Can You Pray Away the Gay….?

This morning, via someone’s facebook link, I watched a 10 minute video of a “pray away the gay” altar call by Damon Thompson, an Alabama preacher who heads up a youth ministry called The Ramp. 

His style of preaching is similar to many preachers I’ve heard….and the southern accent is sort of disarming.  He seems likeable.  He seems sincere. 

He dubbed it the hardest altar call anywhere…any time.  And yet they came.  Crying, shaking, kneeling face down on the floor, pounding on the altar with clenched fists, hands raised in pseudo victory.  

My heart hurt for those teenagers…and the message he drummed into their heads….just a carbon copy message of so many other preachers in so many other churches.  Homosexuality is an abomination.  You are second rate…detestable.  God wants nothing to do with you the way you are.  The Holy Spirit?  Well he’s not about to share your house with a homosexual devil.” 

“God has not nor will he ever coexisted [sic] with the devil,” Damon began. “And God’s not gonna come live in there with you and your homosexual devil.”

Sorry Damon…there is no “gonna come live in there” about it.  He is already there in all those sobbing, quivering kids.  

The seed of God is in ALL humanity. Gospel of John?  He is the light that lights every man that comes into the world?  Sound familiar?  He is our life force, our spark…our very breath. Without him sustaining us…it’s curtains…all over but the crying….the fat lady sang.  Ever hear of laminin? You can read a little about it HERE and check out this video.  What about Acts 17?  In Him we live and move and have our being?

Psalm 139?  Where can I run from your spirit?  Even if I make my bed in hell….behold THOU. ART. THERE.   

I truly believe that the verses “about homosexuality” in the Bible, understood in their proper context and not just taken at face value (a concept anyone who has embraced universal reconciliation should be familiar with) are not talking about modern day committed homosexual relationships.  

And just a side trip/rabbit trail here for anyone who takes issue with the idea that there is such a thing as a committed homosexual relationship…clinging instead to the stereotypical belief that gay equals promiscuous….just a couple of thoughts to consider.

A lot of gay folks are hiding their true sexual orientation…and really…who can blame them?  Living in a society where many frown on gay marriage, it isn’t as viable an option as it is for those of us born on the hetero side of the human sexuality spectrum.  For many, their careers, their standing in the community….in the church would be destroyed if they came out in such a blatant (courageous) way.  So they settle for encounters…rendezvous…..without outward commitment. 

And as for those who are truly promiscuous….who engage in risky behavior with many sex partners? If someone has been brainwashed into believing that they are a worthless piece of shit…less than….not good enough…vile, even….then they are apt to act the part…..just like their heterosexual counterparts who have internalized a sense of unworthiness.

Sermons and altar calls like the one depicted in this video, go a long way toward promoting that sense of unworthiness.  Watch the faces of these kids….contorted with pain….wanting to be anyone but who they were created to be.