“Pray away the gay” joins other notable catchphrases in our popular culture and comedians’ repertoires, (perhaps like “wide stance” did just a few years ago.) This time it’s due to the efforts of Michele and Marcus Bachmann, who run a Christian counseling center practicing what is called “reparative therapy.”
Skeptical thinkers may ask how a simple prayer could change people’s core sexual orientation. Could heterosexual-oriented people “pray to be gay”? More seriously, why is there a treatment for something that is not an illness? A critical investigation into the practice of conversion therapy requires more serious scientific evidence than belief in the power of prayer alone.
Historically, some psychiatrists who viewed homosexuality as a mental illness tried electroshock aversion therapy as a cure. In more recent years, behavior modification became a less barbaric alternative. Endorsed mostly by religiously driven therapists to change sexual orientation, reparative or conversion therapy assumes that what needs to be repaired is an individual’s homosexuality, not the social stigma contributing to that individual’s negative feelings and behaviors. These ideas now are almost 40 years out-of-date.
5 comments:
You can no more "pray away the gay" than you can pray away the short statue or pray away the baldness. Our sexual orientation is who we are, part of our genetic makeup.
Homosexuals went to the clinic hoping to receive help they didn't advertise being able to pray away gay. What were they supposed to do when someone distraught shows up wanting help turn them away? And actually a lot were helped and stopped their gay practice after treatment from other clinics.
Hitler quote"tell a big lie long enough that everyone will believe it" 10:30 am . you were not born that way.It's a choice.
Hey 4:16pm: Behavior is a choice, but feelings are not.
Thank you, 5:06. I cannot believe that anyone in this day and time still thinks homosexuality is a choice, any more than heterosexuality is. Do you actually believe that someone would choose to be gay, 4:16? Assuming you are straight, did you choose this, or was it the natural evolution over the years that made you sexually drawn to the opposite sex? 5:06 is correct. One can choose his behavior, but not his feelings (orientation). That's why you've noticed a number of high profile cases (ex. , former gov. of NJ) who was gay but married. He was living a heterosexual lifestyle but his feelings were homosexual He was unable to control his behavior and was consequently "outed" when his gay lover blew the whistle. A little education for you, 4:16.
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