Just learned quite a bit about a man who use to ghost write for Jerry Falwell, came out as being gay, started a movement called Soul Force for the entire LGBT Community and spent 30 years in therapy : That's a very long time and here I have only been asking God to take it away for a short time.

After almost 3 decades of counseling and "anti-gay" therapy including prayer, fasting, exorcism, and electric shock, Mel White was able to reconcile his Christian theology and his sexual orientation. At his installation, Mel proclaimed his own, heart-felt statement of faith: "I am gay. I am proud. And God loves me without reservation." 

I was like wow, electric shock?? Really?? I had already heard about exorcisms, but didn't they also try to cure people with schizophrenia with electric shocks? And before electric shocks use to drill holes in the head and perform a blood letting?

I was amazed at the testimony from him. I have kind of been on the fence here struggling with this as some of you may know. I did not have anyone to turn to that was Christian and "Different" like me. Now it seems the more I look, the more i find.

thats a really sad waste of a life trying to cure something thats only natural to you . sucks we live a world where people feel the need to even do that to themselves

I'll credit him with plenty of patience. I would have wondered if it was a waste of time after the first few counselling sessions, as for the electric shocks? I would have been out the door like a shot.

When will people realise that sexual orientation and gender identity are hard wired into us, and no amount of treatment will work.  Or maybe some people are just to thick to listen to facts.

Karen.

For the person who is hurting and suffering its about feeling guilty, essentially brainwashed into feeling guilty, not hard to do when the people you love are doing it out of fear or lack of info, and being told you are worthless and a sinner and not going to heaven. Being considered an outcast by everyone on all sides. Mel White had these feelings many many years ago and there were not that many people who cared when he was growing up. There was little or no science behind it. People did not want to see what the bible really said. People did not care that throughout history in just about every culture there has been people that were born that way. Even today many people are shocked to learn babies are not always born in one gender and don't always display expected sex characteristics of gender given.

Women can have XY Chromosomes and still be women on the outside save for some internal gonads , and have AIS which does not allow them to absorb any testosterone, and in fact creates more testosterone than normal, and yet it all gets converted into estrogen. Doctors have destroyed or lost records, families have hidden the truth.

Remember we are not God, we make big mistakes, It is sad that people cannot see we are born this way and it was intended by God.

The Clownfish (the finding nemo fish) can actually change its gender all the way 100% when the head female dies, the male assumes the female role, then the next in line largest male becomes her mate. Many Many creatures are bisexual or asexual , not just humans.

God is far more awesome than we know and i cry every time people get hurt by people who don't understand and mis represent the Lord.

Quote from: justmeinoz on June 08, 2012, 07:26:29 AM
I'll credit him with plenty of patience. I would have wondered if it was a waste of time after the first few counselling sessions, as for the electric shocks? I would have been out the door like a shot.

When will people realise that sexual orientation and gender identity are hard wired into us, and no amount of treatment will work.  Or maybe some people are just to thick to listen to facts.

Karen.

Hard-wired to some degree.  I think, however, that it has been adequately demonstrated that repeated behavior can "reprogram" the brain chemistry.  Take the experience of addicts, for instance.

30 years would seem to be a pretty fair test. 
Nobody suggests trying to counsel paedophiles out of their sexual orientation, so why would anyone think it will work on anyone else.

Um, Mel White has made it clear that Pedophilia is not an approved orientation in of itself, trying to have sex with children is not about being gay lesbian or bisexual, those who engage in that activity have an addiction and an obsessive compulsion and are twisted. Sure they can have an inclination to either like boys or girls, but regardless this is wrong no matter how you slice it.

People do this because of religion?! Humans...you never learn

I'm not saying it is in any way defensible at all, 'approval' is not the question.
I hate child molesters with a passion, but if it is a form of sexual orientation why is no-one suggesting they can be "cured" the same way as transsexuals or homopsexuals?
If it is because it won't work, why try the same idea on us.
But I guess consistent thinking is not something that type are known for.

Karen.

That's true justmeinoz,i see your point, also a lot of sex predators and pedophiles will beg the judge to have themselves castrated and a lot of states already approve being able to be castrated , the sex offenders have claimed they feel better. This makes me wonder how much of it is in the mind and how much is controlled by your sex drive.

Quote from: justmeinoz on June 09, 2012, 06:37:30 AM
I hate child molesters with a passion...

I would encourage you to try to hate the act and not the people and I suggest that we should be doing whatever best protects children. I think hating people can distort that purpose. I realize it's not an easy thing I ask though.