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A former Summit Christian School teacher arrested last weekend after admitting having sex with a teen boy was enrolled in a controversial "ex-gay" ministry whose adherents believe people can change their sexual preference through the power of Christ, the Sun-Sentinel reported today.
Love in Action International in Memphis, Tenn., is the oldest and best known of the ministries that try to counsel people away from homosexuality through spirituality. With a mission at the heart of one of the nation's culture wars, it has been praised by Christian conservatives and criticized by gay-rights advocates since its 1973 inception in California.
The ministry drew scrutiny last summer when a 16-year-old boy complained on his Web site about his parents forcing him into the center. Now, Love in Action is back in the spotlight after the March 3 arrest of former Summit Christian School teacher Chad Stoffel of Palm Springs.
Those of you who have been following these sham groups are not surprised by the arrest. Exodus, which Love In Action is a member, is packed with miscreants who participate in shameless behavior and skullduggery. This is just the latest Exodus failure. We have come to expect such stories from a group based on a foundation of lies.
7 Comments:
The Sun-Sentinel report is interesting, and once again nicely illustrates the slippery semantical casuistry at the heart of these groups' claims.
It is notable that as soon as the state of Tennessee investigated Love In Action after the Zach Stark affair, Love In Action imediately dropped all claim to be offering clinical methodology - medicine - and reclassified themselves as a "ministry".
It's as if a person who said "I'm a medical Doctor offering a new successful treatment approach to insulin-dependent diabetes, based on sound medical understanding" were suddenly under pressure to admit "Actually I'm not a doctor offering medicine. I'm a pastor offering a miracle cure".
Why make the former claim in ther first place? It is deceitful!
We note in the Sun-Sentinel report: ""We don't think the words `homosexual' or `heterosexual' describe a person, they describe a behavior," he said. "What we strive to do is align their behavior with their beliefs by strengthening their faith in Christ."
He said it doesn't matter whether homosexuality is genetic or learned.
"We are responsible for what we do. We have no control over our temptations and urges. That is something we cannot control, but they can control what they do with that behavior," he said."
So now, when the claims are scrutinised closely, they are not offering change of DESIRE at all! In the above statement it is clear that all they are offering is control of desire, with a view to sexual abstinence.
Slippery deceit. I don't think that is what Zach's poor parents thought they were signing up to. I bet they bought the idea that Love In Action would CHANGE their son's DESIRE, not simply teach him to practice abstinence.
Deceit deceit deceit.
And deceit, folks, is of the devil, not of Christ.
posted by Anonymous, at
3/12/2006 3:21 PM
Deceit is also of many pro-gay groups who don't let the facts get in the way of a good anti-ex-gay rant.
Interesting how Love in Action and the teacher both reported this to authorities. Sounds like they're trying to follow the rules...the question now is, when did these crimes the teacher confessed to occur? Before, during and/or after his time in that program?
And WHAT'S with all those non sequiturs at the end of the Sun-Sentinel story? If the teacher made the choice to have sex with his students (it's alarming how many teachers of all sexual stripes are doing this now) does all that gobbledy-gook about Love In Action mean the teacher's not responsible for his actions?
posted by Anonymous, at
3/12/2006 5:59 PM
Kurt, in this case, Love in Action is like the bartender who keeps on serving to the drunk man he knows will drive himself home later that night.
posted by Matthew, at
3/12/2006 8:20 PM
Kurt, don't know if you are gay or not. Ex-gay =going into the closet and becoming a good liar. An innate, physiological characteristic such as sexual orientation, cannot be changed. If you care to learn, there is a wealth of information and personal accounts that will shed some light on the fact that being gay is much more than a sexual act. Ex-gay ministries are completely wrong and misguided in what they are doing and they must be stopped and shut down.
posted by Anonymous, at
3/13/2006 10:04 AM
Kurt already told us that he was married at one time and is gay and is an obviously miserable brain-washed "ex-gay" wannabe. Like peter pan he thinks if he believes in the magic long enough he will be able to fly someday. AINT GONNA HAPPEN TOOTZ! Bitchard Queer
posted by Anonymous, at
3/13/2006 3:59 PM
