Box Turtle Bulletin
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobby“Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife…”
News and commentary about the anti-gay lobbyJuly 17th, 2007
Exodus International’s Mike Ensley posted the following comment on Warren Throckmorton’s website:
I don’t think you understand Exodus’ political involvement at all. Do you think all (or even most) pro-homosexual activist groups are adopting a “live and let live” policy toward people with different beliefs? Hardly.
My focus is entirely on youth and education, and believe me, the lobbying in that field is nothing like “live and let live.” In California, for instance, pro-gay advocates have exclusive rights to what children are taught in public schools regarding these issues. Parents are explicitly kept out of the loop–and if they somehow get in the loop, they have no right to opt their children out of instruction that undermines their values.
As for “ending people’s rights,” I would just like to know what rights Exodus is helping to end, and for whom?
Your comment about a “you must live our way” stand really doesn’t have any basis, either. Opposing thought-crimes legislation and education law that excludes every view except a gay-centric one is hardly forcing others to live the way we do.
Now I think Mike is either rather forgetful or perhaps unaware of the activist nature that Exodus has adopted. He seems to think that Exodus’ political activism is limited to “thought crimes legislation” (the dismissive description he gives to hate-motivated violent criminal activity) and exclusive education laws.
I started to respond to Mike. But rather than just rely on my memory of the activities Exodus and their staff have taken to trample on my rights and freedoms – and the spin and outright lies they will tell about, for example, the California education code – I thought I would get the shared input of our readers first.
So please help me remind Mike of the extent of Exodus’ political activism. And if you are familiar with California’s education system, share that as well.
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Jim Burroway
July 17th, 2007
Well, for one thing, I happened to know that last spring, Exodus hired Amanda Banks whose job it is to “address public policy issues that affect Exodus constituents.”
http://exodus.to/content/view/726/37/
Maybe Mike ought to walk over to her desk and introduce himself.
Scott
July 17th, 2007
Well, lets see.
There was the time Alan Chambers signed his name (representing Exodus)to a protest letter on Global Warming.
http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=25144
What that has to do with the mission of Exodus, I’ll have no idea (other than to carry water for Dobson).
Then there was the time (just recently) he stuck his nose into the Partial Birth Abortion ban.
http://sanctusblog.blogspot.com/2007/07/skeletons-in-closet-of-americans-united.html
Also unrelated to the mission of Exodus. Exodus has been fingers in many pies lately. Seems like not many of them have anything to do with “ex-gays”.
If Exodus decides they want to be a right wing lobby group, they should change their mission statement.
Jason
July 17th, 2007
Here’s a few links from Alan Chambers’ own blog detailing his activities fighting against equal marriage rights.
The first one is titled, “Exodus is Influencing.” The second link is to testimony he gave in Massachusetts in support of repealing same-sex marriage in the state.
http://www.alanchambers.org/just_think/2004/05/exodus_is_influ.html
http://www.mafamily.org/Marriage%20Hearing%202003/alanchambers.htm
Liadan
July 18th, 2007
Haven’t several ex-gay / Exodus folks testified in legislatures state and national to the effect of “homosexuality is mutable, therefore same-sex marriage is unnecessary” or “if hate-crimes bills are passed, we won’t be able to preach against homosexuality?”
Oh yes. It’s on their website.
http://exodus.to/content/view/721/37/
Exodus officially denounces hate-crimes bill.
http://exodus.to/content/view/715/37/
Chambers lobbies against hate-crimes bill on Capitol Hill.
http://exodus.to/content/view/536/37/
Chambers and Thomas are invited to President’s speech on the FMA.
http://exodus.to/content/view/550/37/
Chambers writes open letter to Rep. Musgrave exhorting her to vote against the FMA (as if this was actually necessary, since she’s pretty much the most rabid opponent of it already).
Officially and unofficially lobbying in DC against anything even tentatively gay-rights supportive doesn’t seem like a live-and-let-live attitude to me, unless it’s meant to mean “live like me, and I’ll let you live.”
Emproph
July 19th, 2007
And then there’s his recent and blatant attempt to apply God’s Word to non-gays who have divorced and remarried:
http://exodus.blogs.com/liveoutloud/2007/05/hypocrisy_of_ha.html
Bruce Garrett
July 19th, 2007
I think we all understand Exodus’ political involvement very well. It doesn’t get more aggressive against our rights and freedoms then support for the sodomy laws:
http://www.exgaywatch.com/wp/2003/08/exodus-spokesma/
Then there is this…
“Ideally, Christians should offer relevant ministry while challenging pro-gay policies, ex-gay ministers say. “It’s time for the Christian community to stop sitting on the sidelines and be apathetic about public policy,” said Randy Thomas, ministries and media relations manager for Exodus International. “At the same time we don’t need to fall into the trap of polarized thinking. We cannot forget the faces. Christ is more concerned about the condition of a person’s heart. It’s not really a hard balance, but it’s a hard perspective to grasp in a culture war.”
http://www.charismamag.com/display.php?id=8180
No doubt. Hard I mean, to talk out of bth sides of your mouth and still insist that you’re living your life in Christ’s message.
Exodus is basically about the politics of the anti-gay right. The people going through their programs are not the focus of those programs, but the window dressing. That is why there is no follow-up on them after they leave their programs, no after care, no statistics on success rates kept. They’re not interested in the clients, because the clients aren’t the focus. The focus is on anti-gay political action. That may not have been the case long ago, when these ministries were first founded, but it’s the case now. They’ve been utterly co-opted by the political and the religious right.
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