The following is a quote from a major ex-gay ministry leader:
The Homosexual Agenda…Myth.
Yes, I believe there are many people with many agendas.
However, I do not believe there is an American-wide gay conspiracy that is played up in by Coral Ridge and some other conservative Christian organizations to generate fear.
What I *do* believe is that in the spiritual realm, there are demonic spirits who have an evil agenda of destruction and hate, and they are the ones deceiving and manipulating both gays and straights to achieve THEIR agenda.
In decrying the way gay people are portrayed by many churches and other organizations, this leader went on to call for an “honest portrayal”:
Instead of showing gays cavorting in the streets why not show the ones who are actively seeking to make positive contributions to society? For example, most of the best AIDS Outreach programs in America are secular organizations staffed or directed by openly gay individuals. The Church could tremendously benefit from the knowledge these secular agencies have obtained in trying to help PWA’s deal with HIV and Aids. The point is, the rest of the world knows that there is more to homosexuality than what is being presented. Be honest. It is not simply about a sex act, it is about a community, identity and feelings.
And out of frustration with the political involvement of so many ministries, they said:
This politically fixated speech has to stop and the gospel must be put into action. I want to see the Coral Ridge leaders start serving the gay community instead of fighting them. I want to see them lay down their own agendas and start picking up God’s, which is salvation, not the next election. Our future does not lie in Washington D.C.; it lies in the palm of God’s hand and I want to bring as many with me as I can.
Some longtime readers may recognize this leader. Wendy Gritter? No, these quotes and more are from Randy Thomas, VP of Exodus International. They are taken from a letter he wrote ten years ago, protesting the use of his story by Coral Ridge Ministries (Dr. James Kennedy). At the time, he was co-director of Living Hope Ministries, an Exodus member. The letter appeared on the website of Justice & Respect until 2002 when it was removed for reasons unknown. XGW mentioned it in 2003.
I encourage you to read the entire thing, then ask with me the obvious question; what happened to Randy Thomas?
As Mark Twain put it so clearly in Puddin’head Wilson:
“Tell me where a man gets his cornpone, and I’ll tell you what his ‘pinions is.”
Or as I have modifed it:
“Tell me where a man gets his self-hatred, and I’ll tell you what his opinions are.”
Sorry. i don’t do dialect.
My guess is that $$$ happend to Randy Thomas. Anti-gay right wing religious organizations pay good money for political shills – as long as they toe the dogmatic line when it comes to talking points and rhetoric. I imagine there have been plenty of Jim Dobson’s dollars deposited in Thomas’ bank account over the past decade or so.
Timothy remove this comment. It was snarky 🙂
Once again I will point out that no one at Exodus is getting rich. Randy does not appear in Exodus’ IRS Form 990 in the schedule of employees making more than $50,000 a year. He doesn’t appear on Focus’ 990 either.
Is it possible that people do what they do for reasons other than money? The follow the money line of reasoning can really get tiresome and can detract from the real reasons people do the misguided things they do. Please go back and read some of Steve Schalchlin’s or Timothy Kinkaid’s posts about Randy. I think they’ve got the guy’s number and it’s not a bank account number.
I too doubt it’s the money, since I don’t imagine many in the ex-gay movement are getting all that rich.
It’s sad to see what’s become of him. There’s a very bitter streak that comes across in what I’ve read by him, and it’s not something I sense in all ex-gays.
If Randy lived in Washington, DC, everyone would just say that he has Potomac Fever (the disease of being seduced and sucked into the self important political world of Washington). I guess the disease extends to areas outside the Beltway in Virginia and Maryland all the way down to Orlando.
Randy Thomas was once a compassionate conservative Christian.
I would not call him that now.
For reasons unknown, Thomas has become politically correct.
I used to appreciate his ramblings about God’s love and his compassion for the bullied. But he doesn’t talk about that anymore. He blogs instead about his free plane trips and hotel stays in D.C. and Colorado Springs — funded by unidentified benefactors, in support of vague “powerful messages” about ex-gay “identity.”
I would have to echo those people who have talked about the bitterness present in Randy of late. I was incredibly surprised to find out these quotes were from him considering what you hear him say today. What DID happen??????
If I had to guess I would say that Randy’s beliefs didn’t line up with reality.
Bitterness happens when reality and belief conflict.
Anyone who has been “ex-gay” and has tried to swallow that bitter pill and can understand.
Wow! These are really thoughtful comments. I was stunned to learn they came from Randy Thomas. Indeed–what has happened to him?
I was a member of the Living Hope ministry for four years. Randy was the head of the ministry for most of those years (before he moved to Florida to join Exodus’ national team). Although I never had interaction with Randy while I was in Living Hope, he was always spoken of highly. I actually never knew that he had penned these thoughtful counter-right-wing-war-on-gays words.
But I have read his blog recently. And the guy writing the stuff on his blog sounds like a *completely* different person than the guy who wrote these words.
Perhaps it is his involvement with Exodus’ national team that has changed his heart and his words. Maybe the leadership culture at Living Hope was just remarkably good. I dunno.
But I hope old Randy makes a comeback…
your either gay or not have sex with anybody at this time. you can not stop being gay. that’s like someone holding there breath either you faint or take a breath. stop the bul sh#t. be happy with person you are. god loves you and that all you need to know.
Having had interaction with Randy, and hearing him speak at a personal level, and also realizing that I was not around or heard him speak those direct words, I have heard him speak with compassion and grace, many times over.
I have to point out that everyone changes to some degree, as they grow, learn and through experiences in life. No one remains the same. Yet, we are quick to point out flaws, and negatives once that person changes in a way that we don’t like, or causes us a bit of distress. I can’t imagine the pressure that he may face by having people from the ex gay sector of society and the ex gay watch constantly scrutinizing him at every level…I wonder…is there a better use of everyones time?
Each one of us has changed, grown, become jaded, and we can become bitter when life doesn’t go our way. Randy is no different than anyone here. Let’s all look at the plank in our eyes, before we look at the speck in another.
And to rev billy…I disagree. Welcome to the year 2008, where sexuality it more fluid than you think. If someone decides that they do not want to be gay…it is no different than someone deciding they are gay…and it is no ones issue but that persons. We can spew “God loves you just as you are” but if a persons behavior goes contrary to the conviction that this person feels and they want to do something about it, that is their life, and their decision, and their right to do that, not anyone elses. It is a basic human right…even if you do not agree with it or not.
For me, I haven’t fainted, nor am I holding my breath, rather, I am taking in deep life giving breaths.
Have to disagree with you. The person is deciding they don’t want to identify themselves as gay. Gay is more than just a label we place on ourselves. I never “decided” to be gay. I decided to stop lying to myself about the gay porn under my matress and my complete lack of interest in women altogether. Every encounter I had with a woman felt wrong, way down deep in my gut (and I didn’t even have sex with them!). I knew, knew in my heart every kiss, every attempt to court them was a lie to both myself and the poor girl.
This, I agree with you on.
Part of me wonders: the sexual thoughts don’t go away, the desires don’t go away. If you have shoes that don’t fit, you buy different shoes, you don’t lop off toes, right? Wouldn’t it be easier to just find a gay-affirming church, rather than trying to restructure your life to fit the faith of one church? Faith is a choice, nobody is born believing in Jesus, people convert every day. You wouldn’t even necessarily have to convert: there are hundreds of Christian denominations. Wouldn’t it make more sense to find one that fits who you are, rather than trying to change who you are to fit that church?
You really think fluid sexuality is a modern phenomenon? Think again.
Kenny, a person who wishes to conform to the world’s standards by rejecting his true being and living in accordance to a heterosexual behaviour will of course have his wishes respected. But when this person uses his new identity by misrepresenting homosexuality and lobbying against equality for homosexuals, he is affecting other people’s lives and inflicting prejudice upon innocent people’s lives. When this happens, of course this person will be under scrutiny.
Kennny – as long as Randy is working to pass laws which negatively impact my partner and me and our friends I think scruitinizing him at every level is a pretty good use of our time.
I’d ask randy the same thing. Like proving that God does not exist… it is easier to say a lie(or misrepresentation) and pass it off as truth than to prove that lie is, in fact, a lie. Thus is why i believe its crucial for places like ex-gay watch in your case, FRC, to exist, AND IT WILL take up time.
Agree w/ yuki.
Kenny, that is what XGW is for – volunteering our time to watch – scrutinize – people like Randy who lead organizations like his.
In theory, I agree with you, Jason. In reality, it’s not really that simple. When it comes to to conservative churches, religion and religious affiliation becomes an identity. Changing churches — especially leaving a more “conservative” one for a more “accepting” one — means rejecting and abandoning that identity. That’s not an easy choice to make.
Along similar lines in with that, people who are heavily involved in such churches tend to live lives that are totally intertwined with church. Church — and particularly the church they’re currently attending — is their lives. It’s where there friends are. It’s the vast majority of their community ties. It’s everything. So changing churches often means walking away from friendships, regular social plans, and just about everything else. That’s a frightening and difficult concept. (And that’s not even talking about suddenly becoming the “religious oddball” in one’s family.)
I’ve been there. I even left Christianity eventually. So I’ll be the first to admit that it’s possible. I just wouldn’t call it an easy choice to make. And it’s not a choice I’d wish on my worst enemy, to be honest.
“especially leaving a more “conservative” one for a more “accepting” one — means rejecting and abandoning that identity. That’s not an easy choice to make.”
Not to mention you’ll already convinced that doing so is satan’s doing.
Yuki…I hear what you are saying and would agree with you to a point…
“But when this person uses his new identity by misrepresenting homosexuality and lobbying against equality for homosexuals, he is affecting other people’s lives and inflicting prejudice upon innocent people’s lives. When this happens, of course this person will be under scrutiny.”
What happens when this person uses his/her new identity to represent what he or she believes is truth about how he or she used to live. I would have to say that you can also say that those in the ex gay watch who scrutinize, and who are also very vocal about those who say they misrepresent homosexuality are also misrepresenting ex gays and their rights to freedom of speech. The homosexual lobbying started out with a cry for their voices to be heard…and a lot has changed and allow for that voice to be heard…and essentially it is saying, we have a rights…do not take them away. What I don’t want to see is the inevitable , and that is the day when the ex gay (who has the same rights as anyone else) and someone of faith, not have the same rights.
What I really want is that we look at what we do, and say in regards to how that will affect others. I am not okay with spewing hate in any way shape or form, be it gay or exgay. What I do see and read is both sides being as nasty as they can be, to get their point across. It’s as if we have not learnt to be the better person…! When will that happen? When will that change take place…?
I have heard much from both sides, and who will change first? I hear people who have been hurt, wounded by ex gay therapy…and I also hear people who have been hurt by those in the gay community, who get them to label themselves…be who they were created to be…when that doesn’t sit for them, be it for faith or no faith issues.
Maybe I am an idealist, I know that I want to stay neutral…get both sides seeing their own behavior and how it affects innocent individuals, and get us looking at our own prejudices, because like it or not, both sides have it.
Gordo-
“as long as Randy is working to pass laws which negatively impact my partner and me and our friends I think scruitinizing him at every level is a pretty good use of our time.”
My question then is this…what if Randy sees those who are lobbying and changing laws, as something that will negatively impact himself, and his friends, will he then also have the right to scrutinize you, and those you love at every level? Being the devils advocate here!
Apt word choice.
But you and Randy both know that there will be zero impact on Randy’s life if everything that I lobby for and support were to come to pass. And you and Randy both know that what he lobbies for would have a very real and material impact on mine.
Kenny said:
You bet! And when they stop messing with my life, and propagating myths about gay people in general, I will be happy to use my time on other ventures. Until then, this is necessary volunteer work. Doing so is an important part of a free society – we don’t censor, we are vigilant against lies and educate using facts.
Poor Randy – if teh gays get some rights it will offend his delicate sensibilites.