-The National Organization for Marriage continues to receive nearly all of its support from several large donors.
-Journalist and gay activist Paul Varnell passes away.
-The city of Orlando, Florida institutes a domestic partner registry.
-Congress removes several anti-gay provisions from the 2012 defense authorization bill.
-The government of Malawi reviews its anti-gay law.
-Republican senators block confirmation of an ambassadorial appointment on the basis of the candidate’s support for gay rights.
-Janice Shaw Crouse demonstrates how easy it is to abuse statistics.
-A lesbian couple fights back against an anti-gay attacker.
-Three Ugandan pastors face libel charges for their anti-gay smear campaigns.
-Chris Barron steps down as chair of GOProud.
-A “family values” Republican politician is forced out of the closet in Mississippi.
-And another one in Minnesota faces allegations of adultery.
Did you see this article about Exodus advertising full page ads in Jamaica? Also a conference with Judges and other government officials in attendence. This brings back memories of Uganda.
https://sdgln.com/news/2011/12/22/widely-discredited-ex-gay-movement-exported-caribbean
I was once a leader and featured speaker for L.I.F.E. ministries in N.Y. I was in weekly counceling with JoAnne Highley. Let me say that her counceling styles were such that if I now a licienced therapist engaged in her behavior, I would be charged with mis-conduct and have my licience suspended. Needless to say, I an not an er-gay idividual but through the ordeal of having survived theex-gay ministry experience, I have enbarked on a stude of human sexuality and the sub-conscience mind. I welcome any comments.
@Nick
Where are you at w your current sexual practices and beliefs about homosexuality and religion, and what have you learned through your subconscious mind study?
Also, you may want to spell-check before submitting. ; )
In case anyone is wondering how to spark a heart into smiles for the New Year, here is a link to the New York Ali Forney Shelter for LGBT youth. Donations are greatly appreciated by everyone.
https://www.aliforneycenter.org/
Control – the biggest false sense of security in our world.
“And on that day there will be many that say to me, but Lord, we did this, we did that and I will say to them I never knew you. Depart from me you workers of inequity.” Jesus
Judgment – the biggest cause of lies and deceit in our world. For those that may not get my quote, it has to do with the fact when people are judged, they usually end up lying and deceiving because of the fear of that judgment. Not rocket science here folks. (Hint: One of the biggest commands that Jesus was against and stated that pretty clearly about judging others)
I have no agenda here but am in the process of seeking truths for myself. I was married 18 yeras, have two grown children, and just left my third relationship in the gay world because of the fact I have not been able to find someone that has the ability to make a true commitment on the level of a marriage. Many of you will say – it’s because it is wrong. That’s fine but many of you have no idea what it is like to be in my shoes and understand sexual drive. I do not understand why I am this way. I see the verses in the Bible that are used to condemn homosexuality. What I do not see though, is the world that condems homosexuals holding theirselves accountable for the rest of what the Bible says about marriage, lust, sexuality. Maybe if everyone out there that condemns homosexuals lived by the entire Bible themselves, people just might possibly listen but just remember what Jesus said about hypocrisy. It would be better in the end on you if you never knew Him.
Now, I am on a personal mission to find what is right for me. I am on a mission to not be judgmental of others. I am on a mission to determine the direction for the rest of my life whether it be on my own and celibate or allow God to direct my life to what He wants for me in any form or fashion. It is not up to anyone out there but me and God to find that path. I don’t need anyones judgment or comments that do not follow ALL of His Word themselves. There are a few verses in the Bible (not many) that discuss this topic. I wonder how many of us actually read those and the entire section of the Bible these are mentioned. Food for thought.
Next, what I find very interesting is how many in our country that condemn homosexuality blame this “sin” on the fall of the traditonal family. Let’s think about this. Homosexuals do not have the ability to procreate. They do not have children unless they are adopted which I find interesting how they are responsible for the fall of the traditonal family! Jesus was extremely adamant about divorce and remarriage and think its pretty clear what his stance was on this topic. Look at the divorce rate in the heterosexual world that wants to condemn homosexuals for causing the traditional family values to fall. Personally I do not see how homosexuals could possibly impact the “traditional family” since they can have no children unless adopted. I struggle with the adoption thing myself because of our society and what pressures a child of a homosexual couple might have to endure. Sure, some homosexual couples feel its their right to do just that fand I cannot judge them myself but ask them to consider the fact whether its selfish on their part to do so when a child growing up in a homosexual couple environment will have do deal with the pressures of a society that ridicules and judges something they do not understand or comprehend. Not trying to justify anything here in any form. But in reality, in my mind, the fall of the traditional family in our world is the result of divorce – single parents, stepbrothers, stepsisters, stepmoms, stepdads, parents that desert children from other marriages once they remarry and start new families. Jesus said the only reason for divorce is adultery. Let’s just be blunt here – its IS true you can justify anything in the Bible you want to justify to meet your needs. No doubt. So how are things like that overlooked and justified. If you want to take the Bible completely literally – then yes – homosexuals are wrong, divorce other than adultery is wrong, so much of what our world does is wrong when you take the ENTIRE Word of God literally. I often wonder if the reason God gives us the Holy Spirit is to guide each of us on an individual level because guess what? No single person on this planet is exactly the same, has lived identifical lives that molded them and formed them into the person they may be at any given time. It’s not anyone’s place to judge. That is between God and that individual. What MIGHT be interesting is if those to condemn homosexuality really believe in their agenda, stopped judging others, condeming others and openly accepted them without judgement and those they were judging could possibly come to a different conclusion about themselves, God, morality, all of the stuff that goes with it. Let’s think about this – if any person out there that condemns homosexuality were to be persecuted, shamed, guilt ridden by others, would you just be all about running into that group for any type of support or love? I think we know the answer to that. I have a fantasy of getting into the pulpit of some major denomination one day and right up front state: How many of you out there are divorced and remarried? Please stand up. Now, all of those standing, remain standing if you divorced for grounds of adultery. I wonder if anyone would remain standing at that point. Bet the numbers would be very small. Wouldn’t that be very powerful to see? But, there again, those that sat down because they did not have grounds due to adultery can certainly justify their reasons even when it is so CLEARLY stated by Jesus himself. So, I will leave with this thought, if everyone out there that condemns homosexuality would focus on other items BESIDES this you might be surprised and how your credibility might improve. I believe it was Jesus that said himself – “You will know them by their fruits” when He was asked how would others know true followers. I don’t think he said or mentioned any specific denomination because it His day,. there was no such thing. Hmmm..interesting to think about. There are so many other things besides this whole divorce thing that can be applied. While I do not or will not any longer participate in any type of nightclub or bar setting – a couple of years ago I went into a country/western “heterosexual” club. As I observed behaviors I realized that the immorality, lust, sexual promiscuity was not just a homosexual thing based on the “fruits on their trees”. “Beware of the “moat” in your own eye before you look at others. It is so fascinating to me how ignornant ALL of us are with pushing our agendas and truly missing out on the spiritual side of God. It has nothing to do with being hetero or homo in reality. Let God handle either side based on what that persons life experiences or being is about. No matter what side of the coin you are on, no matter what your life is about, any of us that are truly seeking Him have the faith He will lead them down the path He wants for them. Not anyone elses. That my friends is all about faith. The church I grew up in was extremely black and white, conservative southern and somewhere in His word and I cannot locate it right now there is a statement that says “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God”. I was led to believe that God is scary and sitting on his throne checking off each time you sinned and you had to repent repent repent. My understanding now is yes, it is fearful. You know why? Because we give up trying to control our own lives and allow God to lead us. Maybe if everyone would stay out of everyone e’ses business that is truly seeking God, we all would see a totally different perspective. This is strictly my perspective of course.
Oh yes, forgot to say something from my previous post. If everyone would take a step back from this political issue versus spiritual issue, is any of this really going to matter at the end of our lives or the end of this world? Each of us will be accountable to God, hetero, homo, and the vast other sins we all do daily – on our own. I thank God that He really is the ultimate Judge that truly matters because he knows me on a level that no human being could ever know. I know and believe in my heart that He is leading me right now if I can stay out of the way and let Him. Where this is going only He knows at this time. Faith, and keeping my own control issues out of the way will take me where He wants me to go. Thank You Lord.
@Dan
I think there are a couple of problems with that position, Dan. First, ignoring injustice and suffering in the world because “it’s all about you and God in the hereafter” seems incredibly selfish — and frankly unChristlike. Political conflicts, like it or not, are often the avenue to solutions in a democracy. It may be messy and frustrating, but that doesn’t mean we should give up.
Second, many people share other faiths which emphasize the importance of the one life we can be certain of, and of course others reject the idea of a god or gods entirely and see religion as simply part of hour cultural heritage, as with other mythologies. Can we ask those people to suffer through injustice needlessly because some of us believe in an “ultimate reward”?
I realize you are probably trying to be helpful, but I think it’s important that we not give the impression that life is somehow a minor stage of existence, one which just needs to be survived until the real thing comes along. Also, as you may be confused from the reading of your first comment, this isn’t an ex-gay site, nor even a Christian site. You are welcome to comment, but it may help you connect if you read over some of the other posts here and get a feel for what we do.
Thanks for commenting.