Do homosexual children need protection from some church leaders?

I certainly am not a supporter of President Obama.  To say I do not like him and disapprove of what he and his administration have done is putting it lightly. I honestly believe if Obama could serve a third term and was reelected the United States would be destroyed.

The one thing I do agree with Obama on is that LGBT conversion therapy should be banned for minors and vulnerable adults in the United States.  It should be a Federal law that anyone practicing or encouraging such quackery would serve a minimum of ten years in a Federal prison. This law would apply to religious leaders and mental health workers.

The American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, said that therapies that claim to cure homosexuality or transgenderism are harmful to the participants. Suicide, depression, substance abuse and homelessness, among many other things are often related to the rejection of children due to their sexual orientation, their gender identity or their gender expression by parents, friends, relatives, churches and society in general.

Attempting to convert the feelings of homosexual or transgender individuals has been found in a great many cases to increase the health risks of participants and such conversions are frequently conducted by people trained in religion who do not have any or little medical training.

Instead of conversion therapy the report found that, “Supportive families, peers and school and community environments are associated with improved psychosocial outcomes for sexual minority youth.”

In April, President Obama called for a ban on conversion therapies following the suicide of Leelah Alcorn, a transgender Ohio teen who had undergone a conversion program.  There are many, many studies that have demonstrated conversion therapy is harmful.  California, New Jersey, Illinois and the District of Columbia all passed legislation to ban the therapy for minors and some vulnerable adults and other states have introduced legislation to do the same.

Alan Chambers, the once president of a conversion therapy organization called Exodus International, one of the largest religious conversion therapy organization closed the organization and offered a public apology for the damage they had done.  I say too little too late Alan Chambers for you have blood on your hands.

JONAH, another group offering conversion therapy was found guilty of fraud in a lawsuit brought by gay Orthodox Jewish men. 

Parents and mindless gay adults that follow religious leaders like Rev. Mohler who is President of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary need protection.  He has stated publicly and he teaches seminarians studying to be Southern Baptist ministers that Christians should not attend a same-sex wedding even if it is their own children.  In his recent book he states, boycotting weddings of gay friends and loved ones will be excruciatingly difficult, but “We cannot be silent.” He cannot understand how any Christian could congratulate a couple of a same sex union.   

He and other religious bigots have stated even if scientists proved people are born gay, the “sinfulness of homosexuality” would not be eliminated.  I guess he believes God is not perfect and creates “junk”.  It should be obvious that I believe God does create homosexuals and that they are loved and regarded highly by God.  If God creates homosexuals and condemns them to a life of ridicule then He is not a loving God, but, instead a cruel and vindictive God.

Mohler has somethings in common with the Catholic Church in that he also believes limiting family size is a sin.  He has also criticized the Catholic Church and said it teaches a false gospel and the pope holds an “unbiblical office”. Mohler believes those who practice yoga, “either deny the reality of what yoga represents or fail to see the contradictions between their Christian commitments and their embrace of it.”

His 213 page book “Speaking truth to a culture redefining sex, marriage and the very meaning of right and wrong” is dedicated to intelligent evangelical readers.  This man encourages parents to use conversion therapy to fix their homosexual children.  With a doctrine like this it is obvious to me why the Southern Baptist denomination in the USA is in decline. It has lost over one million members since 2003. If they stopped their bigoted teachings maybe they could disciple the up to  2.2 million homosexuals in the USA.  Regardless of what you believe on this subject how can you say this is the way God intended Christians to act toward some members of society and be disciples for Christ. Christ did not discriminate.

The Rev. Joseph Phelps, pastor of the Highland Baptist Church praised Moher’s intellect, but called his words on homosexuality harsh and offensive.  He went on to say that his words would damage the families and cause division in society.  Phelps members are the ones that go around the United States holding rallies that say “God hates fags” and “The only good queer is a dead queer.” I did not think there was any group more vile and disrespectful than Rev. Phelps group, but I guess there is.

I think Jesus would encourage Christian to attend the union of a same sex couple.  Did He not dine with prostitutes and drunkards? Attending a union of a same sex couple does not necessarily signal approval, but it does signal love and support of the couple.

I cannot put heat on the Southern Baptist leaders without acknowledging that some Catholic bishops have urged parishioners not to attend gay weddings. 

I have many gay and lesbian friends and I enjoy their company.  I would have no problem going to a union of a gay couple, going to dinner with a gay couple, loving and encouraging a gay couple. I would encourage friends, parents and relatives to attend their union. I would discourage any attempt at trying to convert a homosexual to a heterosexual lifestyle.  Gay or straight your children are the children God gave you. How could anyone possibly turn their back on them and consider they are good parents?