Exodus’ Freedom Conference began yesterday and goes until the 11th of June. Touted with the motto “The Reality of Grace,” attendees come to hear “a message of Biblical truth and Christ-like compassion to a world impacted by homosexuality.” Watchdog group Truth Wins Out is holding a counter-conference through June 10th.
[vimeo]https://vimeo.com/24636642[/vimeo]Exodus couches their rhetoric with words like “truth,” “love,” and “Christ-like compassion,” but their true core beliefs are much less kind.
I always marvel at the Super Christian penchant for redefining words to essentially mean their complete opposite:
Subjugation and subservience become “freedom,” fantasy becomes “reality,” myths and lies become “truth,” indifference becomes “compassion,” and hate becomes “love.”
I’m at the Exodus Freedom Conference and it hasn’t been anti-gay at all, they are really just showing Christian love and acceptance. The talk has only been about people who are greieving over the loss of kids that have identified as gay, and help for people who don’t wish to “be gay” or live a gay life style. You guys need to chill.
What do you mean by “the loss of kids that have identified as gay,” Paul?
I would ask the same question, and also add, what exactly is “a gay life style?” For Alan Chambers it was about 8 months of ducking into dark shadows for anonymous sex — certainly not my “life style.” Chill yourself, Paul.
I’ve been to Ridgecrest. It’s a beautiful setting, where with enough music, emotion and clever words, one can manipulate people very effectively — Jesus not required, unfortunately. And while I’m glad you are enjoying yourself and getting your money’s worth, we’ve all dealt with far too many people damaged by Exodus to rejoice with you.
Don’t pretend that all those people are there because they “don’t want to be gay.” They don’t want their families and the Church to treat them as damaged or evil, and they are willing to do anything to escape that.
@Paul Schmidt,
I think considering that there are 1 in 25 sociopaths in society. That autism spectrum affects one in 110 children, and gang recruitment has been a part of the American landscape for decades, trying to change gay people or continuing harsh societal treatment of them to force that compliance, is the dumbest, most wasteful pursuit I’ve ever seen.
Why don’t anti gay activists put as much time, money and energy into stopping gang recruitment of children (a sure sign of familial failure), or into research and medical charity against autism?
Why not commit to awareness on sociopathy? A mental and emotional disorder which keeps people from feeling empathy for another person. Something that is incredibly dangerous.
Yeah, singing songs in a garden, and reiterating that homosexuality is a ‘lifestyle’, makes for good press for yourselves.
But when it’s all said and done, how utterly worthless to the REAL issues that need everyone’s attention, and perhaps something could actually be done about them.
hmm… the vid in this post is not public anymore; it requires a password.
@Regan DuCasse
My sentiments exactly…but I’ll just change a word or two…”Why don’t ex-gay activists put as much time, money and energy into stopping gang recruitment of children (a sure sign of familial failure), or into research and medical charity against autism?
Why not commit to awareness of sociopathy? A mental and emotional disorder which keeps people from feeling empathy for another person. Something that is incredibly dangerous.
Yeah, singing songs in a garden, and reiterating that thinking you can change is worthless and that you probably weren’t gay to begin with, makes for good press for yourselves.
But when it’s all said and done, how utterly worthless to the REAL issues that need everyone’s attention, and perhaps something could actually be done about them. Like human trafficing, poverty, lending a helping hand to the elderly, the disabled?
Conversations…can always be turned…and what one group fights for, they end up persecuting another!
Paul…I too was at the Conference, and was encouraged by it. It was grace, truth, compassion and love!!
David, sorry that your experiences brought you to such a place as this. I don’t know your story, but it sounds like you had some hurtful experiences. But just as there are countless people who are deciding that they do not want to be gay…be it an 8 month stint in bushes, or 25 years actively gay identified, each person has the right to live their life, makes choices for themselves. Every adult there at the conference made a decision to be there. That is their journey. It may take them to either embrace a gay identity, or walk out of that into something new, again, part of the diversity that we live in, makes that a possibility.
It’s true not everyone who was there was so they “don’t have to be gay”. There were gay activist in attendance, who openly wanted to know more about Exodus rather than just receiving second hand info from others (I applaud that and hope they experienced much love and grace from those in attendance), there were Pastors, Leaders, parents, family friends of those who may be struggling or who may be gay identified who came to learn more about homosexuality and learn to support, love and extend grace to their loved ones.