Truth Wins Out founder Wayne Besen speaking in Lincoln, at University of Nebraska on the “ex-gay” myth.
In this video, he discusses how Exodus harms its clients when it claims that the group does not heal people — only God can. But, the group does set itself as the middleman and conduit to God.
When Exodus fails to deliver and the promised “change” does not occur — Exodus’ victims often blame themselves and feel abandoned by God. This can cause trauma and psychological damage.
Besen also discusses how so-called “ex-gay” groups do not keep statistics. They simply make them up as they go along.
Music by Spank the Hippo (W. Besen)
Wayne says it well.
So much harm is done in the name of religion! But you know what………..Jesus did not come to teach “religion” he came bringing deliverance to us! Deliverance from the so called “religious”. Jesus does not teach religion, but…..LOVE! Jesus DOES deliver! from the hypocrisy of man…………! Be encouraged and be loved! hugs! Charles
Thank you for video taping this Wayne. What you are doing is very important. Many of us will be posting this in Face Book. Change will only come through education and exposure. Thank you so much for all the work you are doing for our community.
Thank you all for your support. I greatly appreciate it. I’m enjoying this tour quite a bit. I can see young people taking notes. Some of the youth are still working through coming out. Others are completely out, but learning so they can fight back when challenged by fundamentalists. The tour can accomplish three things:
1) Sharpening the “choirs” ability to defend against the lies of ex-gay groups.
2) Helping people come out and gain self-acceptance
3) Persuading undecided people — particularly at colleges — that these so-called “ex-gay” groups are harmful.
I’m delighted to have the opportunity to discuss this important message.
“That is how they justify their salaries.”
There I think you have hit the nail on the head, Wayne. I may be overly cynical about money, but I have found that whenever something scurrilous is going on, profit is usually the motive.
I do feel for the victims of these programs one some level, though frankly I have a hard time understanding how they can spend YEARS and God only knows how much money trying to *change* something that is immutable.
If it were possible to *pray away the gay,* I would have been straight by the age of nineteen. The years from age thirteen to nineteen were spent praying, crying out to God, hating myself, fearing that I was going to hell, and all the rest of it. After six years of thinking God was not answering me, I realized that He had. He had said, “No.”
“After six years of thinking God was not answering me, I realized that He had. He had said, “No.””
Very well said.