Think of God as a hunky, daddy type
» Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
As a man who has had many happy (and sure unhappy) gay relationships I always find talk of converting gay men into heterosexuals repugnant. Living Waters is a fundamentalist sexual, affectional orientation ministry. This take on being gay is exceptionally bone-headed.
Central to the charity's philosophy is a belief that God can fulfil the father-figure role that Guinness claims is absent in most gay lives. 'The huge thing we focus on is God being our father - because most people are fatherless. With guys with a homosexual struggle, a lot of it is an eroticised need for a father, to be kind of covered and blessed.
'If you've got legitimate unmet needs when you go through puberty, they will become eroticised and they feel like they've taken on a life of their own, as if that's the sum total of who you are.'
We 'cure' gays, say born-again radicals
Comments
From what I’ve understood, this is one aspect of the Living Waters course - I know people who have attended it who are not gay; it is a general course which looks at people relationships. Certainly I’m aware that sexuality can play a big part in the course, and I too know of people who have ‘stopped’ being gay - though I can’t honestly say that I know what’s really going on inside - whether they have truly changed in some way or whether it is a very powerful act that they have chosen to play for the sake of what they believe to be true. I really don’t know. I guess people only go onto the course (at present) if they are unhappy with some aspect of their relationships with others. The idea of targeting teenagers, if this is really what will happen and is not over-hyped journalism (on the Guardian’s part, not yours, I add), does not sit too easily with me. It will be ‘interesting’ to see what pans out as LW seeks to expand its work
Posted by: Andy | May 8, 2005 10:30 AM