Exodus: Live Out Loud

Man Sues Publishers Over Bible Verses

From CitizenLink:

A Michigan man is suing Zondervan Publishing and Thomas Nelson Publishing, claiming biblical references to homosexuality as a sin violate his constitutional rights and have caused him emotional pain and mental instability.

Bradley LaShawn Fowler, 39, is seeking $60 million from Zondervan and $10 million from Thomas Nelson, The Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press reported. He is representing himself in both claims.

Fowler claims the Bible has made him an outcast and contributed to physical discomfort and periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment."

"As frivolous as this case may sound, it's an indicator of where the homosexual agenda is headed," said Bruce Hausknecht, judicial analyst for Focus on the Family Action. "Ten years from now, this type of case won't be humorous at all; we'll see organizations like the ACLU dedicating resources to them because such 'language' will no longer be considered protected speech.

"Sweden, Canada and the U.K. are already prosecuting religious speech as 'hate' speech, as it relates to the biblical view of homosexuality."

Survey Shows Churches Split on Homosexuality

From OneNewsNow:

A new survey finds that Americans are split almost evenly over perceptions of homosexual behavior as either sinful or acceptable to God.

LifeWay Research, an arm of the Southern Baptist Convention, surveyed 1,201 adults in April to determine their attitudes about homosexuality. Forty-eight percent responded that homosexual behavior is sinful, but 45 percent said that it is not -- basically a statistical tie when the margin of error is taken into account.

Rev. Rob Schenck of Faith and Action in Washington, DC, says the U.S. needs a spiritual awakening as it moves in the direction of what he calls "a European-like secularism."

"... [This] is a spiritual problem that requires a spiritual solution," he continues. "But there is a little bit more to it than that because we see the problem in the church, as well as outside the church."

Read the whole article >>

Pro-Gay Censorship Law Crops Up in Colorado

From WorldNetDaily:

A new Colorado law is helping homosexual activists achieve their goal of forcing Christians to teach biblical condemnation of homosexuality only behind the closed doors of their sanctuaries.

The as-yet untested state law promotes sexual identity "perception" to the level of skin color under state discrimination laws.

Some opponents are calling it a "bona fide censorship law," and top analysts for Focus on the Family, the Christian publishing and broadcast powerhouse, are expressing concern over the "mischief" they expect to follow the signing by As WND reported, Ritter, a Democrat, struck gender-specific restrooms and locker rooms statewide when he signed the plan into law in May.

The law makes it illegal to deny a person access to public accommodations, including restrooms and locker rooms, based on gender identity or the "perception" of gender identity.

"Who would have believed that the Colorado state legislature and its governor would have made it fully legal for men to enter and use women's restrooms and locker-room facilities without notice or explanation?" said James Dobson, founder of Focus.

Read the whole article >>

Canadian Pastor Fined; Christians Banned from Voicing Biblical Opposition

From WorldNetDaily:

A Canadian tribunal ordered a Christian pastor to renounce his faith and never again express moral opposition to homosexuality, according to a new report.

In a decision dated May 30 in the penalty phase of the quasi-judicial proceedings run by the Alberta Human Rights Tribunal, evangelical pastor Stephen Boisson was banned from expressing his biblical perspective of homosexuality and ordered to pay $5,000 for "damages for pain and suffering" as well as apologize to the activist who complained of being hurt...

"In this case there is no specific individual who can be compensated as there is no direct victim who has come forward," [lawyer Lori G. Andreachuk] wrote.

However, that did not stop her from ordering the payment anyway.

And as for the future, she wrote:

"Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc. shall cease publishing in newspapers, by e-mail, on the radio, in public speeches, or on the Internet, in future, disparaging remarks about gays and homosexuals. Further, they shall not and are prohibited from making disparaging remarks in the future about … Lund or … Lund's witnesses relating to their involvement in this complaint. Further, all disparaging remarks versus homosexuals are directed to be removed from current Web sites and publications of Mr. Boissoin and The Concerned Christian Coalition Inc..."

Read the whole article >>

Brazilian Youth Conference Promotes "Diversity"

From LifeSite:

Brazil's first national "Youth Conference", held in the capital city of Brasilia in late April, concluded with a declaration in favour of the legalization of abortion and the creation of an educational system free of “homophobia”.

The 2,280 attendees were given preliminary materials published by the government and bearing the name of President Luiz Lula, which claimed that illegal abortions were causing maternal deaths and that women never die of legal abortions...

Participants were also given government materials that defended homosexuality... "to be homosexual (gay or lesbian), bisexual, transvestite or transsexual isn't an illness, isn't illegal, isn't wrong, and isn't an option.  It's an orientation like heterosexuality, that is to say, another way of living and expressing one's love."

Read the entire article >>

Randy Thomas on California's Gay Marriage Ruling

Exodus Executive Vice President Randy Thomas responds on his blog to the historic ruling by the California Supreme Court overturning a voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage:

Exodus has been on record as opposing the redefinition of marriage, the use of hate crimes legislation to suppress freedom of conscience and religious liberty as well as ENDA­, the corporate version of hate crimes. ENDA is another example of the state forcing a state sanctioned sexual morality at the expense of religious liberty.

Exodus has only been involved in these public policy battles for the past five years and while we have very strong beliefs, I think it is a mistake for Christians to believe that Joe Solomnese, a gay identified man in charge of the HRC (largest gay lobby in the world) wants to proverbially burn Christians at the stake.  While he has been dismissive of my life and testimony, I choose not to be dismissive of his because I once believed as he does.  My only desire was to live in a homosexual relationship.

Read Randy's blog post >>

Megachurches Begin to Respond

From The Christian Post:

Jay Bakker, a big supporter of a pro-gay group, met privately with Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church to talk about faith and sexuality issues and to ultimately gain the support of the megapastor.

Son of Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, Jay and a group of gays and lesbians attended one of Lakewood Church's Sunday worship services in an effort to change the influential pastor's view on gays and lesbians. At the end, Osteen did not affirm homosexuality.

It was the first of six megachurch stops in a pro-gay campaign called The American Family Outing – a collaboration between Soulforce, COLAGE, National Black Justice Coalition, and the Universal Fellowship of Metropolitan Community Churches. Some 30 LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) persons and supporters took their national campaign to the country's largest church on Mother's Day to create dialogue around LGBT issues with members of the megachurch.

Read the entire article >>

Gay Activists Visit Mega-Churches

From CitizenLink:

They call it The American Family Outing: Families from across the country travel to six mega-churches to "create meaningful conversations" about faith and homosexuality.

The gay-activist group Soulforce kicked off its six-week initiative with a stop at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church on Mother's Day; the effort wraps up on Father's Day. Osteen declined an invitation to meet with Soulforce.

Jeff Buchanan, director of church equipping at Exodus International, said each church needs to assess whether a meeting would be helpful.

"I would be completely open to having a meaningful conversation, if both parties were humbly submitted in that conversation," he said. "I would not enter into a conversation if I knew there was not a sincere openness to the truth."

One of the goals of the initiative, according to Soulforce, is to enlist churches in the battle to end "the physical and spiritual violence perpetuated by some religious voices against LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered) people and their families."

Buchanan said he is concerned by the stereotype that all churches are party to that violence.

He recommended churches — and all Christians — embrace the issue "with compassion, not compromise."

Read the entire article >>

UK Amendment Retains Protections of Free Speech... Just Barely

From LifeSite:

MPs at Westminster voted on Tuesday night to remove protections for freedom of speech from a "hate crimes" bill, but a vote in the House of Lords retained the wording. In a vote of 338 to 136, the House of Commons agreed with homosexual activists who wanted wording removed that would have allowed Christians and others who objected to homosexual behaviour to preach Christian sexual morality in public without fear of prosecution.

Peers in the House of Lords, however, voted today to retain an amendment that allows religious people to claim freedom of religious expression when charged with "inciting hatred". The House of Commons was forced to let the wording remain in the bill due to time constraints.

The amendment says, "For the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred."

Read the entire article >>

UK Couple Wins Back Right to Foster

From the Telegraph:

A couple who were rejected as foster parents after they refused to condone homosexuality have won their battle to apply to be carers.

Derby city council blocked an application from Eunice and Owen Johns to   provide respite care for under-10s after they admitted they could never tell   a child that being homosexual was acceptable.

However, the authority has backed down after the Johns, both devout   Christians, threatened to seek a judicial review.

The couple, who have four grown-up children of their own, were celebrating on   Sunday after learning by letter that they can resume the application process.

Read the entire article >>

Judge Rules Georgia Tech's "Safe Space" Program May Not Label Faiths "Anti-Gay"

From Southern Voice:

Georgia Tech’s Safe Space initiative, a faculty training program funded by student activity fees, cannot include information in its training materials and website that labels certain religions in a negative context because of their views on homosexuality, a federal judge ruled last week.

Ruling in a lawsuit filed by two Georgia Tech students in 2006, U.S. District Judge J. Owen Forrester said, “It is puzzling to the court that the promotion of tolerance would take the appearance of such intolerance as is contained in the religious materials distributed with the Safe Space program.”

“The handouts [included in Safe Space training] clearly take the position that churches that condemn homosexuality do so on theologically flawed grounds,” Forrester wrote April 29.

Characterizing some religions as welcoming of homosexuals while labeling others as “anti-gay” represents a “clear preference of one religion over another” and violates the First Amendment prohibition against the establishment of a religion, Forrester ruled.

Read the entire article >>

University of Toledo Disciplines Administrator for Being Critical of Homosexuality

From CNA:

An administrator at the University of Toledo has been placed on paid administrative leave after writing a column in a local paper that argued against including homosexuals as “civil rights victims” and characterized homosexuality as a lifestyle choice.   

Crystal Dixon, associate vice president of human resources at the state-run University of Toledo, wrote a column for the Toledo Free Press in response to an April 4 column by the paper’s Editor-in-Chief Michael S. Miller.  Miller argued that Ohio is behind in “gay rights” and also criticized the University of Toledo’s lack of health care benefits for some domestic partnerships.

Dixon, who did not identify herself as a university administrator, argued in an April 18 column that those “choosing the homosexual lifestyle” should not be considered “civil rights victims.”  She said that while she cannot change her identity as a black woman, “thousands of homosexuals make a life decision to leave the gay lifestyle.”  Dixon referenced prominent individuals who had renounced their behavior, sometimes because of “a realization that their choice of same-sex practices wreaked havoc in their psychological and physical lives.”

Read the whole article >>

Demonstrators Harass Christian Youth in Germany

From The Local:

A traditional Christian youth festival in Germany faced unprecedented disruptions by leftists who hacked the gathering's website, interrupted speeches and threw beer bottles at visitors, organizers said on Tuesday.

Christival, a periodical gathering of Protestant Christian youth in Germany founded in 1976, was meant to be a chance for likeminded young people to meet up and celebrate their faith.

But thousands of attendees at this year’s festival in the northern city of Bremen found themselves under siege by leftist extremists determined to protest what they saw as Christian intolerance to homosexuality and abortion.

“There have never been disruptions of this kind in the entire history of the event,” Christival spokesman Steve Volke told The Local on Tuesday. “They tried to storm the festival area. They threw beer bottles at participants. The whole five days of the festival there was always something happening.”

...“The mood was stirred up beforehand that it was a festival against homosexuality and abortion,” said Volke. “But it was two seminars out of 230 – and complete nonsense to call it a fundamentalist Christian youth gathering.”

Read the whole article >>

Grace and Gay Men

Randy Thomas in Boundless:

AIDS as a social issue has been used to scare people. And it should. Over the past 20-plus years there have been valiant efforts to humanize the AIDS issue with regard to African American community, drug abusers and orphans in Uganda. The thing is, when it comes to gay identified males ... the corporate Church has been estranged and reluctant.

As the AIDS pandemic first hit, we in the Body of Christ missed an opportunity to express God's servant heart and grace. In this redemptive void, a few stepped forward to stigmatize homosexual men. Even today, the overarching consistent message coming from the Christian community has been one of stigmatization and warning.

Certainly, it's very appropriate to educate and "warn" about the dangers of sexual relationships outside of a biblical sexual ethic. But I did not and do not think it is appropriate to stigmatize a large group of men whom the Lord loves, dismissing them as unworthy of our love.

Read the whole article >>

Methodists Reject Changes to Gay Stance--Oppose Homophobia

From The Christian Post:

After a lengthy debate, United Methodists voted Wednesday to reject changes to its constitution that would have liberalized the church's stance on homosexuality.

Delegates to the 2008 General Conference, the denomination's highest governing body, voted against a proposed "majority report" which would have acknowledged that members of the United Methodist Church "deeply disagree with one another" on the issue of homosexuality.

Such an acknowledgment would have been a "mature way forward" and "an honest, yet humble approach to how we are to view one another," said Frederick Brewington, a layman in the New York Annual (regional) Conference, according to the United Methodist News Service.

"We can make the determination to move forward, and stop the hurt," he told delegates during a long and emotional debate, urging change to the church's policy to end more than 35 years of struggle over the issue.

The petition for changes would have also deleted the current statement in UMC's Book of Discipline that describes homosexual practice as "incompatible with Christian teaching" and bans noncelibate gay pastors.

However, the Rev. Eddie Fox argued that any United Methodist statement on human sexuality needs to be "clear, concise and faithful to biblical teaching."

Read the whole article >>

Hundreds Protest Methodist Conference

From Dallas Morning News:

About 300 people took the floor of the United Methodist Church's General Conference Thursday morning, protesting the denomination's persistence in saying the practice of homosexuality is "incompatible" with Christian teaching.

Legislative action at the Fort Worth Convention Center was stopped for 15 minutes to allow the demonstration, which included singing of the spiritual "Were You There (When They Crucified My Lord)?"

The action went peacefully. At the General Conference eight years ago in Cleveland, about 200 gay-rights supporters were arrested.

Still, progressives were clearly disappointed that efforts to change the church's stance on homosexuality failed Wednesday in voting by General Conference delegates.

Read the entire article >>

Gay-Identified Bishop Refuses to "Lend Credibility" to Symposium

From Warren Throckmorton:

Today, the Washington Blade reported that Bishop Gene Robinson backed out of his scheduled presentation at the American Psychiatric Association conference. He was scheduled to present about “A Pastoral Approach for Gay & Lesbian People Troubled by Homosexuality.”

Bishop Robinson provided the following explanation:

“Conservatives, particularly Focus on the Family, were going to use this event to draw credibility to the so-called reparative therapy movement,” Robinson told the Blade. “It became clear to me in the last couple of weeks that just my showing up and letting this event happen … lends credibility to that so-called therapy.”

This is quite troubling and not at all accurate. Since no one on the panel planned to speak about reparative therapy, it is clear to me that the Bishop was misinformed. The symposium was approved by the APA in October of 2007 and nothing has changed in the descriptions, personnel or intent of the symposium since then. The meeting is not going to endorse reparative approaches, or advocate for any change in APA policy.

Austrialian Churches Rights in Question

From the Sydney Star Observer:

Christian organisations in all states and territories may have lost the right to discriminate against gay people despite religious exemptions in anti-discrimination laws, legal experts claimed this week following a landmark ruling against the Uniting Church’s Wesley Mission.

Homosexuality as an intolerable sin was not a doctrine of Christianity, the NSW Administrative Decisions Tribunal ruled last month, because there were many dissenting views on the subject among Christian groups generally, and specifically within the Uniting Church.

As long as gay-friendly congregations like Metropolitan Community Church exist, this ruling means Christian organisations don’t have a license to legally discriminate against gays, Brisbane lawyer Stephen Page said.

“Religious exemptions are worded almost identically across all state and territory anti-discrimination laws, so I’d expect other commissions to start citing this case,“ Page told SSO.

“Christian religious schools in the ACT, NSW, Victoria, SA and WA would not be able to use religion as the reason that gay and lesbian students can be prevented from bringing their partners to the school formal.“

The Tribunal rejected the welfare agency’s right to refuse a gay couple seeking to become foster parents as the laws only allowed exemptions for religions, and there was no “religion of Uniting Church”.

Read the whole article >>

UMC Hopes for Unity at Conference

From Dallas Morning News:

For more than 30 years, the United Methodist Church has been trying to show that a denomination divided against itself on homosexuality can still stand.

The latest test begins today in Fort Worth.

Nearly 1,000 lay and clergy delegates – mainly from the U.S., but with a strong African contingent – will gather at the Convention Center for a General Conference, a term that covers the denomination's top legislative body and the body's quadrennial meeting.

This epic exercise in church democracy lasts nine days, during which about 1,600 proposed resolutions and changes to church law and policy – everything from revising the denomination's hymnal to boycotting companies with questionable labor practices – will at least get looked at by a committee.

And there will almost certainly be another round of heated debate and contentious votes over whether the UMC should change its official position that homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching and withdraw its ban on noncelibate gay pastors.

Recent General Conferences have seen protests by gay-rights supporters. Eight years ago in Cleveland, some 200 demonstrators, including two bishops, were arrested for disrupting proceedings.

Read the whole article >>

Psychiatrists: Let's Talk About Homosexuality

From CitizenLink:

Two social conservatives will share the stage with two pro-homosexual speakers in a notable attempt at a “balanced discussion” sponsored by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).

The pro-homosexual speakers — Bishop Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual Episcopalian in New Hampshire, and Dr. David Scasta, past president of the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists — will seek “common ground and new perspectives” with two conservatives: the Rev. Albert Mohler, president of South Baptist Theological Seminary and a member of the Focus on the Family board of directors; and Dr. Warren Throckmorton, associate professor of psychology at Grove City College.

“The symposium acknowledges the role of religious belief as a core variable in the development of sexual identity,” Throckmorton told CitizenLink. “To my knowledge, this meeting, distinguished by diversity of religious viewpoints, is unprecedented at APA.”

The symposium is scheduled for 2 to 5 p.m. EDT, on Monday, May 5, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C.

Read the whole article >>

Alan Chambers in New Man Magazine

New Man: You struggled with same-sex attraction yourself. Did that experience lead you to the ministry you’re in today?

 

Alan Chambers: Definitely. When I was growing up the only thing you ever heard about from the Bible regarding homosexuals was that they don’t inherit the kingdom of God. That’s the one thing that rings in my head from childhood. So when I found out that there was a local Exodus ministry, that there was help for people like me, I jumped at it.

 

New Man: So years later you have come back to be the president of Exodus?

 

Chambers: Yes, I’m the president of Exodus. Really from the time I was 18 until now—I’m 36—I’ve never left the ministry. I started out as someone who was participating and someone who needed help and then I was a volunteer, than on staff at a local ministry and worked through the ranks and to where I am now.

 

New Man: Your ministry is inherently controversial. You have been interviewed by a number of news outlets and you’re unapologetic about trying to change homosexuals. What is your response to someone who says, “They can’t change”?

 

Chambers: Well my first response is that we don’t change people. I want to be very clear about that. We are people who simply point to the truth and Scripture, to the truth of our testimonies and to the grace of a God who promises He’ll free anyone who submits his will to His Lordship. It will be different for different people. I know a lot of people that didn’t experience a change in their feelings. They didn’t experience the same freedom I did, which is sometimes hard to understand.

Read the whole interview >>

South FL High School Doesn't Have to Allow GSA on Campus

Okeechobiee, FL:

Okeechobee High School no longer needs to allow the Gay-Straight Alliance to meet on campus while the club’s lawsuit is pending, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Recent court filings in the federal case have revealed the club no longer has any more members at the school and a judge recently agreed to take the club’s name off the lawsuit. The suit still continues in the name of former president Yasmin Gonzalez, though the school district is trying to have her removed from the case because she already graduated.

The American Civil Liberties Union filed the suit on behalf of Gonzalez and the club in November 2006 under the Equal Access Act, saying their rights were violated by not allowing them to meet on campus. The school district has argued the school’s principal had the authority to ban the club because it conflicted with the school’s abstinence-only teaching policy and also raised concerns about sexual discussions occurring at club meetings.

Read the whole article >>

APA: No Consensus on Cause of Homosexuality

From CitizenLink:

Group gives credence to the view that both nature and nurture are involved.

The American Psychological Association (APA) may be shifting from its view that homosexuality is inborn. The group now says both nature and nurture are involved, and clients have a right to self-determination.

In a new brochure, the APA concedes that there is no scientific consensus on what causes same-sex attraction.

“They are starting to have the integrity of reporting accurately about the condition of homosexuality," said Randy Thomas, executive vice president of Exodus International. "We find this to be a very exciting move and hope that it indicates future movement toward recognizing that people can and do overcome homosexuality.” 

Glenn Stanton, director of global family formation studies at Focus on the Family, said the brochure has an activist bent, but he sees a ray of hope.

“This doesn’t mean that we’ve completely succeeded in all the things that we’ve wanted to," he said, "but it’s a move in the direction that we’ve wanted them to move in, and I think that’s very positive news.”

Homosexuals Appose Evangelical Youth Event

From Journal Chretien:

A public row concerning an evangelical youth festival and homosexuality has developed in Germany. The federal Parliament, the Bundestag in Berlin, has discussed the subject twice during question time.

Approximately 20,000 young people are expected to attend Christival in Bremen, April 30 – May 4. One of numerous seminars and workshops was supposed to deal with the subject of a change of sexual orientation for homosexuals who are disenchanted with their lifestyle.

But Volker Beck, Parliamentary whip of the Greens in the Bundestag and a practicing homosexual, took offense. He regards “therapy” for homosexuals as “dangerous charlatanism”.

Read the whole article >>

Exodus Representatives Participate in Documentary Screening

"For the Bible Tells Me So," a documentary about Christian families who were faced with a homosexual child, and ultimately grew to embrace their homosexuality, was presented at an open screening at Stetson University last week. The screening was followed by a discussion panel featuring the film's director, Daniel Karslake. Among the other panelists were Mike Ensley of Exodus Youth and Dr. Julie Hamilton, a professional counselor affiliated with Exodus.

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal Online:

Overall, the movie won praise from both the conservative and liberal panel members.

"I loved that the core of it was families' stories," said Mike Ensley, a counselor with Exodus Ministries, which helps youth wanting to overcome homosexuality.

The documentary focuses on five Christian families coming to terms with a gay son or daughter. Just released on DVD, it's becoming a popular movie for church screenings, said filmmaker Daniel Karslake...

...Dissenting about some of the movie's science was Julie Harren Hamilton, a Palm Beach psychologist and president-elect of the National Association for the Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, which helps clients change their sexual orientation.

She disputed the suggestion that homosexuality is simply genetic, arguing that the causes are more complicated.

Karslake, the filmmaker, defended his research but agreed with Hamilton that everyone should study the issues for themselves and draw their own conclusions.

Meet an Exodus Ministry

Like many of Exodus' local Member Ministries, New Creation Ministries in Fresno, California serves people struggling with a broad range of sexual issues, not just homosexuality. Here's an excerpt from the most recent monthly letter from NCM's Director, Russell Willingham:

People come here at every stage of their healing journey. Some are brand new and terrified. Others have been in recovery for awhile but experience a huge breakthrough. Still others are in a place of spiritual and relational health for the first time in their lives and praising God for it...

"William" has been here for a year. Raised in a violent, alcoholic home he experienced things that no boy should ever see. It taught him not to trust anyone or ever let them in. In his loneliness he turned to any woman who would have him (being attractive and likable enabled him to have many such women). A few years ago he came to Christ and eventually came to NCM for help with his sexual sin and brokenness.

William devours his Bible and has a thirst for God bust has never really felt God's personal love for him... Being in counseling and group has helped but the biggest breakthroughs have come through worship. During the regular worship times in our weekly groups he has felt the Lord draw nearer and nearer. William beams now as he shares about God's love for him...

I don't have time to tell you about "Nancy" who has struggled since childhood with lesbianism and a hatred for her body--who is now in love and letting a man into her heart for the first time; or "Eric," the Mormon elder and life-long sex addict who is finding answers that years of therapy and church involvement never gave him.

These are the kinds of people you enable us to help through your giving and praying...

The real ministry of Exodus International takes place at the local level through our many affiliates who support, encourage and challenge the struggling individuals and families who come to them for help. Please prayerfully consider finding the Exodus affiliate in your area and asking the Lord if and how he would like you to support their vital work.

Russell Willingham has also written two outstanding books, Breaking Free and Relational Masks, both of which are available at the Exodus Bookstore.

UK Couple Told they are "Unsuitable" Foster Parents

From Daily Mail:

They are devoted foster parents with an unblemished record of caring for almost 20 vulnerable children.

But Eunice and Owen Johns have been forced to abandon their good work because they refuse to tell children as young as ten that homosexuality is an acceptable lifestyle.

To do so, they say, would go against their Christian beliefs.

The devastated couple withdrew an application to their council to continue as foster carers after being told they must condone homosexuality to adhere to gay rights laws.

Read the whole article >>

Touch the Sexual Sinner

Mike Ensley wrote this new article for Boundless:

Nobody needs to be told about the startling statistics regarding youth and sexuality. A rant about how the media and entertainment industry push the envelope would just be stating the obvious to anyone with ears to listen.

What gets me ranting is the Church's response; all too often living in the definition of insanity in regards to responding to the crisis of our culture. Despite its monumental failure to accomplish anything in the way of personal transformation, too many Christians — worse, those in ministry — seem bent on responding with our most ineffective asset: religion.

Read the entire article >>

Ted Haggard Ends 'Restoration' Process

From Charisma Magazine:

The council appointed to administer fallen pastor Ted Haggard’s process of “spiritual restoration” has agreed to his request to end their oversight reports the Rocky Mountain News.

 

Despite this, members of the New Life Church team contest that “the process of restoring Ted Haggard is incomplete and [New Life] maintains its original stance that he should not return to vocational ministry.”

 

Haggard, who was fired in November 2006 as pastor of the church he founded amidst a sex and drug scandal, will reportedly maintain what New Life described as an “accountability relationship” with Phoenix First Assembly of God pastor Tommy Barnett.

 

According to the Rocky Mountain News, Barnett pastors the church Haggard now attends and was a member of the council helping to restore him. 

 

Fox News reports that Haggard’s “spiritual restoration” process was expected to last at least another four years.

Christian Students May be Leaving CA Schools in Droves

From The Conservative Voice:

A broad coalition of Christian grassroots organizations have joined forces to call for California families and churches to rescue their children from California's public schools. 600,000 students may leave the California schools this year alone through their efforts. The growing coalition includes Eagle Forum, the Campaign for Children and Families, Exodus Mandate, and ten more sponsors, five of which are based in California. These organizations will be providing information to California parents and pastors concerning the new school legislation, how it mainstreams sexual deviancy, and what they can do about it. (Christiannewswire)

What SB 777 Means for Your Children With the passage of SB 777, homosexual activists now have state approval and a wide open door to promote their corrupting agenda.  SB 777 forces schoolchildren to support all aspects of transexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality, mandating changes to all textbooks, instructional materials, and school activities.

Read the entire article >>

**NOTE** Exodus Mandate has no affiliation with Exodus International.

Canadian Teacher May Lose License

From LifeSite:

The last half a decade has not been easy on B.C. teacher, Chris Kempling.

In 2003 the soft-spoken educator was cited by the College of Teachers for professional misconduct, after he wrote in to a local newspaper outlining Christian teachings on homosexuality. After a hearing on the matter, Kempling was found guilty of the charges, and his teaching license was suspended for a month.

Kempling appealed that decision in the Canadian court system, all the way to the Supreme Court of Canada. In the process he spent "well over" a hundred-thousand dollars in legal fees, he says. In the end, the Supreme Court denied his appeal.

Read the entire article >>

Maryland Judge Blesses Pro-Gay Curriculum

School Board Member: "To the other side, I say get out of town, shut up..."

From WorldNetDaily:

A member of the school board in Montgomery County, Md., which has been working for years to overcome obstacles to its program that teaches students homosexuality is innate, has told members of a group objecting to the lessons to go away.

"To the other side, I say get out of town, shut up, quit costing Montgomery County taxpayers money for litigation, and we're right and parents believe we're right," board member Pat O'Neill said in a report in the Portland, Ore., Examiner.

Her demands followed a ruling from Maryland Circuit Court Judge William J. Rowan III that it is permissible for the district to teach students in Montgomery County how to use condoms during anal and oral sex, as well as that homosexuality is inborn, even though just a year ago Maryland's highest appellate court found there is no scientific basis for such a conclusion.

Read the entire article >>

GSA Clubs and Social Activism

From CitizenLink:

The Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA) is doing its best to make sure high schools use next week — the so-called Freedom to Marry Week — to rally support among students for same-sex "marriage." Schools are encouraged to feature mock weddings, guest speakers, teach-ins and a movie night with gay-themed films.

Randy Thomas, executive vice president with Exodus International, said the agenda is clear.

“GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network) and GSA groups are all about indoctrinating our young people to a gay worldview," he told Family News in Focus. "And now they’re not settling for just indoctrinating young people, they’re trying to turn them into activists.”

Hat tip: Randy Thomas

'Liberation:' Exodus in WORLD Magazine

From WORLD:

A couple of days ago, Tony Woodlief’s WoW post, “Anti-homosexual Christianity,” stirred quite a conversation. Tony looked at a piece of the book UnChristian, whose authors observe of the church that “outsiders say our hostility toward gays - not just opposition to homosexual politics and behaviors but disdain for gay individuals - has become virtually synonymous with the Christian faith.”

The post interested me greatly because I spent quite a bit of time this week talking with former homosexuals, and with Catholic, Jewish, evangelical, and secular counselors and psychologists who help people walk away from unwanted same-sex attraction. Two trends emerged:

First, it appears that the cultural liberation of homosexuality is also liberating those seeking to escape it.

Second, the cultural mainstreaming of homosexuality is awakening some churches to more compassionate ways of dealing with homosexuality — without endorsing the behavior.

Read the whole article >>

NEA Demands 'Acceptance,' Not 'Tolerance'

From Renew America:

"That NEA advocates for the inclusion of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender issues in the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education teacher education program review process."

That was recommended at the NEA meeting in Orlando. That means that the NEA "recommends that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender issues be required content for teacher credentialing," according to AFA Action Alert.

... In addition, the NEA took out the term "tolerance" regarding homosexuality and supplied "acceptance and respect" concerning such alliances. "The author of New Business Item 52 used this rationale: 'We should teach acceptance and respect, not tolerance, of those who are different from us wherever appropriate.'"

What is particularly frightening in the light of teachers molesting students today is that NEA would not pass an amendment setting forth protection of pupils from "sexual misconduct by teachers."

"The amendment read 'To protect the rights of all students, the Association believes sexual contact between education professionals and minor students is unacceptable.' The NEA refused to pass the amendment.

Read the entire article >>

"A New Day" - the 2008 Exodus International Freedom Conference

Join hundreds of other men, women, families, ministers and youth as we fellowship together in Asheville, North Carolina at this year's International Freedom Conference. Click here for more information.

Sex-Ed Dispute Aired in Court

From WashingtonPost.com:

A six-year battle over the content of a new sex education curriculum in Montgomery County schools came down to two questions posed yesterday in a Rockville courtroom: Can the school board legally teach students that homosexuality is innate? And can the lessons discuss sex acts other than copulation?

Montgomery educators are defending the new curriculum, approved by the school board last summer, which addresses sexual orientation as a classroom topic for the first time. The lessons place the county at the fore of a trend among some of the nation's public schools toward more candor in discussing homosexuality. But they have prompted a strenuous challenge from religious conservatives who see the curriculum as a one-sided endorsement of homosexuality.

Read the whole article >>

Teen-Targeted Books Promote Alcohol, Drugs and Sexual Experimentation

From WorldNetDaily:

Publishers Weekly calls it "A nasty, guilty pleasure." So what is this book filled with shocking profanity, characters guzzling alcohol and smoking cigarettes throughout, taking illegal drugs, glorifying hedonism and selfishness, and where sex (including homosexuality) is always on their minds? Is this book and others like it tucked away at an "adult bookstore"? No, it is a novel from the No. 1 best-selling series titled "Gossip Girl," and it is probably at your local library and bookstore in the teen section. Teen People magazine dubs these books "'Sex and the City' for the younger set."

Read the whole article >>

In addition, groups that promote homosexuality to youth also offer dangerous influence through reading materials. GLSEN (the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network), which is the group behind the Gay-Straight Alliance club network, promotes a list of gay-affirming reading materials for students. Here are some of the selections they suggest for 7th to 12th grade readers.

Revolutionary Voices by Amy Sonnie is comprised of interviews with LGBT-identified youth from around the globe. One of the individuals showcased describes “his journey into sex work as a way of uplifting his self esteem.” The interview talks about how “doing sex work in drag” and sadomasochism can be “empowering” experiences.

Free Your Mind by Ellen Bass and Kate Kaufman is a guide-to-life for youth who think they may be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. In truth, this book is full of deceptive, dangerous advice. Teens are encouraged to find “meaningful” new “relationships” via gay and lesbian chat rooms on the internet. The book also greatly overstates the protection offered by condoms, and lists “bathing together” and mutual masturbation as “safe” sexual practices.

Find out what books are available to teens in your public schools and libraries. If the only books addressing these topics are like the ones listed above, consider donating books from the Exodus Bookstore, so they will be available to questioning teens who go browsing in the libraries for answers.

Boy Scouts to be Evicted -- Unless they Renounce Policy on Homosexuality

From LifeSite:

The Philadelphia council of the Boy Scouts of America will lose the lease on its historic premises for its refusal to bow to pressure from the homosexual lobby to accept homosexual members and leaders. The city has told the Scouts they will be evicted if they cannot come up with US $200,000 a year "market value" rent for the land on which their building sits. Until now, the Scouts had paid a nominal $1 per year lease fee although the youth organisation had originally owned the premises in 1929.

The famous Beaux Arts style building was built and paid for by the Scouts, and turned over to the city with the understanding that the Scouts would be allowed to remain in it rent-free "in perpetuity."

City solicitor Romulo L. Diaz Jr. gave Philadelphia's "Cradle of Liberty Council" of the Scouts until Monday this week to renounce their policy.

Read the whole article >>

APA: Don't Ban Ex-Gay Support

From LifeSite:

Debbie Thurman was shocked when she was told by homosexual activists that, as she defined herself as a former sufferer of same-sex attraction disorder, she could not possibly exist. In a very personal self-disclosure, Thurman has written urging the American Psychiatric Association (APA) not to carry out its threat to ban therapy intended to correct the underlying psychological causes of homosexuality.

Thurman writes that "gay activists" tried to deny her own experience of having overcome same-sex attraction, so entrenched is the doctrine of "sexual orientation" as an indelible characteristic.

Read the article >>

Bible/Homosexuality Film Stirs Debate

From Baptist Press:

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Few issues are as controversial as the Bible and homosexuality, and a new documentary on that subject is receiving thumbs down from orthodox Christians -- and garnering its own controversy in the process.

"For the Bible Tells Me So" is a 90-minute, one-sided film focusing on five families who profess to be Christians and who have a homosexual family member. For the most part the families' stories reflect the documentary's message: The Bible has been misinterpreted over the centuries and homosexuality is not a sin.

"There's nothing wrong with a fifth-grade understanding of God, as long as you're in the fifth grade," one liberal pastor says in the movie.

Director Daniel Karslake and his film crew interviewed such notables as former Democratic House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt -- who is promoting the film and who has a lesbian daughter -- and Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual Episcopal bishop. Not surprisingly, the documentary throws in a few scenes showing Fred Phelps' infamous church of "God Hates Fags" fame, picketing.

It has won a handful of awards, including the Audience Winner for best documentary at the Seattle International Film Festival, and it has the backing of the homosexual group Soulforce, which promotes so-called "pro-gay" interpretations of Scripture and which has posted the trailer on its website. The film is not being distributed widely, but media critics nonetheless are raving about it and essentially urging readers to support it. That has become part of the controversy, too.

The Seattle Times' Moira Macdonald called it an "inspiring" film about "acceptance" that "may well leave you blinking away a few tears." The documentary, she said in her Oct. 26 review, shows clergy and religious scholars "calmly rebutting literalist interpretations of Scripture."

Not to be outdone, The Tennessean's Bill Friskics-Warren wrote a 1,400-word review of the movie for page one of the Nov. 18 Issues section, asserting that "nowhere ... does the Bible say anything, much less condemn, loving and committed partnerships between same-sex adults." Scholars, he argued, "tell us that these passages have nothing to do with sexual orientation as we've come to understand it." Friskics-Warren even listed a few Bible verses he said are misinterpreted.

"The use of Scripture to justify discrimination began long before the current dispute about what the Bible does or doesn't say about homosexuality," he wrote.

Both reviews included information on when and where to watch the film.

The Tennessean's one-sided review received so much reaction that a week later it published three columns by Christians from the opposing viewpoint.

"While there may be a few idiots like Fred Phelps among us, most Christians oppose homosexuality with a degree of humility," wrote Kevin Shrum, pastor of Inglewood Baptist Church in Nashville. "... Someone asked me one time, 'Pastor, what would you do if you had a homosexual family member?' My answer is that I do. And when I see her, I hug her, love her, pray for her, talk to her, laugh with her, listen to her and long to see her 'come out' of a lifestyle that appears to be miserable, abnormal and destructive."

Read the rest of the article >>

UK Foster Parents Win Right to Live their Beliefs

From Times Online:

Andrea Williams of Christian Concern For Our Nation said: “This is a significant step forward for Christian freedoms in that the Council has agreed not to force Mr and Mrs Matherick to act against their Christian beliefs. This should be of enormous encouragement to all Christians who want to take up the important role of caring for vulnerable children.”

Read the article >>

GSA Network Board Member Resigns Amid Pornography Allegations

From Family News in Focus:

by Steve Jordahl

Peter Robertson resigned from the board of GSA Network, California’s largest organizer of school clubs that support gay teens, when it was discovered that he is also a pornographer. It appears he recruited young subjects during his tenure.

Mike Ensley was 17 and living in the gay lifestyle when Robertson asked him to pose nude.

“He identified himself as a photographer and just introduced himself as a friend, basically, and told me what he did and expressed interest in taking photographs.”

When Ensley said he was underage, Robertson asked him to call when he turned 18. Ensley has come out of the gay lifestyle and now works for Exodus International. He was astonished to see Roberson’s name on the Board of GSA Network.

Read the whole article >>

UK Christians Forced Out of Foster Care by Gay Agenda

From LifeSite:

By Hilary White
CHARD, UK, October 24, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A Christian couple in Somerset, UK, have been told by child services that they would be required to take teenaged foster children to homosexual support groups and teach the children placed in their care that homosexuality is normal. When the couple told officials at social services that it would violate their conscience to do so, the eleven year-old boy who had been placed with them was removed.

Somerset Council officials cited the recently passed Sexual Orientation Regulations when they decided that people who open their homes to children in need, must also discuss same-sex relationships and promote homosexuality as normal and “equal”.

Vincent and Pauline Matherick have looked after twenty-eight children since 2001 with an untarnished record as care givers. When the couple first started fostering, they took in young single mothers and their babies, but have recently had mostly primary school aged children. They told the Daily Telegraph that officials with the Somerset Council had told them that if a child in their care showed signs of interest in homosexuality, they would be expected to encourage them by taking them to a homosexual support group.

Vincent Matherick, a minister at the South Chard Christian Church and a primary school governor, told the Telegraph, “They were saying that we had to be prepared to talk about sexuality with 11 year-olds, which I don’t think is appropriate anyway...

Read the article >>

Schwarzeneggar Signs Pro-Homosexual Bills

From LifeSite:

California Governor Schwarzenegger Veto of Gay "Marriage" Made Meaningless by Other Bills

SACRAMENTO, October 15, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - While most media coverage has been devoted to Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's veto of homosexual 'marriage', he has in fact nullified his own veto giving all the rights of marriage to other unions.  His opposition to the bill redefining marriage was based on the passage of Proposition 22 a referendum in 2000 which protected the traditional definition of marriage.

On Friday Gov. Schwarzenegger signed AB 102, which awards married names to unmarried couples. AB 102 allows homosexual couples to hold themselves out as married by permitting them to choose the same surname upon registration of their "domestic partnership." The bill awards unmarried couples married last names, such as "Mr. and Mr. Smith" and "Mrs. and Mrs. Jones."

"Schwarzenegger and the Democrat politicians have created the public image of homosexual 'marriages' in California," said Randy Thomasson, president of Campaign for Children and Families (CCF), in response to the signing of AB 102. "It's hypocritical for Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto homosexual 'marriage' licenses and at the very same time aggressively promote the public image of gay and lesbian 'marriages' in every community for every child to see."

In addition, Schwarzenegger signed AB 14, which requires more California businesses, as well as some churches and nonprofit organizations, to support and promote transsexuality, bisexuality, and homosexuality.

AB 14 prohibits state funding for any program that does not support transsexuality, bisexuality, or homosexuality. This means state-funded social services operated by churches and other houses of faith, which provide essential services to children and adults, could dry up.

Read the whole article >>

How Will You Respond to Homosexuality?

by Alan Chambers

One night while she was co-hosting The 700 Club, Sheila Walsh felt led to pray for homosexuals. Honoring the Holy Spirit’s prompting, she thanked God for His love for homosexuals and His desire for a relationship with them. She then invited all homosexual viewers to pray with her for salvation. When Sheila finished praying she encouraged those who had prayed with her to go to a church in their area, tell the pastor that they had asked Jesus into their heart, and say, “Sheila Walsh sent me.”

Sheila later received a letter from a gay man who had been watching the broadcast. He had asked Jesus into his heart, gone to a local church, met with the pastor, shared that he was gay and about the broadcast he saw. The pastor responded, “We don’t have room for fags in this church.” In his letter, the man shared that he was grateful to her, but that being a part of “The Church” was just not possible.

Read the rest of Alan's article for the Ethic's and Religious Liberty Commission >>

British Christians will not be Prosecuted for their Beliefs, Judge Rules

From LifeSite:

The homosexual political movement in Britain was dealt a rare setback this week as a Northern Irish court ruled to curb some parts of notorious regulations. The Sexual Orientation Regulations of the Equality Act, that came into effect in January, would have allowed gay activists in Northern Ireland to prosecute people expressing religious oppositions to the homosexual lifestyle. The judge struck down the harassment provisions appearing in the legislation for Northern Ireland but supported the Regulations in general. 

According to the ruling, Christians or other religious people will now be allowed to "express their disapproval" of homosexuality in public. 

In his 42-page judgement, Mr Justice Weatherup at the High Court in Belfast,  ordered that the provisions be set aside because not enough time had been allowed for consultation before the government introduced the legislation.

The Christian Institute, a nondenominational Christian charity, with a group of churches, launched a suit against the SOR's. The passage of the secondary legislation was met with protests from Christians, Jews and Muslims who saw in them further encroachment on the principles of religious freedom in the UK.

Read the whole article here >>

Truth & Tolerance DVD Promo

In the two short months since its release, Exodus Youth's DVD resource Truth & Tolerance has become one of our top-selling resources. We've recently put together this promotional video clip for YouTube. Check it out!

Hypocrisy of Hating Homosexuality, While Ignoring Cohabitation and Adultery

From ChristianNewsWire.com:

Statistics show that 25% of unmarried "born again" Christians are living together. This reveals an apparent hypocrisy in condemning homosexuality, while not condemning heterosexual immorality. Sad to say, co-habitation is on the increase and its participants also include the Catholic and Christian community.

BFA believes there is also a need to condemn not only adultery in its blatant form of cheating on a spouse, but its camouflaged form by easy divorce to pursue second and third marriages. This has been done by those who describe themselves either as Catholic, Evangelical and even more startling the born again Christian.

"There is no doubt that homosexuality is immoral before God, we see that in the scriptures, but the very same scriptures hate the immorality of unbiblical divorces and cohabitations. God does not wink at sin just because it's a heterosexual committing it" says Phil Magnan, Director of Biblical Family Advocates. "Apparently heterosexuals are setting the example for the homosexual community thinking that if you are 'loving and monogamous,' it must be acceptable before God."

Read the rest >>

NEA Shuts Out Advocate for Change

Courtesy of AgapePress:

A conservative educator from Pennsylvania received a chilly response while addressing delegates to the National Education Association's annual convention held in New Orleans earlier this month.

Sissy Jochmann, a second grade teacher from Pennsylvania and chair of the Conservative Educators Caucus, delivered a two-minute speech in which she urged the NEA to support students in their right to choose not to engage in homosexual behavior. But Jochmann says delegates booed and shouted angrily at her while she spoke.

Jochmann's speech called on the NEA to provide "a full range of information and support resources available on homosexuality" and to be more tolerant of people on all sides of the issue. But the audience met Jochmann's proposal with antagonistic heckling and jeers.

"At one point -- the representative assembly -- I was speaking to over 9,400 people. It was a thunderous roar -- they didn't even want to consider debating it," she says.

Apparently the powerful educators' union is less tolerant than it purports to be -- and Jochmann is not the first to call attention to the organization's double standards.

In an editorial written for the organization Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays, Dr. Warren Throckmorton revealed that the NEA convention for the past two years has denied exhibit space to PFOX. Last year, convention organizers told PFOX, an organization that supports homosexuals' right to choose to change their sexual orientation, that no space was available -- although they continued to sell exhibition space to other groups. This year, the NEA refused even to accept the group's application.

Read more >>

Canadian Official Fined for Stating Biblical Stance on Homosexuality

From AgapePress:

A Kamloops (British Columbia) City Council member will pay a hefty fine and also apologize for comments he made about homosexuality at a public meeting last summer. Those comments by the local politician led to a complaint being lodged with Canada’s Human Rights Commission and could have proceeded to a tribunal.

LifeSite News reports that John DeCicco, who is Catholic, made the remarks at a Kamloops City Council meeting in June of last year and repeated them to the media afterward, saying that homosexual acts were "not normal and not natural." A homosexual activist couple filed the human rights complaint against him in August.

DeCicco has now decided to accept a $1,000 fine and make a statement of apology in order to avoid a Human Rights Tribunal hearing. However, the Catholic city official says his opinion has not changed.

Americans for Truth president Peter LaBarbera says his group is warning Christians in the United States that they may face a choice similar to the one DeCicco faced if they allow hate crimes legislation to supplant the First Amendment. "We’re saying to American pastors and American politicians, ’What would you do if you were fined a thousand dollars for saying that homosexual behavior is not normal and is not natural ?’" LaBarbera notes.

What happened to the Canadian city councillor in this instance "is an incredible outrage," the Americans for Truth spokesman asserts. "Free speech," he laments, "is going the way of the dinosaur in Canada, it seems."

U.S. Christians need to take note of how laws in Canada are forcing its citizens to suppress their own speech, LaBarbera says. Such self-censorship puts the opportunity to speak the much-needed truth about homosexuality in dange