on NARTH
Submitted by Drifter on 2002-12-6 11:22:07, Friday
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Here are my thoughts on the possible NARTH article which came up while I was away. After examining their web site, I do not believe that NARTH will welcome any article that does not conform to their ideology. Their publications do not seem to present a balanced point of view, rather they only publish things which back up their claims. Their ideology is one of change. They believe that people can change their sexual orientation. I think it is safe to assume that most of us here know that change is impossible (except through some form of divine intervention), and we have instead chosen to come to terms with who we are and to learn to use our gifts in a positive way, while keeping the negative aspects in check. So, our views are not in line with their ideology. The curious thing is that, like all ex-gay organizations, they believe that a person's sexuality is defined by their actions (whether they have sex with people of the same sex or the opposite sex). Therefore, in their view a person who is celibate cannot be gay. So, if someone is to write an article for them and expect to get it published and recieve a positive response, then the person should take care to use the language that NARTH is familiar with. This means that a celibate boylover must not be reffered to as a celibate boylover but rather as an ex-boylover. Personally, I find this language to be dishonest and deceptive, and I would not feel good about writing an article using such deceptive language. However, if someone else would like to write the article, then be sure to understand how they talk and the words they use. Knowing your audience is always the first step to an effective article. Whether you like it or not you may be forced to use words such as ex-gay, ex-boylover, ex-pedophile, etc. even though those words in everyone else's vocabulary do not match the reality. I dont think that it is anyone's business who chooses to submit an article to these people, that is a personal choice. However, if your article is going to be presented as if it is officially from cbf, then I think you should allow all of the moderators (zip, bach, and whomever) read it and give you the thumbs up before you do. love in Christ Jesus, Drifter e-mail: webnomad@ziplip.com url: http://www.fpc.net/sites/drifter/ |
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