Free Republic

May 1 - The US Supreme Court on Monday left intact California's ban on "gay conversion" therapy aimed at turning youths under age 18 away from homosexuality, rejecting a Christian minister's challenge to the law asserting it violates religious rights. The justices, turning away a challenge to the 2012 law for the second time in three years, let stand a lower court's ruling that it was constitutional and neither impinged upon free exercise of religion nor impacted the activities of clergy members.

The headlines in the liberal media are gleefully trumpeting the demise of Exodus International, the leading icon of the ex-”gay” movement. “From ‘pray away the gay’ to acceptance,” chortles the L.A. Times. But this is not really a story about an organization, but only its leader, Alan Chambers, and his unfortunate capitulation to the world. I invite you to join me in prayer for him. Those of us “in the know” have over the past few years watched Alan slowly transform Exodus into his own private fiefdom, while at the same time he slowly gravitated inexorably away from recovery. By...

Exodus International, the 37-year-old ministry devoted to helping people deal with unwanted same-sex attraction, is to be shut down. The Exodus board of directors unanimously voted to shut down the ministry after a year of prayer and dialogue, a press release states. Local groups that were affiliated with the ministry will continue, though they will no longer be under the umbrella of Exodus. "We're not negating the ways God used Exodus to positively affect thousands of people, but a new generation of Christians is looking for change – and they want to be heard," Exodus board member Tony Moore said...

A Christian group that once promoted therapy to encourage gays and lesbians to overcome their sexual preferences has closed its doors and apologized to homosexuals, acknowledging its mission had been hurtful and ignorant. Exodus International billed itself as the oldest and largest Christian ministry dealing with faith and homosexuality, operating since 1976. It announced it would cease operations in a statement on its website on Wednesday. The Irvine, California-based group’s board unanimously voted to close Exodus International and begin a separate ministry, the statement said. …

UPDATE: Hours after apology, Exodus International announces plans to close and begin a separate ministry. Melissa Steffan Update (June 19): Exodus International announced Wednesday night it will shut down and start a separate ministry for a "new generation." “We’re not negating the ways God used Exodus to positively affect thousands of people, but a new generation of Christians is looking for change – and they want to be heard,” said board member Tony Moore. The announcement came hours after issuing an apology to the gay community. At the time, Exodus leaders had shared little about their next steps, and the...

Alan Chambers is in denial. It's a charge his critics level against him on a regular basis. They say that Chambers—a former homosexual who helps others struggling with same-sex attraction—is denying what comes naturally to him. Chambers wholeheartedly agrees. "For Christians, every day we're called to a life of biblical self-denial," he says. "We take up our cross and follow Christ, and we deny what comes naturally." But he says denial isn't without reward: "Those who reject the concept of self-denial haven't reaped the joys that come with it." Self-denial isn't a new concept to Chambers. The 39-year-old president of...

Many people who work in the field of psychology argue against the idea that a person can change their sexual orientation. But a new study published in the October edition of the Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy reveals that some homosexuals who seek to change their sexual orientation may be able to do so with the help of religious mediation. The study, conducted by psychologists Stanton L. Jones of Wheaton College and Mark A. Yarhouse of Regent University, examined changes in homosexuals who sought the help of Exodus International in trying to change their sexual orientation. Researches tracked changes...

Jesus came for sinners, but he did tell us not to sin by P. Nelson August 12, 2009 (Editor’s note: This article is a combination of an article written for the WordAlone Network and a letter to WordAlone from a woman. There are two typefaces to distinguish the two. The first paragraph is the article typeface and is in bold, darker type. The second typeface is from the letter.) Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means; ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I have not come...

NEW YORK – The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments. Instead, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict. In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA's governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation....

NEW YORK – The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments. Instead, the APA urged therapists to consider multiple options — that could range from celibacy to switching churches — for helping clients whose sexual orientation and religious faith conflict. In a resolution adopted on a 125-to-4 vote by the APA's governing council, and in a comprehensive report based on two years of research, the 150,000-member association put itself firmly on record in opposition of so-called "reparative therapy" which seeks to change sexual orientation.

EXCLUSIVE: A 23-year-old pre-med student who "got caught up with friends who were pulling him" toward homosexuality is well and undergoing Christian counseling, his family says. But a gay activist who created a Web site to locate the "missing" man says Bryce Faulkner's silence speaks volumes, claiming that the young man's religious parents are controlling his every move in an effort to "cure" him of his homosexuality. Debra Faulkner, of El Dorado, Ark., denied the Web site's reports that her son was forced against his will to undergo reparative therapy for homosexuality at Exodus International, a nonprofit Christian organization that...

Exodus Youth, part of the evangelical ministry Exodus International that deals with the issue of homosexuality, is aiming to reverse a "disturbing" trend seen across churches and perceived widely by young Americans – that the Church is anti-homosexual. Homosexuality is a topic that churches are still struggling to address in a culture that is increasingly accepting gay and lesbian lifestyles. It's a struggle that hasn't come across to many Americans in a positive light. "I think for a long time, the church just hasn't known how to talk about homosexuality," said Exodus Youth Director Scott Davis. "They've been very uncomfortable...

Homosexual activist groups long have denied that ex-"gays" exist and have charged those ministries that work with the needs of those desiring to leave the lifestyle are fraudulent. One such activist even recently attributed the crime of rape to the "sickness" of the ex-"gay" movement. But some attacks on those who have left the lifestyle, or are trying to, go far beyond verbal denigration, according to those who have experienced it, including Joe and Marion Allen. Their son Bart was in the process of leaving the homosexual lifestyle in 2001 when the "gay" with whom he'd shared an apartment strangled...

New Study Finds Christian Counseling Effectively Assists Leaving Homosexual Life-Style Study also finds leaving the lifestyle not psychologically harmful By Meg Jalsevac NASHVILLE, September 18, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study, entitled the Exodus Project and conducted by two psychologists, has determined that, through "religiously mediated means", it is possible for homosexual individuals to leave their old lifestyle and embrace the heterosexual lifestyle.  The study also determined that, contrary to mainstream scientific thought, the effort to change one's inclinations away from homosexuality does not appear to be psychologically problematic. In the words of the authors themselves, "The study is the...

In the first longitudinal, peer-reviewed, scientific study of its kind, researchers have concluded some homosexuals can change their "orientation" through religiously mediated guidance. Researchers Stanton L. Jones and Mark A. Yarhouse released the results Thursday of a three-year study during an address at the American Association of Christian Counselors World Conference. Their conclusions contradict the claims of the American Psychological Association and the American Psychiatric Association, which contend such change in sexual orientation is impossible and attempting to pursue it likely will cause depression, anxiety or self-destructive behavior. The new study concluded such changes do not cause psychological harm to...

... The annual Exodus "Freedom Conference" expects to attract about 1,000 men, women, children, parents and spouses affected by homosexuality at Concordia University June 26 to July 1. A bike ride away, at UC Irvine, co-sponsored by the university, is scheduled "The Survivor's Conference: Beyond Ex-gay." ... "I chose to live differently, and my feelings changed, too," said Alan Chambers, president of the Orlando, Fla.-based Exodus International, who is married. "Today, I am a far different person. Not that I don't struggle, but my life has changed. I certainly don't have the desire to be involved in homosexuality. It has...

One of the world's largest Christian referral ministries addressing homosexual issues and helping individuals "recover" from homosexuality applauded the Archbishop of Canterbury who recently said homosexuals must change their behavior to be welcomed in the church. Lauding the Rt. Rev. Rowan Williams, one-time liberal advocate of same-sex relationships, Exodus International president, Alan Chambers, said "We applaud the archbishop's courageous stand for the truth." "The lack of biblical clarity on the issue of homosexuality is rampant in far too many congregations. Ours is a passionate call to the global church to extend the love and kindness of Jesus Christ, the hope...

NEW ORLEANS (BP)—Approximately 50 people from various pro-family groups protested the American Psychological Association’s convention Aug. 11, opposing the organization’s position that says homosexuality cannot be changed. “The fact of the matter is that there are tens of thousands of men and women just like me who have overcome homosexuality. ... We’re living proof,” Alan Chambers, president of Exodus International, a ministry to homosexuals and ex-homosexuals, told Baptist Press. He took part in the protest in New Orleans. APA has been one of the leading organizations to back the claims of homosexual activists. A statement on its website says that...

In yet another frontal attack on “ex-gay” ministries, a well-known homosexual activist held a press conference at the National Press Club last week to launch a new organization that he has dubbed “Truth Wins Out.” Wayne Besen, who insists that people are born “gay” and cannot overcome homosexual desires, staged his event on the same day (June 7) that the U.S. Senate was voting on the Marriage Protection Amendment. Joined by five other men who claim to have undergone “ex-gay” counseling and who say they reverted to homosexuality, Besen assailed the “right-wing” and Christian ministries in particular. Besen took...