Burdened by two scandals, the ex-gay activist group Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality has changed its name.
The change occurred recently without fanfare on the organization’s web site. The new name: “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing”
Despite the name change, JONAH’s mission remains largely the same:
- Deny the existence of sexual orientation, a predominant state of sexual attraction to a particular gender
- Promote the myth that homosexual attraction is caused not by biology or brain chemistry, but by a Freudian deficiency of “masculinity” in men that is caused by bad parenting or abuse
- Receive substantial aid from conservative Christian evangelical organizations which teach that faith in Jesus Christ offers the only path out of homosexuality
And its credentials and practices are as scandalous as ever.
Far from “healing” its clients of any sexual confusion or self-doubt, JONAH has a reputation for supplying its clients with Christian evangelical books and subjecting them to unethical abuses that would never be tolerated among true mental-health professionals. And its counselors’ abuses aren’t “new alternatives,” they are century-old snake-oil remedies.
- JONAH’s leader, Arthur Abba Goldberg, is a convicted Wall Street con artist who looted millions of dollars from poor communities. Goldberg has no professional credentials in the mental-health sciences
- JONAH’s senior trainer, Alan Downing, likewise has no professional credentials and stands accused by two former clients of sexual misconduct
- JONAH and its counselors refuse to keep accurate and comprehensive records about their clients, lest such records fall into the hands of objective scientists and be used to measure actual rates of success or failure
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What the fuck?!
I thought people went there to supposedly “heal” in the first place!
So, if they’re offering New Alternatives to Healing, are they just being more honest about the fact that what they offer is more along the lines of “experiences that border on sexual assault, and disproven therapy that causes some patients to end up more depressed and suicidal than they were when they came in”?
Comment by Evan Hurst — July 29, 2010 @ 3:01 am
It’s a mistake. What they mean is “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Honesty”.
Comment by William — July 29, 2010 @ 5:59 am
Y’know, when I see the name “Jonah” it makes ME think of Jonah Goldberg, a right-wing author/pundit who owes his career to his mom, and is one of the stupidest-if not THE stupidest-wingnuts ever.
Comment by Bill S — July 29, 2010 @ 6:07 am
Yes, I think of Jonah Goldberg too, Bill.
They should have one for lesbians and call it K-Lo.
(‘Kicking Lesbianism Out!’)
Comment by Evan Hurst — July 29, 2010 @ 11:06 am
[...] Mike Airhart noticed that the Jewish ex-gay group, JONAH (Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality) has changed its name somewhat. The new name, which was designed to fit the JONAH acronym, is now Jews Offering New Alternatives to Healing. [...]
Pingback by Box Turtle Bulletin » JONAH’S Name Change Reveals True Mission — July 30, 2010 @ 2:32 pm
Boy oh boy! What is clear as can be is that whoever put up this web page in July 2010 is a person deeply scared to his very core of another point of view on the topic of how people come to homosexual behavior. He feigns bravado, as do all cowards.
His words reveal that he knows deep down inside that the JONAH’s truth might hit him right between the eyes and reveal for him and all to see that they themselves, the promoters of homosexuality, have been preaching the big lie and worse, living the big lie. Now where would that eave this person? The answer is “out to sea” – personally, emotionally, religiously, and politically.
It would be apparent even to him that he has brazenly chased and devoted himself to emptiness and, ashamed tried to bring others down with him, figuring that he’ll look better if others become just as confused and lost as he is.
Truth always wins out in the end. The person whose website this is has used a truly sophomoric attempt to try to mock the splendid founders of JONAH. The problem is that both founders are outstanding individuals – real mensches – doing vitally important work for the Jewish people and their survival.
Mr. Goldberg makes clear right on the JONAH website the details of his own background. The facts about Mr. Goldberg on the JONAHWEB.org website demonstrate how feeble this website’s moderator is. Mr. Goldberg is a class act. This moderator is jealous and censorious.
The malicious person who runs this website will be answerable to his maker for living a life condemned by thousands of years of experienced wise people. Mr. Goldberg will be the one receiving reward for a life well spent getting the true information out to help people orient healthfully to their own sexuality.
One thing is correct about this website: it’s name. The truth will win out – homosexual behavior is due to environmental factors and far, far from the top choice for one’s life. The person who put up this website will be a footnote about tragic misguidedness in his family’s history.
Comment by Larry — October 18, 2010 @ 4:32 am
Larry:
Goldberg is a convicted con artist and JONAH is his latest con. He has not a shred of scientific evidence to support his false conclusions. Neither do you. Worse, some of his clients are claiming they were subject to sexual inappropriate behavior by the people Goldberg referred them to.
What JONAH preaches is counter to every respected medical and mental health organization in the nation – such as the APA and AMA. In other words, junk science.
You can keep trying to put perfume on this skunk — but it is still a skunk.
Comment by Wayne Besen — October 18, 2010 @ 8:12 am
“thousands of years of experienced wise people”
These were ignorant, uneducated people from an ancient, barbaric time, foolish, hateful Larry. You are whining and angry because those times are gone and modernity and science are chasing away your silly, harmful supserstitions and patriarchical, sexist, masculinist, warlike, tribal power structures that the barbarians used to govern their primitive societies. No doubt you perceive yourself to be a member of the higher part of those old heirarchies, and of course you rush to condemn anything new or modern that threatens its foundations. Come out of the closet and stop preaching, you’ll feel better. The truth will set you free.
Larry is just another member of the religionistas.
The next big problem for the human race to overcome in order for it to fully emerge from cave life is the problem of modern versus ancient, science versus superstition, rational versus religious. When the religionistas prove their magical sky man exists, then and only then will their plans for theocracy be legitimate. Until then, they should huddle around the campfire in the neolithic, bonking bones on animal skulls for music.
Comment by DaveTheWave — October 18, 2010 @ 10:54 am
Larry, your sky-daddy is imaginary and none of your revenge fantasies involving him and gays are going to come true.
Comment by Priya Lynn — October 18, 2010 @ 12:02 pm