Peterson Toscano reported Wednesday on his arrival in Memphis for Beyond Ex-Gay’s Deconstructing the Ex-Gay Myth — A Weekend of Action & Art, which begins today. Two local media outlets have reported on the event: the Memphis Flyer published an interview with Toscano yesterday, while the Memphis Commercial Appeal featured fellow Love In Action survivor Jacob Wilson.
Focus on the Family, whose Love Won Out roadshow rolls into Memphis on Saturday, will no doubt point to the local press’ greater interest in Beyond Ex-Gay’s event as an example of anti-Christian media bias, yet Focus’ own reporting displays far less objectivity than the comparatively neutral Flyer and Commercial Appeal columns. In a February 20 press release, Focus on the Family refers to Beyond Ex-Gay simply as “local activist groups” with a “revisionist view of the Bible.”
The press release goes on to cite the Jones & Yarhouse study as proof that orientation change is achievable by anyone who wants it, without any acknowledgment of the study’s methodological flaws or the fact that, even taken at face value, the study’s own claims are considerably more modest than the press release’s bold claim that “a traditional reading of the Bible… was proven true” by Jones & Yarhouse.
Given Focus on the Family’s consistently dismal track record when it comes to honest and accurate reporting, it comes as little surprise that Love Won Out is already misrepresenting the Jones & Yarhouse study. Fortunately the general public can now see the fruits of LWO’s prescriptions for themselves through the stories and artwork of ex-gay survivors.
As a Catholic, I could say the same for Focus on the Family as being “revisionist.” The fact is, the entire Christian community, every sect that falls under the Christian umbrella is a “revisionist” community when it comes to Sacred Scripture. Christianity was founded on the very principal of “revising” the Hebrew Scriptures in order to explain Christ. And we continue to revise the Scriptures, and the entire Christian Tradition for that matter, in order to bring the Gospel message to each new generation.
My hat’s off to Peterson. He’s a great witness for Christianity and the message Christ. I hope he is able to reach beyond the gay community while there in Memphis to demonstrate that God’s love is not contained in a little bottle marked “for heterosexual’s only.” I also hope he is able to reach out to those in the gay community who have been hurt by religion, Christian or otherwise, so that they can see how much God truly loves us as we are.
As for Focus on the Family, what an excellent title for them, because their title clearly states who their god is … the 4 member family – pop, mom, junior, and daddy’s little girl, all living in suburbia America in a Leave-It-To-Beaver-like home. I’d rather belong to a faith community that is a “Focus on God and Her People” group instead … it can include the suburbia families, but it doesn’t stop there…it includes all of God’s children.
I wish I could argue otherwise, but a few visits to your average conservative evangelical church would confirm just how much their version of Christianity revolves around heterosexual marriage and the ‘traditional’ family. One could walk away from many churches wondering if God cared about anything else.
My parents wanted me to attend the Love Won Out conference with them.
I’m really glad to find this resource. Thanks guys.
Idols come in all shapes and sizes.
I hope Peterson can come out to the LA area some time. My church had tried to sponsor him to come out last year, but the plans fell through. Thank God for people like him!
Alan S said: “My hat’s off to Peterson. He’s a great witness for Christianity and the message Christ. I hope he is able to reach beyond the gay community while there in Memphis to demonstrate that God’s love is not contained in a little bottle marked “for heterosexual’s only.” ”
As a “straight” Christian I find inspiration in Peterson and others who post here. No one can speak up for others as well as others can speak up for themselves.
Jesus’ “love your neighbor” message applies to all, gay straight, and other, no exceptions allowed. Those who suggest that Jesus’ teachings apply only to them miss the whole point of the good news in Jesus’ Gospel message to us.
Quite by accident, I heard Peterson Toscano on a radio program today. He was on the show “News and Views” which is a daily rant by an father and son team Chuck and Larry Bates. Toscano was doing an excellent job holding his own with those two, but I was not able to hear the entire program. Meanwhile, I found this link on the internet:
https://www.soundwaves2000.com/unwo/
It looks like todays program will be posted tomorrow so anyone can listen.