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Christian counsellors ban therapy aimed at 'converting' gay patients
Guardian ^ | 01/10/2013 | Patrick Strudwick

Posted on 01/14/2014 12:46:37 PM PST by LonelyCon

Britain's leading body for Christian therapists has instructed its members to stop trying to turn gay patients straight using so-called "conversion therapy".

The Association of Christian Counsellors (ACC) said the practice should be stopped "in the interests of public safety", but the move has prompted a furious response from proponents of talking "cures" for homosexuality who have promised to fight for what they see as the right to therapy of anyone distressed by "unwanted same sex attraction".

The controversial practice seeks to unearth childhood traumas, which are considered by conversion therapists to have caused homosexuality. Sexual abuse, bullying and having an overbearing mother or distant father are among the supposed triggers.

Research by the US clinical psychologists Ariel Shidlo and Michael Schroeder has shown such treatment routinely led to worsened mental health, self-harm, thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts.

The decision by the ACC to speak out against the practice follows similar statements in the last two years by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, the UK Council for Psychotherapy and the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the Department of Health.

(Excerpt) Read more at theguardian.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; United Kingdom
KEYWORDS: christians; europeanchristians; homosexualagenda; redemption; sin
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I don't know what's worse, government banning ex-gay therapy or Christians voluntarily going along with the homosexual agenda.
1 posted on 01/14/2014 12:46:37 PM PST by LonelyCon
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To: LonelyCon

The definition of the word Christian appears to be rather broad in this story. As in, we ignore the parts of the Bible that we want to ignore, but we’ll still call ourselves Christian.


2 posted on 01/14/2014 12:57:37 PM PST by lurk
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To: LonelyCon

A quick perusal of the LinkedIn profile of “clinical psychologist” Shidlo pretty well indicates that he’s an activist, not an objective researcher. Doubtless the same applies to his study partner, and I use the word advisedly.


3 posted on 01/14/2014 12:58:41 PM PST by william clark (Ecclesiastes 10:2)
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To: lurk

It does seem rather vague these days


4 posted on 01/14/2014 1:00:27 PM PST by GeronL (Extra Large Cheesy Over-Stuffed Hobbit)
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To: LonelyCon; xzins

The comments over at the Guardian are 100% in favor of prohibiting anyone from counseling a gay person about their sexual proclivities, other than to tell them how wonderful it is.

What is ironic is that they tell Christians they can’t be allowed to counsel gays and in the same breath complain that Christians are always trying to force their beliefs on others.

Hypocrisy is contagious.


5 posted on 01/14/2014 1:04:41 PM PST by P-Marlowe (There can be no Victory without a fight and no battle without wounds)
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To: william clark
Better still, here's the bio info on the other "clinical psychologist" mentioned in the story:

Michael J. Schroeder is an independent scholar who has taught U.S. and Latin American History at Eastern Michigan University and the University of Michigan-Flint. He received B.A.s in History and Economics at the University of Minnesota and his Ph.D. in History at the University of Michigan. He is the author of numerous articles and chapters on Nicaraguan history, including pieces on death squads, children and war, the question of aerial terrorism in the air war of the 1920s and 1930s, and his award-winning 1996 article in the "Journal of Latin American Studies", "Horse Thieves to Rebels to Dogs," on Nicaraguan political violence. He is currently completing his book manuscript, "The Sandino Rebellion: Tragedy and Redemption in the Mountains of Northern Nicaragua". He has also authored a middle school text on Mexican-American history and immigration and is co-editor of "Encyclopedia of World History".

Hey, sounds qualified to me, sure.

6 posted on 01/14/2014 1:05:16 PM PST by william clark (Ecclesiastes 10:2)
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To: LonelyCon

I’ve never seen a community so united behind a pathology, so determined to foil all atempts to root out the source of the sickness. The resistance is a sickness in its own right.


7 posted on 01/14/2014 1:06:23 PM PST by IronJack
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To: IronJack

Queers are so queer aren’t they?


8 posted on 01/14/2014 1:07:35 PM PST by Resolute Conservative
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To: LonelyCon

For just about any other human condition, the mental health community uses the “does it cause problems in your life or make you unhappy?” criteria to determine whether it is a disorder.

I’m not entirely comfortable with that approach, as there have been some sexual sadist killers who were entirely happy with themselves and their lives.

Homosexuality, uniquely, is apparently not to be considered a disorder no matter how unhappy the person is or how many problems it causes in his life.


9 posted on 01/14/2014 1:07:41 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: LonelyCon
Research by the US clinical psychologists Ariel Shidlo and Michael Schroeder has shown such treatment routinely led to worsened mental health, self-harm, thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts.

It would be interesting to compare these results to those from therapy for other conditions.

10 posted on 01/14/2014 1:08:31 PM PST by Sherman Logan
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To: LonelyCon

I suppose it’s still fine to tell a heterosexual they should try to go gay.


11 posted on 01/14/2014 1:14:13 PM PST by MNDude
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To: LonelyCon
I have no idea whether the thumbnail description of "conversion therapy" as practiced in the UK is accurate. If it is, they have been using an outmoded and unvalidated treatment model. Better they stop, and do no harm, rather than use bad treatment.
12 posted on 01/14/2014 1:17:42 PM PST by hinckley buzzard
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To: lurk

Well, they can try to normalize it all they want but God’s mind doesn’t change. He will allow people to do what they want but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s sin and sin has consequences. And woe to ‘Christians’ who go along with it…. Romans 1: 26. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27. And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. 28. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; 32. Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.


13 posted on 01/14/2014 1:23:27 PM PST by hecticskeptic
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To: LonelyCon

Someone needs to instruct the Association of Christian Counselors to cease using the word “Christian” in its name. It is deceptive.

How can any Christian counselor cease helping someone who wants to leave the gay lifestyle? God clearly calls it sin. He also calls adultery sinful. Should a Christian counselor refuse to help someone who wants to quit cheating on their spouse? Or sleeping with someone else’s spouse? What about quitting stealing, lying, or murder?


14 posted on 01/14/2014 1:23:55 PM PST by Truth is a Weapon (Truth, it hurts so good.)
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To: LonelyCon

Uhhh BOTH.

Homosexuality is an abnormal perversion - either culturally induced - as we see incressaingly in America, or due to defective mental wiring.

There should be a cure.


15 posted on 01/14/2014 1:27:30 PM PST by ZULU (Magua is sitting in the Oval Office. Ted Cruz/Phil Robertson in 2016.)
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To: ZULU

“Conversion therapy” ?

Is that like showing them pictures of Shania Twain?

RULES PEOPLE !


16 posted on 01/14/2014 1:41:01 PM PST by bicyclerepair (TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS TERM LIMITS)
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To: bicyclerepair

NAHHHHHHHHHHH

http://www.ann-margret.com/


17 posted on 01/14/2014 1:47:17 PM PST by ZULU (Magua is sitting in the Oval Office. Ted Cruz/Phil Robertson in 2016.)
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To: LonelyCon

So they reject the Christian teaching. Nothing new....there have always been tares among the wheat.


18 posted on 01/14/2014 1:48:45 PM PST by SoFloFreeper
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To: LonelyCon

Hmmmm. Are “gay” leaders going to tell “gay” people to stop attempting to seduce underage or vulnerable youth.


19 posted on 01/14/2014 1:52:00 PM PST by Darteaus94025 (Can't have a Liberal without a Lie)
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To: Sherman Logan

Or compare them to the self-harm, thoughts of suicide and suicide attempts of homosexuals who did not have therapy.


20 posted on 01/14/2014 1:58:03 PM PST by MikeyB806
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