in thinking jesus can NOT cure homosexuality as it is NOT an illness

[thefinerthingsinlife]

christian lady has written a book claiming jesus can cure homosexuality

I'm not getting into the debate of wether there is a God/Jesus etc. It just this has really mad me angry, how can you cure something that is NOT an illness. I find this extremely insulting and judgemental.

I like the fact that it's the 'homosexuality is not an illness' part of the OP title that NoSuch is picking up on and demanding evidence / links to Cochrane Reviews / PubMed. Not the curative powers of the guy that's been dead for 2,000 years if he ever existed' Yeah that's the bit I think we can all agree on...

@ tondelayo.

Nothing to add except that I am a Christian and don't think like that.

oh is that what the medical degree comment was about
Gay has no listing in the WHO's International Classification of Diseases, therefore it is not an illness. The WHO says so :o

(version 10 btw)

If this is what they choose to believe then let them believe it. Aren't we supposed to be tolerant of each other's beliefs. In which case shouldn't they be tolerant of homosexuality. Live and let live.

Ooh, I love it when someone (and there's always someone on these threads) trots out the old, 'there's a lot of intolerance on this thread'.

Yeah, someone who doesn't want to be tolerant of people loving each other, and instead wants us to be tolerant of haterz. And always said without even a hint of irony.

Though I'm in a hetero relationship now, I know first hand what it's like to experience homophobia. I get deeply pissed off when people claim to be able to 'cure' someone's sexuality through science, psychotherapy or religious mumbo jumbo.

But in this case I'm not that bothered, because this book is fiction. Probably badly written and even more badly edited fiction. The back copy ("A powerful story involving adventurous sport, compassion and redemption") is beyond parody.

If I took offence at everything I read in novels I'd be up in arms against books that portray women as gold-digging equestrian shaggers (Jilly Cooper), hysterical, self-destructive adulterers (Emily Bronte) or passive virgin sacrifices (Bram Stoker).

Please don't cure me. I am happy as I am think my children might object too as they love both their mums

She seems well intentioned.

That's the most frightening part. You can fight against hatred and bigotry, but reasonableness etc is much harder.

How sad that people feel this kind of thing needs to be written. How damaging for anyone already questioning themselves.

Is this the lady who has a gay son?
I'm sure I heard her being interviewed on the radio a few weeks ago (the interviewer gave her pretty short shrift).
FWIW I think she admitted the treatment had failed on her son

OK this book sounds ridiculous and I can't be arsed to click on the link either!

BUT...(and before I continue let me say that my DSis is gay, I have gay friends and am likely to ask two of them to be godparents)...BUT I did used to know a guy who was genuinely unhappy about being gay.

He was a Christian and genuinely felt it was sinful etc. His own theory was that he had had a very difficult relationship with his father, plus he wasn't your stereotypical sport-loving boy either. His own father used to call him a 'fag' (he's American) etc. He thinks he kind of fell in to being gay as a way of getting positive male attention.

Of course I don't know if any of this is correct - but this is what my friend genuinely believed and more to the point, his orientation was making him very unhappy. He did go on one of these courses and in is own words, it worked for him. He got married (to a woman!) and had two girls.

Now I just have his side of the story but wanted to share as I find it very interesting.

I think my view is that absolutely no-one should be made to feel like they're 'sick' for being gay but I have seen the other side - that some gay people don't want those feelings.

Whether that's their genuine view on their sexuality or whether that's societal or religious pressure, who knows.

5DollarShake .........
"Yeah, someone who doesn't want to be tolerant of people loving each other, and instead wants us to be tolerant of haterz. And always said without even a hint of irony."

I'm not a homophobic, I have many gay friends and colleagues. Someone's sexuality is irrelevant to me. But the publication being discussed sees homosexuality as an illness. This isn't hatred, purely IGNORANCE on their part. And, if that is what they choose to believe in in their world then we have to accept that just as they have to accept that others choose to have same sex partners.

With regards to tolerance, I am sick and fed up of people telling me to be tolerant of one thing and another. If we choose not to like something then we don't like it, and keep our opinions on it to ourselves. We shouldn't force beliefs on people and we shouldn't be forced to accept anything if we don't want to.

Rhinestone, gay men have been marrying women and having kids for a long time. It's called denial. I would be surprised if your friend was really happy, deep down. I doubt very much that he no longer has feelings for men.

in other news

the earth is flat

I did click on the link.
Am now wondering if "white water canoeing" is a new euphemism for gay sex.

My DB, who is actually my brothers partner. Told his parents he was gay and his mum replied

We'll take you to see a homeopathic dr they cured your aunt when she had a nervous breakdown.

Now that isn't god but

Rhinestone, he was unlucky enough to be brought up in an intolerant religious household. If he'd been lucky enough to have been raised in a loving tolerant home I'm sure he would not have felt the need to pretend to be cured.

Knitting - I don't actually think his family was religious, although they were certainly intolerant! He was a born again Christian.

Chipmonkey - thanks for stating the bleedin' obvious re gay men marrying women. The thing is he wasn't in denial - he fully accepted that he was gay for a while, he just wasn't happy being gay. (His words before anyone flames me). I just think his story is an interesting slant on this issue.

Agree it would be interesting to know what he REALLY thought now but I'm not in touch with him anymore.

I suppose, if someone takes the view that god put us on this earth to reproduce, then having a sexual orintation that does not lend itself to this is an 'error'.

I'm just trying to work out why anyone would think it was wrong. sinful. Because that attitude doesn't make any sense. And I can only think that it is because it prevents the possibility of having children?

In fact, I have heard it argued that homosexuality is a genetic 'error' because animals are programmed to be attracted to the opposite sex since we are programmed to reproduce.

I don't know.

Personally it seems to me that some people are far too concerned with the bedroom habits of others and this probably means they themselves just don't get laid enough.

I think that the only "sin" is to hurt others.

And nutcase author is going to hurt a lot of people spreading her views. (She is also going to make herself a few quid ).

Just incidentally what did Jesus actually say about homosexuality? are there any Bible quotes re this?

Just incidentally what did Jesus actually say about homosexuality? are there any Bible quotes re this?

Zilch. There's a bit in the OT where all sorts of things are prohibited (no one writes books about how Jesus can cure your desire to eat shellfish) and then I think Paul has an odd dig. But he wasn't much of a fan of any sort of sex IIRC.

Serin - Jesus said the following about homosexuality -

NOTHING!

My personal view is that I don't know if people are 'born gay' or if it's a choice, subconscious or conscious, and I don't care. If you're lucky enough to find another consenting adult who loves you then I think that's great. And beyond that it's no-one else's business.

Agree with Hecate that some people need to stop thinking about the sex lives of people they don't even know.

(But then I'm agreeing with Hecate a lot lately - think I might be a bit in love with her actually! )

Sorry Rhinestone, didn't mean to state the obvious, just that IMO it's more likely that your friend is probably just that, a gay man married to a woman and in denial, rather than a newly straight man married to a woman. I really believe people are born with a sexual orientation and no amount of therapy ( or homeopathy, now I have heard it all!) will change tha.