For whatever reason, northern Ireland is being targeted by the “ex-gay” industry.
I guess it was not enough that they had created havoc and potential bloodshed in Uganda. Exodus International continues to obliviously globe-trot, leaving a trail of ruined lives and destruction in its wake.
Ex-gay activist Rev. Mario Bergner takes his phony road show to Belfast, Feb. 19-21. While there, Bergner, the author of “Setting Love in Order: Hope and Healing for the Homosexual,” will have a seminar named after the book. He is quite the salesman, hawking even more ex-gay gear than International Healing Foundation quack Richard Cohen. According to Exodus’ website:
Rev. Mario Bergner will visit Northern Ireland to participate in the Setting Love in Order Conference hosted by Core-issues, a ministry based in Northern Ireland seeking to empower local church congregations in their task of supporting men and women with unwanted same sex attraction. The conference is being widely promoted as part of the organization’s efforts to provide practical training for church leaders in the area of unwanted same sex attraction.
Want to bet Bergner doesn’t discuss the episode where I photographed Exodus’ former poster boy John Paulk in a gay bar? Or that two of the key founders of this fraudulent group left their wives to marry each other?
If Bergner’s propaganda does not get through, residents of Belfast will have a second chance to get the malignant message. Exodus President Alan Chambers will be in town, April 22-23, to host the “Leaving Homosexuality Celebration.” Interestingly, Chambers goes on TV in America and says Exodus does not “change” people. Yet, across the pond, he is holding a big party to celebrate his magical “pray away the gay” cure. According to the website:
Core is a ministry supporting local churches in their efforts to provide appropriate pastoral support for those with unwanted same sex attraction. The service recognizes God’s grace for many individuals making the journey out of homosexuality.
Maybe I’m just a “reality-based” kind of guy, but it sure seems, based on the promotional language, that Exodus is selling the concept of “change”.
Unfortunately, LGBT people in Ireland will find Chambers’ dishonest presentation neither lucky, nor charming. One can only imagine the mischief Exodus will cook up in Ireland, given its abysmal and violent track record overseas. Chambers and Bergner should do the world a favor and stay home before they have even more blood on their hands.
If you live in Ireland and are interested in Truth Wins Out coming over to counter Chambers’ lies with a multi-media presentation, please contact us.
The appropriate colour is Orange rather than Emerald – the hardline bible belt in Ulster is exclusively protestant (Exodus only thrives where superstition and ignorance prevail). Luckily in the UK there aren’t hundreds of dreadful extremist radio stations that take ex-gay propaganda seriously, and I am sure most radio and TV would treat a creationist like Alan Chambers with scepticism and ridicule.
I hope the Royal College of Psychiatrists and academics who specialise in areas of sexual orientation make robust statements to the media dispelling the myths. It’s crucial because the ex-gay myth is being promoted by media savvy lobby groups in the UK, like the Christian Institute and Christian Concern for our Nation (who liaise regularly with the Alliance Defense Fund, though they have had little success influencing legislation).
Maybe his organization might have more success in Northern Ireland dealing with politicians’ unwanted attractions to teenagers?
“Maybe his organization might have more success in Northern Ireland dealing with politicians’ unwanted attractions to teenagers?”
….And how do you say they are unwanted, or at least by whom?
By the electorate at least, Richard. (my comment was of course a reference to the Iris Robinson debacle. She herself promoted the idea that gays can change, moralized to everyone, and had an affair with a 19 year old and jeopardized the peace process as a result; see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z2XeNNgzXk4 )
[...] his extremely weak example of “recovery”, why is Bergner going to Belfast in February to hawk products and provide “practical training for church leaders in the area [...]
[...] Alan Chambers, (pictured) who is using this opportunity as a warm-up act for an April trip to Belfast, [...]
As a former tabloid hack who spent much of his life destroying the lives of others until I decided to follow Jesus Christ rather than Robert Maxwell, Mr Besen and his colleagues should not underestimate the power of Christ to restore a person to the sexuality that God had intended for him/her.
If He can turn around the life of a Grub Street hack of little, if any, moral scruple, a similar work in the life of a homosexual is there for the sincere of heart and prayer.
Incidentally, it is interesting to note that the rabid style of Mr Besen’s sweeping condemnations, and ill-based criticisms, are not dissimilar to those once employed by the homosexual-bashing tabloids, and which doubtless he would justifiably condemn.
Shalom
Terry Lovell
Terry, if your god can “restore” a person to the sexuality your god intended, why has he never done so? Maybe its because he doesn’t exist.
Or, if your god does exist then being omnipotent and omniscient then he knew gay people would be that way when he created them, so they are exactly as he wanted them to be and that’s why he has never changed anyone’s sexuality.
Terry Lovell and Priya–
I’d be satisfied if the Luv ‘O Jesus could change just ONE person– Alan chambers. But somehow, no matter how much Alan Believes, and makes a nice living doing so, he’s still a wanna-be-straight-but-ain’t.
I gotta new word; Queersling!
Until then, Mr. Lovell, your Amazing Grace soliliquy (Yes! Even a Wretch Like Me!!!)notwithstanding, you’re another mealy mouthed preacherman speaking grandly on subjects that you know nothing about.
Terry,
According to you: “the power of Christ to restore a person to the sexuality that God had intended for him/her”, ” is there for the sincere of heart and prayer”. Tell you what Terry. When I see the power of Christ restore a child with a cleft palate to the person God intended he or she to be (in other words completely healed without surgical intervention), then I will believe your mumbo jumbo about prayer changing orientations. Start providing me with documented examples please. After all, your god is such an awesome god….
but he’s way too AWESOME to have to descend to our level and provide a little proof of his desires and intentions.
Terry, why doesn’t god heal amputees?
It is pointless to ask Terry why YHWH doesn’t heal anyone for real because we already know the trite answer which answers nothing: the lord works in mysterious ways. It would be better if we focused on the fact that this person who claims he stopped “destroying the lives of others” compared Gays and Lesbians, who hurt nobody by being what they are, to a profession whose sole purpose is hurting people for money.
I have never seen any evidence that Christianity has ever made anyone a better human being. I think Terry simply traded one immoral lifestyle for another.
Edward, from now one when someone responds to questions like that with “the lord moves in mysterious ways” I’ll be saying “you mean the lord moves in unjustifiable ways that could only be excused by his non-existence.
Because we’ve often heard Christians talk about “God’s plan” for their lives, I have to assume that cleft palates (and many other conditions) are part of God’s plan for some people’s lives. So, how does God choose His plan for each person? I guess God’s mysterious ways are just part of what makes Him so awesome – and faithful, too.