At a recent Gay Christian Network conference in Orlando, Exodus President Alan Chambers claimed: “We’re not here to change you. That is our message….We can’t do that… ‘Change is Possible’ we don’t use that phrase anymore…I’m sorry that that is something that we used.”
Sadly, Justin Lee, the Executive Director of GCN, fell for Chambers’ act and said on stage to Chambers, “I hear you and I believe you when I hear you say that this is not a slogan you are using any more.”
Truth Wins Out filed a special report, The Exodus Smokescreen, pointing out that Exodus-affiliated ministries at the state level still widely claim that “change” is possible. Truth Wins Out presented further evidence that Chambers deliberately misled the GCN crowd after we obtained literature last weekend from Exodus’ Love Won Out conference.
If these vivid examples of Chambers’ dishonesty were not enough, Exodus author and speaker Joe Dallas is going to give a keynote address at Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX) March 16-17 Family First retreat, where parents will be taught to rationalize rejecting their children’s sexual orientation. On PFOX’s homepage there is this billboard:
If Exodus International’s Chambers is truly “sorry that that is something we used,” isn’t it immoral for Joe Dallas to speak at a group that sill uses this misleading phrase? Why is Chambers allowing Dallas to speak at this event? Why would Dallas agree to talk there, if the message of PFOX is clearly at odds with that of Exodus?
It makes even less sense when you consider that Dallas told the Los Angeles Times on April 5, 1990, “No one has ever left therapy saying, ‘Wow, I have absolutely no homosexual thoughts.’”
Here is what PFOX is saying on its website:
Friday and Saturday, March 16-17, 2012 for a PFOX family and friends weekend.
The weekend will focus on uniting families through unconditional love.
Joe Dallas will be our opening speaker. Joe’s ministry in sexual addiction recovery and homosexuality is nationally recognized. He is the author of The Game Plan and The Men’s 30-Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity, and Program Director of Genesis Counseling in Tustin, Calif., a counseling ministry for men dealing with sexual addiction, homosexuality and other sexual/relational problems. He is a pastoral counselor, a popular conference speaker and author of five books on human sexuality from the Christian perspective.
This is a two-day experience for parents and friends of gay, lesbian and transgendered children. This is NOT a parent-child retreat, but an experience for parents who unconditionally love their children.
PFOX will provide educational resources, testimonies from former homosexuals and transgenders. You’ll have the opportunity to meet and form friendships with families who understand and share your feelings.
Friday’s meetings are from 7:30-9:30 PM.
Saturday’s meetings are from 8:30 AM to 8:00 PM.Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.
The cost to attend the Retreat is $90 per person or $150 for two family members. Special discounts available to clergy. No walk-in registrations. Last day to register is March 3, 2012.
It is time that Chambers admits that he lied at GCN or acknowledges that he is so incompetent that he has virtually no control over his “ex-gay” racket. If anyone ever again says that “I believe you” when they are talking to Alan Chambers, without evidence to corroborate his tale — I’m going to pull my hair out.
Oh no! Not Joe Dallas again! The man is such a fraud. In one of his books he admits he is/was ‘bi’ & that besides that he was a sex addict screwing anything that moved. He’s even rewritten the Bible to mean what he says it means as if he were some kind of biblical scholar. This man makes me sick!
I see that they do not allow walk-ins. I guess that’s so there is no “gotcha journalism” that arrives unexpectedly. Right, Truth Wins Out?
Why would you ever expect consistency from these guys? PFOX is also on record claiming that being ex-gay is a distinct sexual orientation. Oriented to what exactly, they don’t say.
I understand that PFOX is not part of Exodus — and it seems that Alan Chambers has little control over what Exodus members and affiliates do and say. He told GCN that he really wants to make changes, but that it is “hard to steer a big ship” like Exodus.
I find it very troubling that Exodus would not strongly discourage Joe Dallas from speaking at a PFOX event — especially if Alan is serious about Exodus distancing itself from extreme groups like PFOX and ceasing to use misleading terms like “ex-gay” and slogans like “Change Is Possible”.
It would seem the term “ex-gay” is as false and misleading as the phrase “change is possible”. Should not we hold Alan Chamber’s feet to the fire on both counts, not just one?
If the failure rate for changing sexual orientation is 99.9%, as Alan has said, why don’t people seek a change in their lives where the success rate is surely at least 99.9% – just change (or abandon) your religion. It’s fairly obvious that for those people genuinely seeking change, the success rate is virtually 100%. If you simply must be religious, there are religions out there that are very accepting of your gayness.
Ex-Fundamentalists prove change is possible.
I had been involved in the lesbian lifestyle for 14 years. It was after a 9 year gay marriage to another woman, I found myself search for true answers from God. She told me she didn’t think our relationship was right in God’s eyes, and within a couple months she moved out. Everything in my life was crumbling, as I turned to God, I ask Him to forgive me of my sinful walk. Fourteen years later I bumped into Exodus online, and was excited to know I am not alone in this journey of life. I have attended a few Exodus conferences, and currently am a ministry leader sharing that through God’s love change is possible. After listening to the Jan.’12, meeting of Alan Chambers & the GCN, I am disappointed that the critical issue of repentance was not addressed. I realize a conference of this nature can open a lot of discussion about Bible theology. Throughout the Bible God tells people to leave their things of the past, Jesus in fact says “go and sin no more!” Repent is to turn away from the thing that separates us from God. To say that change is not possible is saying God is to small.It’s about having a personal relationship with God through His Son Jesus. Having a personal relationship with God requires time spent reading, studying His word, and prayer,time talking with God.
Have you truly made yourself happy? Or did you decide to live a lie and deny your nature to please someone else’s patriarchal, conformist idea of God? Please think about that.
Flo: To say that change is necessary because a hodge-podge of bronze-age writings by semitic goatherds tells you it is, is beyond fathoming. Why don’t you spend some time actually reading the bible and not just cherry-picking verses for us. Read about the wonderful story showing the morality of Yahweh in Judges chapters 19 to 21? God’s tender mercies are shown most bountifully in 1 Samuel chapter 6 (vs 19). God’s love of little children is reflected so nicely in 2 Kings 2:22-23. Exodus chapter 4 (20-26) shows god as a little capricious perhaps, first hardening Pharaoh’s heart and then ambushing his faithful servant Moses on his way. But FORTUNATELY, Zipporah was quick with a knife and was able to appease your war-god Yahweh with just what he wanted: a child’s bloody penile foreskin which she threw on her husband’s feet (Quick thinking eh Flo?). Yes your God is an awesome god! But let’s not stop here: Lot (whom the book of Hebrews describes as “righteous”) has an interesting time with his daughters in Genesis chapter 19 (vs 30-38): Do you really think people should read the bible and emulate its heroes Flo? How about the your God’s attitude towards killing old people and children in Jeremiah chapter 51 (20-26) or killing the children of “sinners” in Leviticus chapter 26 (21-22). Your God promoted mass murder against the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15:2-3) or his “angel” of death in Exodus 23:23? Do you really expect people who are using their brains Flo, to actually read the bible and think it is some kind of remarkable book of wisdom, holiness and guidance authored by some Omnipotent, Omniscient, Omni-benevolent deity??? I could go on and on. If your belief in the christian God described in the bible is the result of your “time spent reading, studying His word, and prayer,time talking with God”, then you are one pathetic individual. Why would anyone want to repent to a god less moral than your average used car salesman. You honey have been sold a bill of goods and you are wasting your life with an imaginary friend. Please don’t try and infect others with this wasting disease.
Thank you Paul for such a rational description of the god of these people.
Well said, Paul Douglas.
I like that little slogan on the bottom of the poster: …..seeking tolerance for all. Really? Would this organization exist if they actually were tolerant of all? I don’t think so. The only reason gay people try this nonsense is because of the societal pressure, familial fear and animosity, religious misguidance and intimidation, etc. There is no tolerance of the reality of gay people being just human beings that aren’t the str8 cookie-cutter variety. “Tolerance for all, my a*s” is what it should say.
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[...] to appear loving and mainstream — yet, we just learned that Exodus activist Joe Dallas is speaking at the notorious and noxious PFOX organization. Do these sleaze merchants ever tell the truth? Are [...]