Still a Lie - Only Nicer

Okay, this disturbs me. It seems that leaders of the so-called "ex-gay ministries" are calling on preachers to be less vitriolic in their condemnation of gays and lesbians - so they won't be scared away from entering such "ministries."

While the audience included some of the local Christian right’s most hardened culture warriors, (ex-gay leader Andrew) Comiskey’s message was that the church should embrace gay and lesbian people (in order to “cure” them, of course) rather than attack them. He told the crowd he believes that homosexuality is caused by some sort of developmental inner conflict, and by tackling that conflict head on people can transform from gay or lesbian to heterosexual. He said he believes churches need to welcome people struggling with homosexuality and establish ministries aimed at helping them cure their same-sex desires.

“For individuals who didn’t [develop into heterosexuals], they’ve got some unfinished business, and I want to help them finish that up,” said Comiskey. “And I can think of no better place to do that than in the body of Christ.”

Yikes! So the snake will talk sweetly to you before it bites you in the ass. How Christian!

I applaud their graceful approach, but I can't help but see it as completely cynical (but perhaps I'm just cynical about them, no?). Certainly you attract more flies with honey than with vinegar, but the result is the same - dead flies - only here we have either literally dead gays and lesbians or at least spiritually dead ones.

Memo to the ex-gay movement: You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig. You can say your lies in wonderful dulcet tones, but they are still lies.

The best weapon against the ex-gay fraud is education. Visit Wayne Besen's excellent site, Truth Wins Out, to learn how this movement was founded on fraud and continues to perpetuate the fraud. All these people do is harm gays and lesbians, whether they shout at us or coo sweetly in our ears. They are deadly to our community. Don't buy the lie.