A Bridgeport, Conn., church called Manifested Glory Ministries posted a controversial video on YouTube that raises concern about the unregulated abuse of children by church-sponsored ex-gay programs.
The video features church elders performing an exorcism of so-called “homosexual demons.”
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Fox Channel 61 in Hartford reports
The video shows leaders of the Manifested Glory Ministries in a frenetic scene, screaming, “Right now I command you to leave!”
At the same time a teen writhing on the ground as the adults around him implore so called “homosexual demons” to get out.
The leaders yell at the boy on the ground saying, “Right now in the name of Jesus, I call the homosexuality, right now in the name of Jesus.”
For 20 minutes it continues with the boy in a near seizure, even vomiting.
Robin McHaelen runs a mentoring program for gay teens, True Colors, and tells Fox 61 that she knows of five other teens in Connecticut who’ve been subjected to “demon casting”:
What really freaked me out is the people who did that to that child wasn’t because they were trying to hurt him. They thought they were trying to help him, but I think that they murdered his soul.
The church has since taken down its YouTube account, but not before its videos were replicated by other YouTube users.
Exodus International has one member church in Connecticut, New Life in Meriden. Truth Wins Out contacted the church for comment but has not received a response.
Hat tip: Steve Rothaus’s blog at The Miami Herald
I hesitated to post, but my advice to all of you who do not understand what is going on, please do not scorn or disdain this exorcism ritual. God moves in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform. These believers did not just “come up” with this idea. The Bible speaks about Jesus, at several times, casting out evil spirits.
Perhaps, in your haste to protect homosexuality, you have blasphemed something much more great and powerful for which there is no forgiveness. Take your time to learn about the works of God. Everyone has a right to live her/his life as desired, but the Word of God standeth true and forever.
E Marks, I know very little about exorcism, but since homosexuality is neither an evil spirit, nor caused by evil spirits, exorcism will not cast it out. You might as well use exorcism to try to cast out left-handedness. Telling a gay teenager that his sexuality means that he is possessed by an evil spirit is, no matter how well meant, simply superstitious cruelty; to point this out is certainly not blasphemy.
Frankly, E Marks, at the time of Jesus, everything they didn’t understand was attributed to demons or evil spirits. That included everything from schizophrenia and post-partum depression to epilepsy and leprosy. We now know better. What we need to be asking is did the actions of these people help or harm this boy Freddie. I hope the local authorities will be looking for that answer.
The young man on the ground is not the one who needs to have his demons exorcised.
E. Marks, is their an exorcism to drive the devil out of those who falsely claim to do the lords work? Can we see if it works on all of the other people in that room? If they aren’t really in league with the devil, then it couldn’t hurt, could it?
Just asking.
“Un-holy” Bible more fictional than “Davinci Code
As a former Catholic and Baptist fundamentalist, I looked forward to the theatrical release of “The Davinci Code. Why? Because hopefully it will make people who are blinded by religious “dogma” and superstition think rationally and investigate the bible. The ENTIRE Bible.
If you have the courage and honesty to actually look at it through clear thinking eyes, you will find that it is a work of fiction, written by a male influenced priesthood. The apostle Paul supposedly wrote “God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor 14:33) yet never has a book produced more confusion than the bible! here are hundreds of denominations and sects, all using the “inspired Scriptures” to prove their conflicting doctrines.
Why do trained theologians differ? Why do educated translators disagree over Greek and Hebrew meanings? Why all the confusion? Shouldn’t a “divinely inspired” document be as clear as possible?
The problem is not with human limitations, as some claim. the problem is the bible itself. People who are free of theological bias and whose minds have not turned cultish in their blind belief notice that the Bible contains hundreds of discrepancies. Should it surprise us that such a literary and moral mishmash taken seriously causes so much discord?
One verse out of hundreds that do not make sense:
Jesus: But those who are my enemies, which would not have me rule over them, bring them here and slay them before me. Luke 19: Verse 27
Does this sound like the “Prince of Peace” and loving Jesus we were taught from childhood?
Are we really supposed to believe that Jesus was born of a virgin impregnated by a ghost? I find it incredible that we are asked to believe that the earth was created in 6 literal days, that women came form a man’s rib, and that same man was created from mud, that a snake, a donkey and a burning bush spoke human language, that the entire world was flooded with 40 days of rain (do you know how many times the number 40 is used in the bible? The answer is at least 4. How about the numbers 3, 6, and 7?) The writers used numerology.) Are we supposed to believe that language variations stem from the tower of Babel, that the sun stood still to help Joshua win a battle and it went backward for King Hezekiah? Would any self respecting physician believe that mental illness and epilepsy are caused by demons (there was no word for these things thousands of years ago, that those born with a homosexual orientation are possessed by the same demons, (again, no DNA studies or Biology 5,000 years ago). Finally do we believe that that there is life after death in a city which is 1,500 miles cubed, with mansions and food for Christians only. Has anyone noticed the similarity in the names Christ and Krishna? How many know that there were other pagan gods and a=saviors that have the same hallmarks that “jesus” had? Does anyone care to research evolution as much as they do the Bible? If they did they would find there are skeletons which are half human and yes, half ape. They are called Hominids. Dozens and dozens have been found, and yes, so has the infamous “missing link”.
Why is this so frightening? Isn’t war and religious division more frightening? If I am Catholic and you are Baptist, what gives me the right to tell you that you are going to a hell and I am the one who is going to a heaven and will be “saved” while you are dammed? Or ask the same question with a rational mind and substitute Mormon or Missouri Synod Lutheran? You pick the religion.
More people have been killed in the name of the “unholy Bible and Koran” and in the name of a god than for any other reason in human history. Was it a “holy spirit” inside of George W. Bush when he authorized pre-emptive strike on a country that had never harmed us in the first place and where we still cannot find any WMD?
Humans will never have world peace as long as religion occupies this world. I may not be religious, but I do wish all of you who are, true peace. http://www.mnatheists.org http://www.ffrf.org
Letter: Atheists have honestly researched Bible & Jesus Myths & evolution
The Aug 15th Letter: Christians, not atheists, can face death bravely states that Atheists cannot count on bravely facing death.
The letter writer who is a Christian stated that she prayed to her god to not let her atheist mother die such a horrible death. The writer said that her god granted her request but that her mother’s brain atrophied. This does not sound like a “god” granting a request to me. Further, I have to ask if the letter writer has such faith her god, why did she not ask him (her?) to spare her mother’s life in the first place rather than allow her to die. That is if her god has that much power? A recent national study by the Mayo Clinic showed that prayer has absolutely no effect on heart patients and may actually be harmful.
The writer, in describing her mother’s death, calls her god the “king of terrors” who in the writers belief; damned her own mother to an everlasting hell of torment simply because her mother did not believe as her daughter did.
The writer, not using reason based thinking and instead relying on church dogma instilled in her, describes her mother’s look of horror, not ever rationally attributing it to the fact that she was probably in considerable pain, and instead believing that “god” had come to get her mother and send her to hell.
I, an atheist, would have thought there would be more compassion, especially a self professing “Christian” at a deathbed. Perhaps the writer’s mother had, like many other atheists and agnostics alike researched the Bible beyond what is taught in church?
Atheists have done the research and found that the mythological figure of “Jesus Christ” was based on other pagan savior gods from Egypt, Babylonia,, Greece and Sumeria. “Horus”, Krishna, Mithra and Dionysus all had the same death and rising from the dead experiences “jesus” did. They were born in a cave, attended by shepherds and had “virgin births”. They all had a “star” to announce the birth which was Dec. 25th and were attended by 3 wise men or kings.
The concept of an afterlife was first invented along with gods and goddesses by the Egyptians and then the Greeks. Remember the river Styx and Hades from college mythology courses?
The writer mentions the Bible exposing atheists errors, but the writer does not know of the many errors and contradictions that are in the bible itself. She goes on to mention Israel, but again is not aware that the name Israel itself is derived from Egypt. IS= Isis, the Egyptian goddess of the Moon, RA= Ra, the god of the sun, EL= The god of the stars.
The persona of Satan is from the Egyptian God SET who was HORUS’s (already mentioned) enemy.
Why wouldn’t ISRAEL and the Jewish male priests (needing control over the people) who wrote the Bible borrow from their neighbors the Egyptians, both the concepts of a supposed “afterlife” and mythical gods and goddesses who controlled man’s destiny and the weather? Would we tell a meteorologist that “a man in the sky” decided to kill thousands of people with a Tsunami (after he created them) and then send them to burn in hell because they did not have a chance to believe in his “son”? Is it a “god” who is causing global warming, or the result of our own pollution and the natural earth breaking down? Was it gay and lesbian people who caused a “god” to send a hurricane on New Orleans? Jerry Falwell would have you believe this.
The writer mentions a staff the lord gives his own, this form the image of jesus as “good Shepard”, which comes directly from the Greek God Pan. The staff is the shepherds crook pan carried, again…borrowed. Borrowed, like all of Christianity.
Does the writer know how many times the number 40 is used in the bible? The answer is at least 4. How about the numbers 3, 6, 7, 12?) The writers used numerology as well as astrology, that is why the Old Testament forbids the use of astrology, the male priests wanted total control over it and the people.
The Bible was written thousands of years ago. The writer relies on this book written by male authors who were human beings with their own ignorance, prejudices against women, slaves, “infidels” and those born with a homosexual orientation. They were humans with a human tendency to lie and distort and create myth. Thousands of years ago there ws no sicence, DNA research or biology. Since the time the bible has been written archeologists have uncovered Hominids, which are half man, half ape skeltons. They have been proven to be man’s ancestors. Just recently
Scientists have made one of the most important fossil finds in history: a missing link between fish and land animals, showing how creatures first walked out of the water and on to dry land more than 375m years ago.
Paleontologists have said that the find, a crocodile-like animal called the Tiktaalik roseae and described in the journal Nature, could become an icon of evolution in action. Farish Jenkins, an evolutionary biologist at Harvard University said: “This represents a critical early phase in the evolution of all limbed animals, including humans – albeit a very ancient step.” If the writer continues to believe in a god that supposedly created human beings just to send them to hell, (including the writers mother) for only not believing in him based on years of research and evidence, than this is not a god that should be worshipped and the writer is wasting her time on this earth.
Perhaps the writer, being a female, believes that she was created from a man’s rib, and the earth is only 6,000 years old as well and dinosaurs lived at the same time as “Adam and Eve”. Perhaps she believe that it was the “Holy Spirit” working in the lives of priests that sexually abused children, “pastors” that have lied and embezzled money from their congregations and nuns that have been impregnated by priests who could not live up to a misguided “vow of celibacy”.
I believe in “Lucy”, a skeleton, carbon dated and scientifically authenticated I can see with my own eyes, rather than “Eve or Mary” who were obvious literary creations, along with a mythical sky-god named “jesus”. The writer believes in fear based “armegeddon” and “rapture”. I believe in humans working together and helping each other for the betterment of this world.
Because I believe in the seen rather than the unseen and unproven, I can face death with bravery and more importantly, I can face life with honesty, clear thinking, human empathy, and more passion than I ever could when I was a “believer”. (This is the opinion of Jack Richter, a Sartell resident who is a former catholic and fundamentalist Baptist who now embraces atheism and is a member of The Freedom From Religion Foundation, American Atheists, and Minnesota Atheists.)
May 11, 2008
Letter: Bible doesn’t deserve the respect it gets
By Tom Stavros
St. Cloud
Having read the Tuesday letter “Babies are born male or female, not homosexual,” a number of thoughts come to mind.
First, the argument that something is recommended or forbidden in the Bible has become tedious.
The book was written by numerous authors over a millennia and compiled in about 325 CE from a large number of writings available at that time. It includes the superstitions of primitive peoples struggling to survive. Most of the things in these writings have little relevance to the modern world.
People, including this letter-writer, use the cafeteria style to decide which verses are to be followed. If the Bible is the inerrant word of a God, why is there so much confusion over its interpretation? it was important to him, he could have made his meaning clear thus avoiding all the problems that differing interpretations cause. After all, there are many sects with the Christian label, each claiming it has the “true” interpretation of God’s word.
If the entire Bible was to be interpreted literally, we would be putting to death unruly children, killing non-virgin brides and people who work on Sundays (ministers?). W also would engage in mass murder, cannibalism, slavery, male castration and many other atrocities that “God” committed or had done in his name. Eating shellfish and wearing clothing are forbidden activities.
… There are more than 600 proscriptions on “correct” behavior in the Old Testament alone. If the Bible is God’s inerrant word, all are to be obeyed.
If all do not have to be obeyed, it can’t be inerrant. Then why obey any based solely on biblical authority? … he Bible, if one is given to close and thoughtful reading, is not a book that deserves the respect it gets.
Top Ten Signs You’re a Fundamentalist Christian
10 – You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of yours.
9 – You feel insulted and “dehumanized” when scientists say that people evolved from other life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt.
8 – You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Triune God.
7 – Your face turns purple when you hear of the “atrocities” attributed to Allah, but you don’t even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in “Exodus” and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in “Joshua” including women, children, and trees!
6 – You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.
5 – You are willing to spend your life looking for little loopholes in the scientifically established age of Earth (few billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by Bronze Age tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that Earth is a few generations old.
4 – You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs — though excluding those in all rival sects – will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet consider your religion the most “tolerant” and “loving.”
3 – While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in “tongues” may be all the evidence you need to “prove” Christianity.
2 – You define 0.01% as a “high success rate” when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.
1 – You actually know a lot less than many atheists and agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history – but still call yourself a Christian.
Jack, you seem to be suggesting there is an either-or choice between Christian fundamentalism and atheism — that there are no other options.
From my perspective, atheism can be a form of fundamentalism. Both tend to reject any middle ground or any alternative to these extremes.
Welcome to the real “ex-gay” ministries. Such radical tactics – like exorcisms – are a large part of the program. These groups believe that homosexuality is demonic and engage in spiritual warfare. I would urge Exodus and come clean – and conduct their exorcisms for the mainstream media.
The poll and focus group tested happy face they show middle America is really a farce. If they are too ashamed of what they do to show the media their real tactics – maybe they should not be doing them?
The truth is, because sexual orientation does not change, the ex-gay ministries get further and further into fringe therapy and ridiculous forms of religious mysticism to elicit “change”. Unfortunately, their radical and superstitious work is shameful and harms many people. If anyone needs an exorcism, it is the unethical leaders who run ex-gay programs.
This is child abuse, pure and simple. It’s a bit silly to be astonished that these people think they are doing this poor boy the ultimate good. Fred Phelps thinks exactly the same thing. So do Jehovahs Witnesses, when they deny their child life-saving treatment. So do suicide bombers. Why shouldn’t they? It’s commanded by their holy texts.
****Surely, Michael, a fundamentalist is one who refuses to change their beliefs when presented with the evidence? Some people confuse arrogance, or even those who simply question whether faith is a Good Thing as ‘fundamentalist’. But surely, if the overwhelming evidence is on your side, why not be?
I would accept the divinity of Jesus Christ, or the Judeo-Christian god, if the evidence were compelling enough (e.g. a televised Second Coming where we can all see it happen, like in a football stadium). Jack’s tell tale signs are not universally applicable – the Vatican has no problem with the age of the Earth, and since 1996, Evolution. He missed the most important sign, namely that such a person intimately knows the mind of god, god’s opinion on whom I sleep with, what I should do on Sunday, etc, knows god’s plan for me. This alas applies to those who are certain ‘god wants me to be gay’. All you need to do is ask how they know this information, because extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
Pursue a believer with this question, and it drives them to a seething rage (as I discovered when I did this to some ‘witnesses’ in west hollywood one evening).
Did anyone capture this before they removed it?
AK Chris,
The video has been copied and reposted by numerous people. It is likely to move around, so your best bet is to search YouTube for “gay exorcism” or something to that effect.
that is nothing but child abuse and these people are usuing relegion to get by with it-just more self righteous hypocrites who think being gay ia a choice-why dont you so called christian pick on us gay adults instead of children-come on lets see you lay your hands on this lesbian!!
this is child abuse pure and simple
pray the gay away? gimme a break !!
his own family who his gay gene came from is particpating in this !!
one question that needs to be ask.. is this child pron to seizers? obviously as you can see the child is sick and nothing is being done to help him.
people need to educate themselves on why people are gay!!
and NO ITS NOT THE DEVIL OR SOMETHING PERVERTED!!
This is definitely child abuse in the guise of faith. If these loons were not wrapping themselves in the mantle of religion, they would be in prison.
[...] Truth Wins Out was among the first to report on a church in Connecticut that performs ex-gay exorcisms. [...]
These people have no idea that what they are doing is evil. Truly evil. The harm they are doing to the poor child will never be undone. It is quite beyond forgiveness. If you see someone, a child, say, as a broken or damaged entity, you will create them as such. On the other hand, if you see them as whole and perfect— that is what they will become. God is obviously not present at such carryings on as this gathering of ignorant people.
Let us be quite clear about this: Ignorance is evil.
This is how, sometimes religious fanatics are decieved by their superstitions. It is what happened to the decadent Roman Church during the Inquisition. The Inquisitors thought they were saving souls. Unfortunately, they became the pure incarnation of evil.
Ultimately, that is why Martin Luther had to break with Rome. After that, there have been nothing but more and more splinter groups.
[...] Spaulding breaks the situation down with her usual excellence and candor: A black teen-ager was verbally assaulted and “exorcised” on video posted by his antigay Connecticut church on YouTube last [...]
External conditions imposed on the educa- tional system and the system itself made it impossible for us to produce significant changes, and we also knew that small changes were worthless. ,
[...] ** Manifested Glory Ministries Excorcism [...]
To Respond to Freedom from Religion’s comments.
You forgot one thing…. there are gay Christians and churches for homosexuals who identify themselves as Christians as well as unorthodox liberal homosexual Jewish congregations.
Not all Christian religions believe the same thing to a tee. Doctrines vary so you are ignorant to want a ban on all religions. Are you going to ban cars because of a few drunk drivers? What about Darwin’s belief in the survival of the Fittist? This hypothesis is the reason for genocide and bigotry too because it places value on a superior gene pool and the inferiors should have no right to life. Trouble is who decides who is superior Hitler and people with this mindset?
Darwinism and his superior gene theory can also be hateful and lead to denigrating whole groups. Stalin and Pol Pot of Cambodia were Communist Dictators who also wiped out people. They did not believe in God at all. If all religions disappeared tomorrow people would still find a reason to hate, steal and kill. In fact no they would not have anyone preaching it is wrong and God will be their judge at the end of their journey in this world. Humans would be justified to act like monkeys because if came from monkeys and apes and why would we not act like animals? Christians and Jews believe the bible that we are made in image of God, which gives every life value. Animals have no moral compass but act on instinct, don’t they? No God could very well equal no accountability or penalty,just superior genes and inferior genes. Christianity teaches that all have value because we are made in the image of God. With Darwin and atheist beliefs it would be a scary world where the superior gene pool of people could discount and devalue who they feel are of a lesser gene pool.
Just because various pagan religions have a few things in common with the Christian God and Jesus, does not make the historical Jesus a fake. Does a fake dollar bill discount the fact that there are authentic dollar bills? Your logic has no merit on that point.
You have no explanation for how this world came together, neither can anyone explain the missing link. Not even Darwin discovered the missing link. You are also doing what you claim people of faith do, giving your opinion. You did not see how the world and the Human body was made first hand for yourself, where you there? only have what others have told you. No one can prove their is NO God on the other hand you can look at creation and the complex orderly Design of the human body and universe as proof that there was an Intelligent Designer.
Muslim and Jews and various Buddhist sects also teach that homosexuality is not endorsed by their Deity (God). Why are you just picking on Christianity? The Torah first 5 books of the Jewish bible is where Christians got the Old Testament.
It was the law until Jesus came and ushered in the Age forgiveness and Grace (unmerited favor and mercy.)
You may not believe in Christianity but do you believe in horro- scopes, UFO’s, lucky emblems-charms, reincarnation, you cannot tell me you have no belief that may be considered crazy to somebody else which could also be considered equally ridiculous.
Your Freedom from Religion means you are denying my freedom to have religion. How tolerant is that? I think you know the answer if you are honest.
The final question at the end of the day is: Is the Age of consent 16yrs old where this kid could decide the kind of religion he wanted to practice? If so his religion is his choice. He willingly joined that Church without anybody forcing him. If he consented to it and is of age that is not anyone’s business! Now if he was forced that is another story. Otherwise: To each his own.
The rerun of the show was on Tyra today. It appeared one sided with no people of this brand of faith in her audience, just pro-gay advocates. One would think she could have been more open minded. The Black community is very Religious and pro-Christianity. Is she that out of touch in her own celebrity world that she does not realize how spiritual black people are. 90 percent of Blacks identify themselves as Jesus lovers.
Anonymous, I can see why you wouldn’t want to use your name.