Good As You

I voted! and I think I'll have some friends vote too.

Here's why these people don't know shit about it.
I've talked to the folks at FOTF and Exodus and they don't even want to define homosexuality as a sexual orientation.

They can be all over the place. It's an addiction, it's a mental illness, it's an emotional disorder.

So I remind them that people with all of the above can get married, and all of the above can get married WITHOUT pledging ANY such relationship with Jesus.

So why can heterosexuals have all of the above and still get married?

Besides, they wouldn't dream of saying you can be cured of 'unwanted mental disorders' through a relationship with Jesus.
Mental health professionals worth their credentials wouldn't recommend such a thing.

And they wouldn't recommend that repression of sexual desires, pair bonding or affection is healthy for ANYONE.

And they also wouldn't approve (and don't) of non professionals claiming any kind of authority on the mental and emotional health of adults on condition of becoming religious, nor on doing so on condition of basic civil rights.

Besides, if you're trained to not want to be gay, and everyone around you is trained to hate it and you and socio/political conditions make it impossible to be at peace or physically safe with it, it's an evil endeavor to exploit the consciousness you've created.

So 'unwanted same sex attraction' starts out essentially that straight people don't want it.

Seriously, there has to be some kind of agency, like the FTC that can shut down people like this.
After all, psychiatrists aren't supposed to engage in mental and emotional abuse, so that they can create more patients for themselves.

Why should 'ex gay' ministries be allowed to create more converts for themselves through the cruelest means possible?

Yes, this poll has been "pharyngula'ed'!"

Maybe all the "strugglers" at Exodus showed up to vote. ;)

Regan, "Why should 'ex gay' ministries (any ministry???) be allowed to create more converts for themselves through the cruelest means possible?"

here's why:Matthew 28:16-20 (New International Version)

The Great Commission
Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

they've been deputized.

This is a no-brainer. As a Christian gay man, I can say without reservation that having Christ in my life has enabled me to understand and accept my sexual orientation. Thousands and thousands of us have experienced the same thing. Only those promoting the anti-gay agenda and hoisting their homophobia above God so as to justify making money off these harmful "ex-gay" scams would say differently.

NICE!!!

No - 93.21%
74875 responses

The percentage has shifted slightly in their favor, but 69,791 of their responses have unequivocally said NO!

The illumination from an oil lamp
lights the room instantly,
even if it has been dark for aeons. - Tilopa to Naropa

I'd take a more cynical view and think that many of those "no"s really are their idiot, Joe Six Pack/the "Plumber", daily readers. They think we're all sissies, so the response is "Of course not. They'll still be a faggot!"

I voted too and i was about to post but Michael said it so much better than i ever could. Having Jesus in my life only affirms who i am and no change is needed. There are things in my life i do need to overcome but my orientation isn't one of them. Thank you Michael for your wise post.

Voted no a few days ago. No vote was 90.64% at the time.

I've never been happier since I became a non-Christian! I don't need, nor want a relationship with Jesus (I think he is the product of very human imagination for the most part) to be happy or to accept myself. To each his own though.

They're not taking any risks with an answer they don't like in the next poll:

http://www.onenewsnow.com/Poll.aspx?ekfrm=933130

Just saw, been away now 86,562 responses 10% vs. 88% NO still.

Can't get in to vote on it, just tried. Hmm. Also, nice how a bunch of grown-ups (or supposed grown-ups) have decided to go after a couple of teenagers & not even give the option of people being supportive of their right to attend their prom & not have other people's religious beliefs and sexuality imposed on them.

Can anyone else say "biased"? I've screen-captured the poll so when the (inevitable) "results" are announced I can share the poll. Just so we can all be very clear about what exactly it was they were polling. Ahem.