Former Homosexual Says 'No one is born gay'

CBN.com – Stephen Bennett is a former homosexual, who lived the "gay" lifestyle for 11 years. Today he's married and has two young children. He's also a born-again Christian who has a ministry to men and women who want to be set free from homosexuality. Whenever he's invited to appear on television news programs, though, Stephen says most won't let him tell his story truthfully. And they won't let him say that he's a former homosexual. He recently spoke with Lee Webb on The 700 Club.

Lee Webb: Stephen, I wanted to get into this interview that you did with CBS. They interviewed you on tape for a segment on same-sex marriage that appeared on one of their CBS Sunday morning programs. And I want to show our viewers how they identified you and your wife.

Let's look at that, it says that 'Stephen and Irene Bennett…say they will never endorse same-sex marriage for religious reasons.'

Now they went on to say, they included a sound bite with you saying that you could not…you said that homosexuality was wrong, but that's all that they said. Why do you say that that was the wrong way to identify you.

Stephen Bennett: Because the reason they brought me on to the show was to share that I was gay. They were doing a piece particularly on gay marriage and they wanted to understand our perspective. And as a person who is a former homosexual I wanted to tell the truth about the homosexual lifestyle.

I said to them specifically, 'I am living proof that there's no basis whatsoever for any kind of legislation equating homosexuality with heterosexuality.' For the fact that I was gay. I lived the gay lifestyle until I was 28 years old, probably for about 11 years. Well, with over 100 men sexually, many of whom are dead today from AIDS. I've buried countless boyfriends in the ground because of AIDS.

I was in love with another man who was going to be my partner for life, until a Christian woman showed up at my door one day with a Bible and said that I could be set free from my homosexuality. That was back in 1990 and my life has never been the same again.

Bennett: None of it whatsoever. And I shared my Christian testimony just for, maybe about two or three seconds, because I know when dealing with the secular media most of the media does not want to know about the Christian response. So we were able to bring a powerful, powerful message of deliverance. How no one is born gay, how people can completely change. But again the media is the major conduit today of the gay agenda. They are out there pushing their false agenda, that number one, a person is born gay, and number two, that no one can change, for example, just as a person cannot change their race or skin color. But I said to the producer at CBS and the interview, 'you will never have a former black man on your show, but today you have a former homosexual.'

Webb: Now, later on CBS responded to this by saying, 'look we were just looking for someone to represent the religious right.' Is that the way they portrayed themselves (to you).

Bennett: Not once, not once. They brought us on there particularly to hear a person's view who was a former homosexual. Again, I am living proof that homosexuals can change, that no one is born gay. We need to equate homosexuality with that of drug addiction or alcoholism. They are destructive behaviors that we would never encourage people to continue a life in -- we need to say the same exact thing about homosexuality.

Webb: Now unfortunately, this is not the first time this had happened. You say it even happened at Fox, which typically is considered a fairly conservative network.

Bennett: My friend Bill O'Reilly. I was brought on to the show to talk about homosexuality, as well as its effects on America's children, how it's being promoted. Unfortunately it turned out to be a debate about Bill O'Reilly and his theology. He did not receive me very well and unfortunately Bill O'Reilly is a bit confused on this issue. He came out in full support of gay rights last year.

All we want to get across to America is for people to understand the mainstream media is not giving them the truth. Thank God for people like CBN and other organizations who are out there sharing that no one is born gay. And especially through the power of Jesus Christ people can change completely. I am happily married now today for over 10 years to a beautiful woman who knew me when I was gay, who was praying for my salvation. I no longer am living a lie. I was playing house with my boyfriend back then. I have the real thing today. I may not be the mostly masculine person in the world, but, you know what, I don't need to be. I'm a man in God's eyes, in my wife's eyes, I'm the father of our two little beautiful children today. Jesus Christ has changed my life completely. He has taken a story that was a nightmare and turned it into a fairy tale and I am just so grateful to Him for doing that.

Webb: Stephen, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts is set to rule on same-sex marriage. Tell us why you think it would be a bad idea for America.

Bennett: You know, again, the only thing I can say is I am living proof that there is no basis whatsoever for any type of legislation equating homosexuality with heterosexuality. These people need to realize that change is possible. Encouraging someone to continue in a lifestyle that is false, that is a deception, is not going to do them any good. Giving them every right, it's not going to do anything. What they're looking for is that acceptance inside. And they feel that by getting acceptance from the states and government and everybody else, maybe homosexual people can find that acceptance within themselves and I tell you that will never, ever happen.

Webb: You have a ministry to homosexuals around the country. You speak to churches. You know when we interview homosexuals they appear to be happy, they say this is the lifestyle they want to lead but you have noticed something under the surface, haven't you?

Bennett: When I was living the gay lifestyle I portrayed that I was happy. I was in love with my boyfriend, had great gay and lesbian friends. But the problem with that was is that deep down I knew something was wrong. Again I firmly believe that no one is born gay, that homosexuality tragically happens early on in the childhood. For me it was a broken relationship with my father that was reconciled after I became a Christian. I love my father dearly, he loves me and I was able to move on from homosexuality to healthy heterosexuality. And what we want to share with men and women is when we go out trying to reach the homosexual for Christ -- is that God loves them. The Gospel is the most important thing that we can reach these people with, so we need to let people know that God loves the homosexual but he hates the sin. And homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. And that is my heart's desire. And I'm sorry but I've got tunnel vision on this issue. We want to reach the homosexual for Christ in America and make a difference in this country.

Webb: Stephen, you mentioned earlier that you're now married. Your wife Irene and your two beautiful children are in the audience with us right now. Why don't you introduce your children to us.

Bennett: That's my beautiful wife Irene, and I'm very prejudiced, the most beautiful Christian woman in the world. And these cute little cuties, my little girl Chloe, born four years into our marriage, and my little boy Blakey. He was born on Chloe's birthday, Jesus gave her a little brother for her birthday. So this is what God's done for me. God has just turned my story into a fairy tale and I'm just so grateful, I just want to serve Jesus Christ all of my days now and share the truth that no one is born gay and through the power of Jesus Christ homosexuals can completely change.

Webb: Stephen Bennett, thank you for telling your story today. We appreciate it.

For more information on Stephen Bennett and Stephen Bennett Ministries please visit his web site at http://www.sbministries.org/.

"My friend Bill O'Reilly. I was brought on to the show to talk about homosexuality, as well as its effects on America's children, how it's being promoted. Unfortunately it turned out to be a debate about Bill O'Reilly and his theology. He did not receive me very well and unfortunately Bill O'Reilly is a bit confused on this issue. He came out in full support of gay rights last year. "

Yeah I happened to see that episode. I've since turned away from O'Reilly. His Catholicism blinds him to truth. He would NOT accept that being gay is wrong and Biblically incorrect. When someone goes beyond verses that can be interpreted in a humanistic way, O'Reilly is thoroughly confused. Catholicism does NOT depend on the Bible for its teachings - hence the priest scandals etc.. O'Reilly fully supports homosexuals and their lifestyle.

NO one is born that way. It IS a lifestyle CHOICE.

The homosexuals think that if everyone just LOVES them this small voice in their hearts will go away.

It seems to me that if they indeed believe that they were born this way and cannot change - the way people cannot change their race, ethnicity, skin color, etc - then they should take a long hard look at the civil rights movement.

While much progress has been made over the last 130-odd years since the Civil War, unfortunately, much still needs to be done. There is still prejudice against people of different colors and races even today. It's been a long road and I'm not so sure that prejudice will be totally wiped out.

With this in mind, that "nagging" little voice that they percieve to be societal discontent will be around for a long time because no amount of legislation will totally eradicate the prejudice that happens with human nature.

Yup - " For me it was a broken relationship with my father that was reconciled after I became a Christian. I love my father dearly, he loves me and I was able to move on from homosexuality to healthy heterosexuality. "
It seems to be this, lack of same sex role model or sexual molestation.

And one of the (myriad) bad things about current education is that kids are taught that there is no objective truth - so their power of reasoning is ruined - and then they are hypocritically indoctrinated with the secular humanist leftist dogma as though it is the absolute truth. So they are really hypnotizing millions, through schools, media, and entertainment.
I pray that more and more families homeschool!!!

Catholicism does NOT depend on the Bible for its teachings

I don't want to turn this thread into a discussion about Catholicism, but your comment prompted a response.

I don't know what flavor of Catholicism Mr. O'Reilly practices, but MY Catholic church DOES teach Biblical principles and the tenet of Love the sinner but hate the sin, just as God commands. The sinner can always be changed.

FReegards
Pete

Pray for your homosexual friends and minister to them. Invite them into the Body of Christ. Be patient with them. They are children of God who desperately need Jesus Christ in their hearts and in their lives. Stephen Bennett's is a powerful testimony and he is a powerful witness.

Please do not ostracize and shun them. Deal with them gently, with Christ's love. They are a mission field right in your very midst. They need to be shown that Christ's Body is a place they will be welcomed and loved and nurtured until Christ himself reveals their sin to them. The love and power of Jesus Christ can and will win their souls and rescue them from the Evil One.

But above all, pray for them.

I'll ignore the "studid" remark, because I don't want a flame war. Besides, I might have started it by using the term "scientific illiteracy."

If you look at my statement and yours, you wil see that they are not actually incompatible: note the difference between conclusively establishing X and providing evidence for X. And even if testimony could - and it cannot - establish the cause of homosexuality for a given individual, that testimony would not apply to another homosexual.

In response to somebody else, there are hardly any conditions that are %100 genetic. Almost all are a caused by combination of genetic and environmental or behavioral factors, e.g., a genetic predispostion for diabetes plus obesity may cause diabetes in an individual.
While this is not something I study, I'd be suprised to find any credible person claiming that a complex condition like homosexuality is %100 genetic.

Catholicism does NOT depend on the Bible for its teachings

What a nice insult for a Sunday morning. The scandals in teh Catholic church have to do with the failings of individuals, not the Faith. Blaming the Catholic Church for these problems would be like blaming Protestant beliefs for the many Protestant Faiths for all the swindlers, hucksters and false healers out there.

I am a staunch conservative BECAUSE of my devout Catholic beliefs. I oppose vile homosexuality because of what the bible says. I oppose abortion and promiscuity and all the other sins of modern society for the same reasons. Let's not turn this into a religious debate, other than to agree that the Bible says it's wrong.

How could anyone think that a good and loving God would let an innocent tiny helpless baby boy made in His own image be born a homo and then turn around and condemn him to an eternity of hell. That's like accusing God of masochism. I would rather be a heathen and curse the entire world than serve a God like that.

"I'd be suprised to find any credible person claiming that a complex condition like homosexuality is %100 genetic."

---

Homosexuals claim exactly that: that homosexuality is 100% genetic. But then they are not very credible, because there is zero real scientific evidence supporting their assertions.

I had the misfortune to be on a general message boards, which homosexuals were attempting to hijack to spread their agenda, so I learned more than I ever wanted to and did a lot of research. Even studies that were attempting to show genetic link couldn't.

The "they are born that way" argument is just an excuse, so homosexuals can avoid taking responsibility for their actions.

Actually with regards to twins - you're wrong.

There are plenty of studies -- and right now I'm too sleepy to find them -- where genetically identical twins, but only one has a disease.

I went to high school with a set of twins like this -- one had muscular dystrophy, the other did NOT. BUT the one who didn't had the gene to "have" it. But for some reason it didn't switch "on." There are geneticists out there who study this to see what makes the genes flip on -- cause if they could figure that out, you never know what they could cure or prevent.

And I'm sleepy so that's a rather half baked explanation. . .I'll look for sources/studies later.

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