GAY TRUTH

Yesterday I had the good pleasure to join a courageous group of people for a conference entitled “Transformation Potential” held at the Emmanuel Centre in London. The conference was spearheaded by Michael Davidson, a man of God who came out of the homosexual life many years ago and heads up a group called  Core Issues Trust  (“a non-profit Christian ministry supporting men and women with homosexual issues who voluntarily seek change in sexual preference and expression”) and by Andrea Williams, dynamic barrister and CEO of  Christian Concern  (an organization that seeks to be “a strong Christian voice in the public sphere”) and the  Christian Legal Centre  (a legal defense team for British Christians persecuted for their faith).  Speakers at the event included (in addition to Davidson, Williams, and me)  Andrew Comiskey  (Executive Director and Founder of Desert Stream / Living Waters), Dr. Christopher Rosik (former president of  NARTH ),  Floyd Godfrey  (a licensed professional

In this article, I present in a conversational form a hypothetical interaction between myself and a Typical Opponent of Professional Therapies that Include Change (i.e., a Mr Ty Optic). While hypothetical, this conversation is comprised of responses to common arguments frequently offered by people who are increasingly intent on legally restricting client self-determination and professional speech in the psychological care of unwanted same-sex attractions and behaviours.  Through the vehicle of this conversation, I hope to highlight the many difficulties with these arguments, particularly the incomplete or dishonest representation of the scientific record as regards the change in same-sex attractions and behaviours and the false caricatures of licensed therapists who do this work.  Those who value clients’ rights to choose a professional course of care consistent with their moral, religious, and cultural beliefs are encouraged to familiarize themselves with these responses

Homosexuals attack ex-gay Simultaneously, a church program to help those with unwanted same-sex attractions was cruelly condemned, regardless of the needs of men and women desperate to leave the dangerous lifestyle. The Perth City Church of Christ hosted James Parker, an ex- gay man who converted to Christ and is now the head of a family. The husband and father openly admitted his previous promiscuous lifestyle and offered concrete hope to entrapped homosexuals that there is a way out. Parker said he was abused by many teachers in his home country of England as well as an older male. He developed an addiction to pornography and alcohol. He declared himself “gay” at age 17 and bedded over 200 men while attending a London university. At one point, he nearly considered himself transgender. But then  Parker  “experienced a profound spiritual awakening” and “discovered in a deep way the forgiveness, love and mercy of Jesus Christ .” The way out for Parker, he said, was

At one level we must answer this question with affirmative conviction. Yes, a person with same-sex attraction can change. Christians must proclaim that rebellious sinners , whether heterosexual or homosexual, can be redeemed by Christ and conformed to his image by the Holy Spirit. We can affirm this without hesitation because of God's promises in Scripture and because of the gospel's transformative power. At the same time, the process of sanctification and the radical change from sexual sinner to a life of purity and holiness is never simple. The redemption of someone with same-sex attraction does not instantaneously produce a heterosexual orientation. The New Testament displays the difficulty of escaping patterns of temptation and sin. In Romans 7, Paul demonstrates the tension Christians experience between new life in Christ and indwelling sin. There is simply no easy way to escape the lingering effects of our sin even after conversion to Christ. We must honestly stat