Group Claims Prayer Can Stop Gay Lifestyle

By Suzanne Stratford
Fox 8 News Reporter
11:22 p.m. EDT
May 24, 2011

CLEVELAND—
It's been called "Pray the Gay Away," but the treatment is actually a form of reparative or conversion therapy, to allegedly help a person stop living a gay lifestyle through prayer.

Exodus International holds national conferences to teach people to live their lives "beyond attractions" through prayer.

"Exodus is the largest christian organization that ministers to men and women that have unwanted same sex desires, " said Betty Kalbes, Dir. Way Out Ministry/ Exodus International.

The organization and followers do not like the phrase, "Pray the Gay Away."

"It's not that simple," said a man called "Timothy."

"It's a process of renewing your mind and taking each thought captive," said Timothy. "I don't have power over my attractions but I have power over my relations."

...

But many religious scholars disagree.

Strenuously applied guilt-therapy will stop the lifestyle. It will not stop the underlying nature. It will only make the "cured" person neurotic.

Meh, Exodus has been going for ages, despite reparative therapy being proved to be ineffective Don't know why Fox is dragging them up now, although I gather they're the US equivalent of the Daily Mail

These people are quite clearly bonkers, dangerous and bigots.

However, the phrase 'Pray the gay away' is utter genius! 

Unfortunately I know from horrible experience that they are serious.

I like this Reverend Tamilio guy. Now if more Christians were like that, the world would be a much better place.

I've yet to see or hear of anyone who was cured of homosexuality or of being transgendered . It just doesn't happen. Reparative therapy doesn't work even though the likes of Drs Zucker and Blanchard claim it does. It's been estimated that approximately 50% or their patients that they claim to have cured will eventually attempt or actually commit suicide. These people are dangerous.

http://www.tsroadmap.com/info/kenneth-zucker.html

If anyone says they can cure you, run like hell the other way.

MaryEllen

Quote from: MaryEllen on May 25, 2011, 06:41:51 PMIf anyone says they can cure you, run like hell the other way.

You mean control you.

Hm,
I have/had some male gay friends and do know they REALLY don't like girl-bits. Period. Just puts them off. So I guess all those Reverends will achieve is a person that has completely repressed sex-drive. Not same as asexual ... I think. Now that's not a CURE, it's what Julie says quite correctly "CONTROL".
Back to the dark ages?
Axelle

So when is the head of this group going to be caught out in an embarrasing "gay-tryst" expose.  It seems to be par for the course!

Talk about stinking hypocrisy. You have gay clergy members going about their business, ordained by various churches... and then these loons who want to somehow exorcise it out of people. I suspect their idea of prayer is actually more akin to sticking someone's head on a 40 degree cycle and giving their brains a good washing. Ugh.

Some folks really need a hobby. Seriously.

Alas, prayer seems powerless to stop religion.


everything else too.