From The Advocate:
A television show hosted by and featuring “ex-gays,” including a former prostitute and a self-confessed thief, is preparing for its launch on two Christian networks.
Pure Passion will debut on both the Sky Angel Satellite Network and the Christian Television Network on September 18. The show, produced by Mastering Life Ministries, will be hosted by former prostitute David Kyle Foster and Alan Chambers, a onetime criminal and current president of the “ex-gay” group Exodus International, according to a press release issued by Wayne Besen, executive director of Truth Wins Out, a nonprofit that counters so-called conversion therapy. Joining Foster and Chambers as part of the show will be singer Sy Rogers and “ex-lesbian” activist Christine Sneeringer.
For more information and reaction, read Truth Wins Out’s press release.
Hat tip: Aaron
If that’s a TWO press release why is it posted on Wayne’s personal site and not TWO’s?
Thanks Mike for posting that.
In other entertainment news, Bill O’Reilly is having Anne Heche’s mother on The Factor to discuss what went on behind closed doors with Ellen and Anne. I find this highly offensive. One, it is Anne Heche’s mother, the exgay advocate. Anne has even condemned her publicity seeking actions in the past. Second, this is not a news story and did happen years ago. Why would O’Reilly be trotting out the story now? I wish I could see it, but I am going to go see This Film Is Not Yet Rated and Hollywoodland. Could anyone post what O’Reilly’s guest says later?
BTW, how is Alan Chambers a “onetime criminal”? Did I miss that somewhere in his testimony?
I think calling Alan Chambers a “onetime criminal” is not truthful. Wayne has a quote in which Alan says that he “used to steal”, but the quote seems to be FAR less than is implied in the Advocate article.
https://www.waynebesen.com/2006/09/alan-chambers-i-used-to-steal-money.html
Do we really need to use hyperbole and exageration to try and discredit Chambers? Wouldn’t it be better to challenge his claims?
Legally, Chambers may or not have been a criminal, but morally he was, if he was in fact stealing.
I’d like to know what Chambers stole, when, and whether perhaps he really does have a criminal record.
crim·i·nal (krĭm’ə-nəl) n.
One that has committed or been legally convicted of a crime.
I personally would not emphasize this matter in my criticism of Chambers or his activities at Exodus. I think to do so makes us look petty and it minimizes the many genuine issues that make their position a bad thing.
That said, it would appear from Alan’s own admissions that the Advocate’s description is truthful if what Alan said about himself is truthful.
While the article on the exgay TV show is passable, The Advocate isn’t a great news source — it’s more like the National Enquirer or Us Weekly.
Here’s an occasion where Wayne Besen was clearer and more accurate. He was “truthful,” in other words. 😀
“‘I used to steal,’ confessed Chambers. ‘I was very consumed with and, I loved things, I loved money and I used to steal it.'”
That does not equal “onetime criminal”.
Until we know when, from whom, and in what context, we’re setting ourselves up for embarassment by making such a claim.
I realize we are picking nits here but as far as I know, stealing money is a crime. I suppose he could have stolen it from his mother at a young age, or from his wife/partner. While still crimes, those would be less intense situations. Nonetheless, if I tell you “I used to steal money” I could interchange “I used to commit crimes” and the meaning would be the same.
That aside, the impression I got from the Advocate article was that he had been convicted of something, which so far as we know is not true. As Mike said, The Advocate isn’t the best source for news. I agree that Wayne was the most accurate in his description, “self-confessed former thief.” But criminal is technically accurate if Alan was being honest about his statement. I wouldn’t use the term – I doubt I would bring up the issue at all – but someone did and we may as well be accurate about it.
OK…
But Wayne’s wording wasn’t deceptive. I think the Advocate wording suggests a “life of crime” element which I doubt was present. I don’t think the Advocate did it on purpose, but I still wish it hadn’t happened.
I would hate to have some past event of mine like “I’ve failed to come to a complete stop at at stop sign before” be blown up into “he was a criminal”. Sure it was breaking a law… but it’s hardly a life of crime.
Oh well, I think we’ve beat this poor horse to death. Let’s stop. I concede that the language probably could fit within the technical definitions of the words, if not the spirit of them.
In my book I withheld Alan’s quote on stealing because he seemed like a nice guy and was adamantly against political preaching.
After becoming the Exodus President, Mr. Chambers has become very political and has embraced the very organizations he once claimed offended him. Still, I held the “stealing” quote and many other such quotes for several years.
I released this quote only after Mr. Chambers badly distorted a study that made it appear gay relationships were more likely to be abusive. This was below the belt and an unseemly tactic by Mr. Chambers.
Releasing this quote was my subtle way of expressing great disappointment for the path Mr. Chambers has taken. I sincerely hope he avoids such ugly smear tactics in the future and returns to being the man I once respected.