That is the mission statement of an organization called "Cross Ministry," founded by an evangelist named Tim Wilkins. He tells a harrowing story of his childhood and a terrible home situation and details how his anger at his father led him to reject masculinity and embrace homosexuality.
After graduating from seminary, Wilkins talks about how he stayed celibate for years and was finally led to met a woman who he later married and now lives a happily heterosexual lifestyle. God bless him for opening himself up to the healing power of the Lord and emerging through the pain and heartbreak of his youth.
Now Wilkins, through his ministry, wants to deliver ALL homosexuals from their lifestyle, believing it is sinful back even when he was leading it himself. He means well.
What is they say about good intentions? Could Wilkins have mistaken deep psychological scaring as a young man for TRUE same-sex attraction, not being born with but developing it out of rebellion or escape or whatever his damaged psyche was processing? Could be, and there can be little doubt there are people out there with similar experiences that Cross Ministry could be of great benefit to.
There are many others, however, who are attracted to people of the same gender not because of psychological trauma but natural instincts. Cross Ministry is merely one of a growing number of "Ex-Gay" organizations that are trying to "free people from their homosexual desires." In other words, these ministries are determined to make a gay or lesbian person into someone who can totally subjicate their natural desires and follow the path that the ministry believes God wants them to. The blog "Ex-Gay Watch" covers this issues in great depth and is an excellent resource if you care to read more about this issue.
In one of the recent postings on the ministry's website, Wilkins writes about the arguement that Jesus did not directly address homosexuality, therefore he cannot be considered to have condenmed it. He correctly points out that, of course, not every word Jesus said was recorded, so maybe he did actually get around to speaking out about that lifestyle and those words just didn't make the cut in the Bible. That could very well be true, but Wilkins neglects the fact that Scriptures are inspired by the Holy Spirit, so if Jesus did speak about homosexuality, God determined it was not significant enough to include in the Bible. I'm content to trust God's judgement on that one.
Wilkins also says that, since Jesus spoke out about "child molestation, domestic abuse, or rape," then certainly he would have condemned homosexuality. Do people who make statements like this ever go back and realize how misguided they are? There is an enormous diference between the sins he lists and homosexuality--the sins are where someone forces their will upon another person. Homosexual acts are between two consenting adults, and I have seen monogomous, loving same-sex relationships flourish with God's blessings within our church.
I hope God will bless organizations like Cross Ministry as they reach people who are confused about their sexual identity and lead them to seek the Lord's guidance to resolve that question. For individuals who find out they are gay or lesbian, I pray that they are delivered from an "Ex-Gay" ministry without any lasting psychological damage.
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I just checked out Tim Wilkin's site. I note that at the end of his remarks about what Jesus did or did not say -- where apologetics comes into play to overcome the deficits in the Holy Spirit's guidance about what is in the gospels as we have them --, he says that one should say, "Well, one thing that Jesus does say is you must be born again."
ReplyDeleteYes, that is so true. Jesus also says you should turn the other cheek, that you should forgive seven times seventy times, that you should not refuse anything someone asks of you, that the Spirit blows where it will, that some religious leaders are hypocrites and even (if you want to go with Luke 14:26) to hate our parents.
To ignore the clear sayings of Jesus, to choose to interpret those that are uncomfortable to us and then to insist that we know the things that are nowhere recorded -- all this is not repsect for the Word of God but hubris of the worst kind.
As you say, though, God will no doubt use this ministry to do good for those people it can help. May God also protect from it those it would only harm.
I second what Damien said: May God also protect from it those it would only harm.
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you, I'm getting tired of these self-described "ex-gays" with their ministries. I have two suggestions for them. One, if they don't want to have homosex, then don't. And leave the rest of us who want to have homosex alone. I'd also suggest that they get an honest job--this "ministry" silliness is BS, a gig, a way to make money off the poor sap down the street.
ReplyDeleteI'll also tell you, that this silliness that their homosexuality is caused by a strained relationship with their fathers is also pure BS. That has been shown in numerous studies, and I'll merely cite you one:
Is Homosexuality Caused by Son-Father Estrangement?
http://hem.passagen.se/nicb/quinn.htm
The clear conclusion, is, no. Homosexuality is not caused by father-son estrangement.
I would not expect religionists in the US to recognize science. It it would be nice if they would just shut up lest they show their ignorance.
Quite frankly, I'm also getting tired of these self-described "ex-gays" with their "ministries" attacking my family. Which is what they are doing. If they have a family problem, they should deal with it themselves. My family, which was from Southern Baptist stock, had been nothing but supportive of me and my partner. These people with these "ministries" should consider getting honest jobs and leaving the rest of us alone.
--raj