on. Because gay people lack self control, young “Refuge” participants must be convinced to flee their sexuality out of fear they might otherwise choose to embrace it when they turn 18. I find it of little surprise that a program with rules based on such dated gender stereotyping is now spouting equally tired stereotypes about the homosexual lifestyle. Love In Action mentioned an individual’s right to self-determination in their initial press release but has dropped it so they may attack all gay people as living irresponsible and out-of-control lives.
A statement from Dr. Steve Rice, President of the Christian Medical and Dental Association of America, followed but isn’t uploaded yet. Also statements from a graduate, former staffer and local pastor should be up by the end of the day but I expect them to be largely irrelevant.
Click below to view entire Smid’s entire statement.
Love In Action press conference at their Yale Road facility in Memphis. 11:00 am. June 16, 2005
Love In Action International’s Official Statement, as delivered by Rev. John J. Smid:
Our mission is to be a Christ-centered ministry for the prevention or treatment of unhealthy and destructive behaviors which includes same-sex attractions, facing families, adults, and adolescents.
Our heart’s cry is to see families reconciled, to help people trapped in addictive and out of control behaviors find freedom in Christ, and to help struggling youth to find a place of refuge.
The United States of America was founded on the freedom of religion. It is our spiritual conviction that sexual behavior outside of heterosexual marriage is considered wrong in the sight of God.
As a licensed minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ I am accountable to remain faithful to biblical truth and responsible to serve our community as a messenger of Christ and an encourager of His people. I also am someone who has lived a life of immoral sexual behavior involved in inappropriate homosexual relationships. Twenty years ago I followed the conviction of Jesus Christ into sexual obedience.
Based upon these biblical truths, we are available to those who hold to those same convictions.
We are a ministry whose mission is to assist others in living a life of self control. We emphasize this specifically in areas that that cross over their spiritual convictions.
We feel deeply convicted in the scriptural principal of the responsibility of Christian parents to raise their minor children in spiritual training in life and behavior as described in Ephesians chapter 6 verse 4.
We facilitate a ministry called “Refuge”. It is our intent with this program to assist the parents of minor children in bringing forth information and awareness in helping these young people in making informed decisions about how they will chose to act upon their sexuality upon reaching adulthood.
This program is operated on the will of the guardian or parent. We will work with the minor children as long as they are not overtly distracting to their own program or the program of others.
If it is shown that the client is overtly treatment resistant, we will work with the parent towards alternative options for their care and overall relational health.
Therefore, we are standing firm on our belief that a Christian parent has the responsibility to intervene on behalf of their children when deemed necessary.
So, it is not only the right of the parent to intervene, we believe it is their moral, Christian, responsibility.
We are treading upon a dangerous line when we consider taking away the rights of parents to raise their children in their own moral convictions.
It is my personal concern that years from now, our young people will look back with deep grief and consequences of their immoral choices and say, “You knew this was wrong, why didn’t you warn me that this would hurt me”.
I would ask us all to look deep in our hearts concerning our own sexuality and be honest. How many times have we been wounded by sexuality without discretion?
Here are the other mentioned statements: https://www.detourmemphis.com/
He didn’t state anything that we didn’t already know he thinks. Repeating everything that has already been written is certainly one way to let on that his ministry’s practices are barbaric and wrong. What a load of B.S. His words served no purpose other than as an attempt to appease the people shouting their voices of truth. Perhaps the QAC should hold their own press conference and deliver some truths to America!!!! This homophobic society is long overdue for one of those, especially since this one would most likely make it to the larger news sources and thus to a much greater audience.
We could all see this coming, couldn’t we?
Yes, LIA will accept a client who is being forced into their program. All the talk about just being a choice for those who want it is exposed as a lie.
No, we got no information about what they actually do to the person; or what the outcomes are. The fact is, they don’t have that information in any case.
In the absense of any willingness by ex-gay groups to moderate their own behaviour, this reinforces the need for the various professional bodies to make firm and binding policy about what therapists and counselors are permitted to do — regardless of the wishes or legal power of coercion by parents and guardians. They may ask for it, but reputable therapists will refuse to be party to the abuse.
The true underpinnings of the ex-gay groups are on full display. They are not based on medical science, but on religious conviction; as we have long known. This means their demands for “equal time” or access to schools etc can be rejected unless the school is advocating for other religion-based viewpoints (which, of course, they should not be).
And the quote of the moment for me?
unhealthy and destructive behaviors which includes same-sex attractions
Wow — they finally admitted it. Despite their constant public claims to the contrary, these people DO NOT distinguish between (chosen) behaviour and (unchosen) attraction. They attack both.
I just read the blog and saw the news media flash from your state of Tennesee and read most of the rules contained at that camp. That is not a theruputic camp..that is not even considered therapy! That is akin to a concentration camp, which is something we can all look forward to if things start looking the way they are for gays and gay youth in the coming years. I am a 38 year happily coupled gay male witha partner and I am much happier now than when I was faking trying to be a married heterosexual. There is a good friend of mine Reverend Truluck who wrote several books on how the Bible has been used and abused to justify homosexulity as a sin. He did extensive research on the subject I think his address is http://www.truluck.com and it will take you to his website it will explain everything. These people are using the Bible and certain Bible passages out of context to justify their religious bigotry.
Another fact is: The boy is 16 he can be legally emancipated from his family. I don’t know if he is there by legal means at the camp or if there were any legal binding documents that keep him there. But, if I know my law, this constitutes child abuse if that child is being forced to be at a camp and held against his will. If that be the case, the child can then be legally removed from the home and legal proceedings can begin to hve the child legally emancipated and he can live away from his folks and on his own provided he can support himself nd continue schooling. Now I know there are some homes that do take in gay and lesbian students who hae no other places to go because they have been kicked out of their home….He may want to see a friend of the court from the ACLU to hve him legally removed from the camp and from his home.
The boy is 16…
I’ll only note that, in some communities, a person who is 16 years old is considered something of an adult. I understand the point in the comment though.
Grant,
Excellent assessment.
Tks Timothy,I also have now had a chance to listen to the “medical expert” that LIA rolled out. And how do I know he was a medical expert? Well, apart from him deliberately saying this — he was wearing a white coat. See, a real doctor and all!That he may be. But more the point, what a moron. Took him all of a few moments to start…”commonly abused in childhood””20 or more years shortened life expectancy” (good to see he can read, in this case Paul Cameron)”commonly a serious behavioural disorder” (to whom he did not say)”rarely genetic and untreatable” (genius thinks “not yet proved” = “will never be proved”)”pornography addictions and severe promiscuity” (apparently there are mild forms, I guess?)Then we get on to the LIA evidence-by-unverified-testimony (I’ll skip the unimportant bits):Gerard – god, god, god (still gay)Joe – god, god, god (still gay)Finally, we wrap it all up with a preacher (never gay). god, god, god. Paraphrasing “When I was 15 I wanted a Corvette, and my father said no in his wisdom”. That’s right… wanting to be a 15 year old ho-mo-SEX-ual (yep, the preacher did sound like that) is just like wanting a Corvette. And parents should say no.Apparently, because it’s all about an identity crisis caused by sexual misconduct and sexual perversion. And this is why parents should force their children to be helped by LIA. Because they’re confused, these kids, by the media and pornography.At that point the tape ended, and I barked all over the keyboard.If that brief 15 minutes was any indication of the joys at LIA, I’d be a homicidal homosexual well before my 2 weeks was up.
Who is Dr. Steve Rice???
The website of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations has no listing for him in the list of their directors nor does he show up on a search of their website.
https://www.cmdahome.org/index.cgi?BISKIT=1980167348&CONTEXT=art&art=1676
Could LIA’s Dr. Rice head be a bogus group that accidentally copied another group’s name? Makes me wonder about LIAr’s commitment to “honesty”.
Even if Dr. Rice is somehow associated with this organization, I don’t know how credible they are. Their statements on homosexuality, while conservative, are not inflamatory. However they do post the Satinovar crap and loads of anti-gay propoganda. I didn’t see any reference to ex-gay ministries but they do push for a life of celebacy and quote Doc Throck a lot. They also seem to have no hesitancy in repeating the pseudomedical “findings” of the kooks, including documented fraud by Paul Cameron.
They list a total of nine doctors practicing in Los Angeles. While I don’t know how many doctors practice in the city of Los Angeles, I’m fairly certain that this represents a fraction so small that it would round to zero.
I also felt the same as Timothy on this one. Call me suspicious if you must.When I read the LIA release, I naturally wondered “Dr. Rice — Who is this man?”. As in, what is his professional background, specialty, experience etc (just the simple things that indicate whether a spokesperson is basically qualified to talk on the topic as a professional).Search: doesn’t show up as a CMDA officer (although Smid claimed he was the President)A Steven Rice did show up looking for a member in TN: Name: Steven Rice MD Specialty: Psychiatry – Psychiatry, Geriatrics City, State: Memphis, TN
Office Phone: (901) 767-3241Well, getting the spelling of his name correct would help, thanks LIA!A quick search, and this sounds like the fellow (certainly looks like him):https://www.cnshealthcare.com/Mem_Rice_CV.pdfhttps://www.cnshealthcare.com/sponsor_locations_memphis.htmPerhaps it’s time for him to revisit his 1982 presentation “Using Absurd Strategies in Family Psychotherapy”?[and for those wondering, no this did not take a long time. I am not a complete loser, thank-you for asking.]
I wonder if LIA is getting any federal dollars under the Faith Based Initiative. Think of it: abuse the taxpayers are funding!
My understanding is that the AMA has come out against so-called reparative therapy, calling it damaging. Yet Rice claims membership. He also claims membership in several other professional organizations. Is he in breach of their conduct rules by participating in John Smid’s Refuge program, I wonder?
Hi Bruce, this is my take on it.(I think we’ll find Rice is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, not the AMA although he can be as well).Sadly the organisation does not seem inclined to sactions against a member unless they commit a criminal act. Ditto with the psychologists. To give you an example:Those of us old enough to remember the controversy of “Recovered Memory Therapy” (and that would be, urgh, me) will also be old enough to remember “False Memory Syndrome”. Basically, with little or no basis in science; some therapists began “recovering” memories of abuse etc that in fact was implanted into fragile clients by the therapist themself. It destroyed lives and families, and ended up in some massive slap-downs in the Courts.RMT is almost never heard of today, because almost no therapist will do it — fearing the lliabilities and the public notoriety, and because it’s airy-fairy basis has been exposed. Student therapists usually get some fairly clear education on RMT as an example of what not to do.Unfortunately we are dealing with another matter here with “reparative” therapy. For one, it is often chosen by an adult client; and adults are allowed to chose (even stupid things) for themself (except, of course, go get married to another guy or gal). Second, it is often wrapped up in religion, and it is difficult to impose professional sanctions without someone screaming religious discrimination. See, LIA, PFOX, etc.I see the best way to deal with this is the same way RMT was dealt with — examine what is being done to people, find out what the outcomes are, recognise how it is being misused, educate the therapist population. Oh, and you being in the U.S. and all; I guess a few high profile and expensive Court cases will be required before people “willingly” behave nicely to others.Even after all that, Exodus will continue to operate… because they are a religious organisation. I mean, if you can have Benny Hinn claiming to heal people by smacking them on their pointy heads AND get away with it; what hope do we have of ending Exodus any time soon?In the mean time, we can dry up their client base by ending the prejudice that drives people to them in the first place, and makes them an attractive political tool for others. IMO.
Oh, goodie…
If this is the same Dr. Rice, his practice includes adolescent “Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders”
yikes. my sympathies to the gay kids in Memphis
The American Board of Family Practice, as far back as 1987, had a question in their certification exam on how to treat a homosexual patient presenting with symptoms of depression. (Ans. – You treat the depression, not the homosexuality.)
Where is Dr. Rice allowed to practice?
Dan
Does anyone know what the usual effects are for teens just released from programs such as Love In Actions “Refuge”? I’m really curious as to what condition the kids are in when finally released after 8 weeks of brainwashing. If anyone knows or can point me to a site, I’d appreciate it.
Since Zach is such a high profile case for them, I’m certain his parents and Smid (satans deciple) are gonna do their best to make sure this kid is thier poster-boy for repartive therapy.
This Rice guy, at least in my opinion, is an impaired professional. I used to work with him. His wife divorced him a couple of years ago. His specialty is adults. He has compulsive religious thinking.
Who is it that inflicts the psychological damage?
I am one case where a Memphis ex-gay “ministry” blamed my upbringing for causing psychologcal damage, yet when I came out of the program I was suicidal.
https://bj-moore.home.att.net/exgayagenda.htm