...and those evil people that still chose to eat shellfish in violation of God's law.
...and those evil people that fail to stone to death adulterers.
...and those evil people that fail to stone to death adulterers.
Homophobic: fear of homosexuality; exhibited mostly by religious nutbars who buy into the silly rhetoric of their cult leaders.
Some folks have asked some very good questions that you've failed to answer:
1. Why do you care if people are homosexual?
2. Why would a homosexual wish to change their sexual orientation?
3. Do you have any homosexual friends or family that want to reorientate?
I've asked: where's the empirical data that support the notion that people need reorientation or that it even works? Spitzer's research was flawed (I noted these earlier) but I agree his work wasn't "pseudoscience." It was simply bad science.
The "work" that groups like NARTH claim to do *is* pseudoscience, however, since they base it on false premises and assumptions. Moreover, they use bad science and refuse to acknowledge the lack of empirical data to support their premises and assumptions. In doing so, they wrap their supernatural beliefs in a thin veil of "scientific-sounding" terminology and misquoted research of others.
General_Paul said:Well, I can proudly say that I shut Woody down with my use of quotes from the sermon on the mount! w00t w00t, go brotherly love!
KennyJC said:May God curse all left handed people in their evil lifestyle choice.
KennyJC said:May God curse all left handed people in their evil lifestyle choice.
Woody said:That's your definition and it tells how you feel about it. The definition used by professional therapists is considerably different from yours. perhaps someday when you wish to join their ranks, you might want to look it up. Perhaps it will help you sound professional.
Woody said:It sounds like you're going off the deep end. Actually you failed to read my answer, and the very favorable reply from the one that asked it.
Shidlo & Schroeder (2002) said:Some participants were motivated to pursue treatment with the hope of saving their heterosexual marriage and keeping their children. Others entered conversion therapy through force and coercion. For example, some students in religious universities were told that noncompliance with the mandated treatment would be followed by academic expulsion or the termination of financial aid. One participant reported the following:
I am being forced to be in therapy [by a large religious university]. I sit there and agree with what he [the therapist] has to say to avoid confrontation. He is pushing me to marry a woman. My goal is basically just to graduate.
Shidlo & Schroeder (2002) said:We found evidence that many consumers of failed sexual orientation therapies experienced them as harmful. Areas of perceived psychological harm included depression, suicidality, and self-esteem. In the case of aversive conditioning and covert sensitization, harm included intrusive flashback-like negative imagery that was associated with serious long-term sexual dysfunction. Areas of perceived social harm included impairment in intimate and nonintimate relationships. Some religious participants also reported experiencing spiritual harm as a result of religious therapy.
We found that some participants also reported feeling helped. For a minority (4%), conversion therapy provided help in shifting their sexual orientation. Others (9%) found help in HBM techniques and were content with being celibate or else accepted an ongoing struggle to contain their same-sex desire. Participants also reported other therapeutic benefits, including an increased sense of belonging, improved insight, improved self-esteem, improved communication skills, and relief from talking about sexuality for the first time. Surprisingly, some participants who failed to change reported that their failure had been a needed proof, which freed them to embrace their gay/lesbian identity with less guilt.
Woody said:If you read Dr. Spitzer's work you'll find that many adolescents are confused about their sexual orientation, but typically go heterosexual as time goes on. It's pretty obvious to me that behaviour is age dependent, and behavior can be changed --maybe not so obvious to others though.
Woody said:Flawed in what way? The point of his study was to show that it is at least possible to show sexual orientation can be changed through therapy. Is there any doubt of that after sampling 200 ex-gays?
Spitzer (2003) said:Are the participants’ self-reports of change, by-and large, credible or are they biased because of self-deception, exaggeration, or even lying? This critical issue deserves careful examination in light of the participants’ and their spouses’ high motivation to provide data supporting the value of efforts to change sexual orientation.
Woody said:The thing I find incredible is a psychiatric clinic that fails to produce any positive benfit to any patient yet maintains a business and has been doing so decades before the gay movement even showed up.
Woody said:What about people that want to be right handed out of convenience? I'm a left-handed bow shooter and a right handed guitar player.
Your argument is senseless. Why should God curse me for choosing my left hand to shoot a bow? THat is truly stupid. About the stupidest analogy I've heard. You both go to the igmore list. Goodbye.
Woody said:Your argument is senseless. Why should God curse me for choosing my left hand to shoot a bow? THat is truly stupid. About the stupidest analogy I've heard. You both go to the igmore list. Goodbye.
SkinWalker said:It makes about as much sense as your silly argument that homosexuality is bad because your cult deems it so. Do *I* get to be on your ignore list now? Or do I have to say Jesus Fucking Christ on a Stick again?
Some folks have asked some very good questions that you've failed to answer:
1. Why do you care if people are homosexual?
2. Why would a homosexual wish to change their sexual orientation?
3. Do you have any homosexual friends or family that want to reorientate?
Woody. Clear answers, thank you.
If gays want to pretend to be heterosexual to fit into their other social groups and cults, I've no problem with that. That's their problem.
Do *I* get to be on your ignore list now? Or do I have to say Jesus Fucking Christ on a Stick again?
samcdkey said:Maybe they are basing it on scientific information??
http://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn6773
http://www.isem.univ-montp2.fr/GE/Adaptation/Bibliographie/fauriePRSLB2004.pdf
SkinWalker said:The definition by professional therapists is simply "prejudiced against homosexual people." I expounded upon it because your bigotry is clear as is your intent. If the science of reparative therapy (there's no evidence that it is either) was what you wished to discuss, then you'd have started the thread in the Human Science subforum. Instead, you posted it here, in the Religion subforum, because your bigotry -your homophobia- is religiously grounded. My definition is appropriate and supported by your own actions. QED.
Indeed I did fail to read your answer. The answer you posted approximately 10 minutes before I posted my own. I probably already had my reply dialog open by time you dropped yours. My apologies for being so careless. But I found your answers to be less than satisfactory. Perhaps there are gays that are dissatisfied with their sexual orientation. I'm sure there are. Spitzer's research suffers from several flaws (which I noted previously). One of them, which I may not have discussed, is that there is research that indicates that gays dissatisfied are so because of the stigma and pressure that exists in their lives against homosexuality. In short, gay-bashing, homophobic bigots who belittle them because of their religious superstitions and hate-filled rhetoric. In Shidlo & Schroeder's sample (2002), they found that of the gays that went through so-called 'reorientation therapy' did so because of homophobic attitudes toward them. Among their sample were individuals who had initially sought therapy for depression and anxiety only to be instructed to attend 'conversion therapy.'
Of the 87% of the sample they studied (a full 176 individuals) reported that they failed to 'convert' back to a heterosexual identity. Only 13% perceived themselves as successful. Of that 13% (26 individuals), 6 refused to put a self-label on their sexual identity and 3 of this 6 were celibate!
This is the only study that I know of that bothers to attempt a quantitative look at so-called 'conversion therapy.' Clearly, such 'therapies' are problematic. Not only do psuedoscientific groups like NARTH fail to consider such data or discuss it with their consumers, but they flat out refuse to conduct any meaningful research of their own. Instead, they rely on one of the hallmark indicators of pseudoscience: anecdotal testimony. Useful in selling a product, but useless in measuring any real success.
Shidlo & Schroeder conclude with:
In one of your answers (#3), you say:
I've read Spitzer's work and much of the work that directly criticizes or compliments it. I'm leafing through his primary contribution to the subject in Archives of Sexual Behavior, printed in October of 2003, and I see no mention of adolescent confusion. Could you point us to another citation perhaps? Obviously there's one I'm missing.
More likely, you're relying on the homework I did for you by finding the citation and assuming he said something about adolescent confusion and hoping that no one else actually has a copy of the journal. And the section on page 411 under the heading "Good Heterosexual Functioning" isn't discussing "confusion" among adolescents in the context you imply. So share with us the correct citation so we can have some complete perspectives. Stop hiding it.. that's pseudoscientific.
Yes. See the work of Shidlo and Schroeder above as well as the criticisms in my earlier post. In the very same issue (October 2003) of Archives of Sexual Behavior in which Spitzer published, there were many sound criticisms of his work, some of which are mentioned in my previous post (which, it seems you didn't bother to read). In addition, Spitzer himself said:
The only thing Spitzer demonstrated is that, given sufficient motivation, gays can at least pretend to change their sexual orientation. In his methodology, Spitzer reveals that his sample included individuals who self-reported at least a rank of 60 with 0 being completely heterosexual and 100 being completely homosexual.
What!? 60!? So his cut-off for "gay" is someone who thinks they're attracted to the same sex more often than not? Where is the control for the anxiety driven, depressed man or woman that is simply scared of their androgenous thoughts and occasional curiosity about the same sex? Why didn't Spitzer study convergents who were completely homosexual?
NARTH (if this is the "clinic" you are referring to) is not a psychiatric clinic. It is a religious cult center that does not adequately measure its work or invite oversight from peer review. Moreover, the methodologies they employ are suspect at best, pseudoscientific at worst. They should be shut down by the government, but the religious nutters have their dicks planted in so many politicians asses that to do so would by akin to biting the hand that feeds them via donations.
Pseudoscience clinics like NARTH exist to fleece money off of willing believers (and perhaps government "faith-based initiatives" funding). They're no different that the many new age clinics that do much the same thing with unfullfilled-promises of cures and prevention via snake oil like coral calcium, reflexology and magnetic therapy.
Reference Reminder
Shidlo, A., & Schroeder,M. (2002). Changing sexual orientation: A consumers’ report. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 33, 249-259.
Spitzer, R. L. (2003). Can some gay men and lesbians change their sexual orientation? 200 subjects reporting a change from homosexual to heterosexual orientation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 32, 403-417
Your argument is truly stupid and I've heard it before from other stupid people. Stupid people say stupid things. Hence it is off to sock-puppet troll land for the both of you. You're on my ignore-list. Goodbye.
...and those evil people that still chose to eat shellfish in violation of God's law.
On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour: And he became very hungry, and would have eaten: but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending upon him, as it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners, and let down to the earth: Wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven.
...and those evil people that fail to stone to death adulterers.
And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
ORLANDO, Fla., June 5 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Representatives from the world's largest outreach to those affected by unwanted homosexuality will join other pro-family organizations as President Bush endorses a federal amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman in a White House ceremony today. As the Senate plans to vote on the amendment this week, Exodus International plans to voice their concerns on Capitol Hill and says this vote is critical in the fight to preserve the institution of natural marriage.
" The lives of thousands of former homosexuals, like me, verify that homosexuality is not an immutable trait, therefore marriage is not a civil right to be casually granted to any group who demands it. Nor is it a relational right of passage to be awarded to those demonstrating a committed, emotional bond," said Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International. "Ultimately, this debate is about nothing less than the preservation of future generations.
"There is no biological evidence, not one repeatable study, not a
single genetic test that gives any validity to homosexual behavior as
a "born" trait. No one is born Gay, no one! Homosexuality is an
emotional disorder, a pathology that can be and has been effectively
changed when a person is highly motivated."
A woman once challenged him: "If we find a gay gene, then you will
have to accept it."
"No, I won't," he countered. "Last week I heard they discovered a
gene that causes hereditary breast cancer. You think that if there is
a gay gene, homosexuals should embrace their homosexuality.
Then she should accept her cancer, and embrace it. NO! That's
nonsense. If diabetes has a gene, we seek to cure it. If there is a
gay gene, let's work to cure it."
"Remember Scripture, 'Such were some of you.' It is a changeable
behavior."
That’s why today I can honestly say on my show, “I admit it; I am homophobic. If I wasn’t homophobic before, I am today. I have a great fear of a homosexual community teaching my grandchildren that it’s OK to be gay even if you don’t think you’re born that way.”
I still don't see a rationale for why Christians have a problem with homosexuality.
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.