Cross-posted at Exodus: Live Out Loud
We got a call from a radio producer who said, "We would like to interview Exodus about the Ted Haggard situation, and we need to do it right now 'live'." The producer said that they were a CBS affiliate radio station covering Los Angeles, so we thought that it was CBS news type of affiliate and allowed them to rush us on the air.
Little did I know that it was this CBS affiliate station and that it was for the Adam Carolla Show. I found out after I was already on the show.
Initially they asked what Exodus was about. Then the host and comedian Adam Carolla started in with how he wanted to create a program to turn straight men gay. He went on for a good minute or two about how overpopulated the world is and the fact that wherever gays live they make things prettier and clean. He said, "so Randy, what do you think of my program to turn straight men gay?" I responded that if he wanted to exploit this issue for personal gain it might work.
He told me to lighten up ... as if throwing barbs is only a one way street he can travel down.
He said, "now your organization doesn't force people to go straight do they?" and I said of course not, we help those with unwanted homosexuality live their lives congruent with their faith. We respect self-determination. He asked that twice and I responded with that answer twice during the course of the 12 minute interview.
He asked me if I thought gay people could go to heaven? I said that if they trust in Christ to be Lord and Savior ... sure. It's a basic Christian tenet that those who have faith in Him as Lord and Savior, they will be saved. Adam and his sidekicks pushed it a little further so I continued and said that heaven will be populated by people saved from sin who place their trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior. He said he thought that God would have a gay neighborhood in heaven and he wanted to live in that neighborhood. It would probably be called "West Heaven." He asked, "So Randy, do you think God will have a gay neighborhood?" I responded, "I would encourage you to talk directly to Him about that possibility."
He did ask a little about my personal journey. I said that it started 14 years ago. I became a Christian because Christianity made sense to me. I was honest about when my journey started that I didn't even want to be straight and I had a strong bias against Christians. Eventually all of that changed and today I don't identify as gay and honestly do not struggle with same sex eroticism or romanticism.
By the way, I got over my bias against Christians a long time ago. That's helpful considering I am one :). I love the Church.
Adam did finally ask about Ted Haggard and if I thought Ted had a good chance to turn out straight. I responded that I thought that now since he has confessed...Adam said,"after he was forced to confess.." I said, well yes... he was forced to confess, even so, if he continues to tell the truth and be honest I do think he has a good shot at successfully overcoming homosexuality.
Then Adam said that one of the people on his show was gay, toward the end (I think it was the same person) they said, "So Randy if you saw a picture of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who would you be attracted to today? you can't tell me that you wouldn't be focusing on Brad Pitt ..." I said, that fourteen years ago I would have been completely focussed on Brad Pitt but today I am focussed on my girlfriend here in Florida. When I see a picture of Brad and Angelina I am usually reminded of his divorce and how sad that was."
Adam finished by saying something about how I am "aptly" named Randy. His sidekick on the show laughed so I am assuming that they are making fun of the fact that my name is used as a slang sexual term in Britain.
I forgive them, after all, they have an image to maintain. At least they linked to us from the front page of their website.
Update: I had no idea that it was such a large show. The Adam Carolla Show airs on FM Stations in Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Portland, San Diego, Los Vegas, Sacramento, Seattle, Reno, Fresno and Palm Springs.
Update #2: Apparently my recollection of the interview (the above paraphrase) cleaned it up a bit. I said ummm too much and the gospel came through but not as strongly as I thought. A Man On A Journey found the audio. Also, they dropped me from the interview before they said they didn't believe I wasn't attracted to men and how she was afraid of our message's affect on young people. To bad they didn't give me a chance to respond.