Joe Dallas, former leader of Exodus International and self-professed “ex-gay,” was on the Janet Mefferd Show to express his disapproval of Christians who support equality and of Christian members of the Queer community. Dallas, long an opponent of so-called “gay theology” (that is, Biblical exegesis that is affirming of the benign reality of homosexuality in humanity), declares that Satan has a clear role in leading people “astray” to homosexuality in his book When Homosexuality Hits Home.
Satan’s strategy is leading humans astray, whether the arena is doctrinal or moral, is to deceive an individual into thinking that what God has forbidden is not really wrong or destructive, but is, in fact, life enhancing. So it was I the garden when Satan tempted Eve; so it may well be with your loved one. The sin of homosexuality is human nature, but the belief that sin is not really sin comes not from human nature alone but from an ancient and evil messenger.
He is especially concerned for openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, whom he “trembles for,” and worries about how “young people” will be affected by the Gospel that Bishop Robinson preaches – fearing that they will be told that “homosexuality is legitimate” and can “embrace their homosexuality and do so with God’s approval.”
I suspect that it will be a message to young people stating that homosexuality is legitimate, therefore they can embrace their homosexuality and do so with God’s approval. I am reminded of the warning to those who call good evil and evil good and darkness light. There is a particular judgment, and this is the heart of the matter, there is a particular judgment that is placed biblically on leaders who teach falsehood, it is of course serious when any Christian goes into error, whether moral error or doctrinal error, but you remember James said, ‘my brethren let us not be many teachers because we will receive the greater judgment.’
Dallas also invokes Godwin’s Law while unironically warning people that the Bible can be used to justify just about anything, if you twist it enough:
And as you know, if you took the Bible hard enough you could make it say whatever you want it to, cults can do that, Nazis did that and I’m afraid it’s being done today under the guise of civil rights and gay liberation.
Comparing gays to Nazis and indeed blaming National Socialism on gays is nothing new, but it is still amazing when such hyperbole is spouted by prominent ex-gay figures. His own ministry, Genesis Counseling, claims to help people who are struggling with sexual addiction and homosexuality by having them reclaim their “Godly sexuality.”
Hat tip: Right Wing Watch
Notice a few familiar names on this newspaper article? This is how Exodus, Joe Dallas, etc, damage the world. But that’s alright, I’m sure they feel personally fulfilled for contributing to their God-given mission. Can we expect them to be deprived of that? That would be “religious discrimination.”
And when they go for decades without taking responsibility for their actions, and responsibility is instead forced on them from outside, they whine and complain that they are being persecuted.
If these are “dedicated Christians,” who really could be blamed for wanting nothing to do with their faith?
David, I agree. The thing these evangelicals don’t seem to get is that there is so much diversity of interpretation of Scripture among just them that it seems absurd that these groups would insist that they alone are the sole defenders and correct interpreters of Scripture. These Protestant groups don’t even agree on the definition of the Gospel and they’re going to act like they are the ones who know God’s will and everyone else is exchanging light for darkness? Oh that’s right, I forgot. The definition of a cult or sinner is anyone who disagrees with “me.” That’s how it functionally works in the community that I grew up in. Happily, more and more are seeing through the confusion they spew, but I do wonder how many more will nearly have their lives destroyed or actually will destroy their own lives because of this venom.