The best journalists strive to present facts without bias or editorial comment.Posted on 06/23/2013 8:37:26 AM PDT by markomalley
The best journalists strive to present facts without bias or editorial comment.
Then there’s the Washington Post Twitter page.
In reporting on Exodus International’s decision to shut down, whoever tweets for the Post chose op-ed cutesy over straight-news accuracy.
The Post’s tweet, sent to 1.7 million of the newspaper’s followers:
Gaying the pray away
Huh?
What does that even mean?
Did the Post’s social-media gurus fear that a less-biased tweet wouldn’t draw as many clicks? This was the headline on the actual story to which the tweet linked:
Exodus International, criticized for ‘reparative therapies’ for gay Christians, to shut down
Now, that headline’s not perfect. I’d prefer one without scare quotes that describes what Exodus did in a less tilted manner. But it’s better than the tweet.
As we discussed in our previous post on Exodus last week, the media’s frequently referenced “pray the gay away” quote lacks a named source.
As our esteemed head GetReligionista — tmatt — has noted, “In all of my years covering ex-gays, I’ve never met anyone who actually claimed they could pray the gay away.”
Like the Associated Press and Religion News Service stories covered in the previous post, the Post article notes Exodus head Alan Chamber’s comments on theology and changing position on how to relate to the gay community:
In an apology to the gay community, Chambers noted that he “cannot apologize for my deeply held biblical beliefs about the boundaries I see in scripture surrounding sex” and marriage but added that he will no longer “fight you on your beliefs or the rights that you seek.”
Chambers, who says he and his wife Leslie “are more in love than we’ve ever have been” but admits to still being attracted to men, said in a nearly hour-long talk Wednesday at the organization’s 38th annual conference that he and Exodus leaders came to the conclusion that God was calling them to shut down the ministry.
The New York Times, too, notes that Chambers still believes that Scripture does not condone homosexuality.
Has anybody seen any coverage where Chambers — or any other advocates of the ex-gay movement — actually said that they can “pray the gay away?”
The little creature gets it, but, like so many these days, exactly in reverse.
The purpose of this article is damage control. For Sullivan. Good thing we know that he believes the bible doesn’t ‘condone’ homosexuality.
The apology by Chambers was disgusting. Shame on him for the damage he will do to thousands of people suffering from unwanted sexual attractions, for which they will now not only have no help, but will feel wrong for even trying.
The apology by Chambers was disgusting.
“Exodus leaders came to the conclusion that God was calling them to shut down the ministry.”
—
The reason Exodus shut down was because true religious leaders QUIT FUNDING Exodus because of Alan Chamber’s leadership. That’s the real truth.
Exodus was BROKE. Christian leaders quit funding it because of Chamber’s twisted views and lame leadership.
The Washington Post should have been able to figure that out but they preferred the other story to further their agenda.
Wonder how effective this is against Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The little creature gets it exactly right. To be “gay”, to wallow in and celebrate homosexual perversion as a good, is completely antithetical to being Christian. “Gay” is antichrist.
I apologize, Catherine. That was out of line.
God was not calling them to shut down the ministry, satan was.
I AGREE WITH CATHERINE.
Here’s a link from 2011 that discusses the group going broke. The reason it went broke is because Christian groups cut their alliances with Exodus because of Chambers’ leadership and beliefs.
http://www.edgeboston.com/news/national///127352/%22ex-gay%22_group_exodus_in_financial_straits
Don’t take it as condemnation....we’re all angry these days, and with good reason. I know I’ve gotten out of line myself.
God bless!
“vapours?”
Oy, oy, mate!
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