June 28, 2012

PFOX 2012 Summer Newsletter excerpt: – “A new study slated for the July issue of the journal Social Science Research claims to show significant differences in adverse outcomes among children raised by gay and lesbian parents when compared to children raised by both biological parents in a heterosexual-headed household.”

The study by Mark Regnerus of the University of Texas’s Department of Sociology and Population Research Center was funded by $785,000 in grants. PFOX was given an advance copy of the study. The full text of the PFOX review is in the PFOX 2012 Summer Newsletter.

June 28, 2012

The Exodus International website has made Alan Chambers‘ address to the general session of their 2012 Freedom Conference available on its website. A byline states that Chamber’s “addresses recent controversy surrounding Exodus and clarifies the organizational beliefs and mission.” The podcast is 54 1/2 minutes long.

June 26, 2012

Here is an excerpt from the Fox News article: – “Alan Chambers, told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the conference would highlight his efforts to dissociate the group from the controversial practice usually called ex-gay, reparative or conversion therapy.”

“‘I do not believe that cure is a word that is applicable to really any struggle, homosexuality included,’ said Chambers, who is married to a woman and has children, but speaks openly about his own sexual attraction to men. ‘For someone to put out a shingle and say, ‘I can cure homosexuality’ — that to me is as bizarre as someone saying they can cure any other common temptation or struggle that anyone faces on Planet Earth.’” (more…)

June 26, 2012

The Associated Press article begins: “MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The president of the country’s best-known Christian ministry dedicated to helping people repress same-sex attraction through prayer is trying to distance the group from the idea that gay people’s sexual orientation can be permanently changed or ‘cured.’”

“That’s a significant shift for Exodus International, the 36-year-old Orlando-based group that boasts 260 member ministries around the U.S. and world. For decades, it has offered to help conflicted Christians rid themselves of unwanted homosexual inclinations through counseling and prayer, infuriating gay rights activists in the process.”

June 20, 2012

Here are excerpts from Alan Chambers’ interview in the Atlantic:

Interviewer Jennie Rothenberg Gritz: “Does that mean a person living a gay lifestyle won’t go to hell, as long as he or she accepts Jesus Christ as personal savior?”

Chambers: “My personal belief is that everyone has the opportunity to know Christ, and that while behavior matters, those things don’t interrupt someone’s relationship with Christ. But that’s a touchy issue in the conservative group I run with. And there are definitely differing opinions on it. I don’t think you could even look at any one denomination and find that everyone believes exactly the same thing. On the other hand, I do believe there is a right and wrong. I believe there is clarity on the issue of all sexuality in the Bible — on every aspect of it.” (more…)

June 19, 2012

Here are excerpts from Alan Chamber’s letter “Defining Exodus”: – “Exodus International is repeatedly accused of seeking to make gay people straight through conversion therapy and prayer. As the media and culture rage around us, drawing battle lines in the sand and seeking to fuel the debate about homosexuality, my team and I have been working diligently to clearly state the calling of this great ministry and focus solely on that work. We want to reiterate that our mission is, first and foremost, to serve, support and equip the Church in providing refuge to individuals or families impacted by same-sex attractions (SSA). Quite simply, our goal is to make the Church famous for loving and serving people as Jesus would and pointing them to Him.” (more…)

June 18, 2012

Following is the full text of the Exodus International June 18, 2012 Press Release:

Exodus International Releases New Policy Statement On the Criminalization of Homosexuality
Ministry responds to Christian Music Artist and Exodus Board Member, Dennis Jernigan’s Remarks in Kingston, Jamaica

Orlando, Fla—Exodus International, the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with homosexuality, released a new policy statement on the criminalization of homosexuality. While the ministry has long held this perspective, they felt compelled to release a written statement in light of Exodus Board Vice Chairman, Dennis Jernigan’s, comments to the media in Kingston, Jamaica. Exodus board member, Don Schmierer, experienced a similar collision with the media on a trip to Uganda in 2009. (more…)

May 16, 2012

Following is the full text of a May 16, 2012 PFOX News Release: – Montgomery County School Superintendent Joshua Starr Spewed Hateful Comments Against Former Homosexuals

Rockville, Md. – Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays (PFOX) has filed a sexual orientation discrimination complaint with the Montgomery County (Maryland) Board of Education against its School Superintendent Joshua Starr.

After PFOX distributed ex-gay flyers to high school students as part of the schools’ flyer distribution program for non-profit organizations, Superintendent Starr publicly denigrated PFOX and former homosexuals by calling the actions of PFOX “reprehensible and deplorable” and labeling the flyer’s sexual orientation content as “a really, really disgusting message.” (more…)

June 14, 2012

Excerpt from Christian Concern post “Christian GP found guilty of ‘malpractice’ for sharing his faith:” – “The General Medical Council’s Investigation Committee has today (14 June) reprimanded a Christian doctor for sharing his faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation. The GMC has ruled that his actions ‘did not meet the standards required of a doctor’. Dr Richard Scott has now been issued with a Warning which will remain on his record for five years.” (more…)

June 12, 2012

Parents and Friends of Ex-gays and Gays (PFOX) sent a letter to California Assemblywoman Mary Hayashi and the committee she chairs urging her committee to vote against SB 1172. Senate Bill 1172 would make it illegal for counselors and therapists to provide therapy for minors with unwanted same-sex attractions. PFOX pointed out the hypocrisy of the liberal thinking that asserts “children should be able to legally change their gender but not their sexual orientation.” The PFOX June 12, 2012 letter follows: (more…)