One Jesus, two testimonies?

[Ohioprof]

It isn't loving to God to turn your back on His word and do what is forbidden. If you don't love God enough to know what He thinks or care, or to know His Word, then you can't really love the way He designed you to love.

I have not turned my back on God's word. I don't believe the Bible is God's word. I listen for God every day, in everything I do. I try to love as God designed me, and I know great love in my life. I am very happy.

 

[Floatingaxe]

I do not disagree with God. I disagree with you.

Because you don't accept the word of God, you do not accept His point of view, which is the most important. You disagree with Him.

 

[Ohioprof]

Because you don't accept the word of God, you do not accept His point of view, which is the most important. You disagree with Him.

Again you confuse your beliefs with God's point of view. You are not God, and neither am I, and your understanding, like mine, is completely human.

 

[Ohioprof]

I have to go read to my little one and tuck her into bed. Good night, all. Pleasant dreams.

 

[MercyBurst]

There is nothing "wicked" about loving, committed same-sex relationships. They are a blessing.

But this blessing is a curse to ex-gays. How can the same God bless and curse with the same spirit? This can not be.

The ex-gays have forsaken ANY kind of a same-sex-sex relationship so they can live spiritually with God.

If same-sex-sex is harming them, I'm sorry, but I must give them the benefit of the doubt, rather than yourself.

They are obviously very devoted, their sacrifice is highly visible, and they go against all the odds. They serve the kind of God I believe in. That's OUR JESUS and these are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

 

[MercyBurst]

When has anyone in these forums sought to "entice" anyone into "destruction?"

Arguing for fair treatment for gay people and acceptance of gay people as we are is certainly not an enticement to "destruction." It's a call for Christians to respect the inherent worth and dignity of all people, including gay people.....not as you wish we would be, but as we are, as God made us.

But you claim to be more than that, you claim to be a Christian sister, hence we expect you to speak like one. Christ should be more important to a christian brother or sister than their own sexuality.

Christian brothers and sisters should be honored as family when they are in the spiritual hospital of recovery. Their wounds need to heal, and same-sex sex addiction did this to them.

You just don't seem to be getting this point, and it's obvious the gay agenda is MORE IMPORTANT, because it trumps a recovering believer's life in Christ. If you understood this, then you and others would not be touting the gay life.

I'm sorry, but I just don't see how this can be Christian conduct. It can be gay conduct, it can be human conduct, but Christian conduct -- no I just don't see this. Sorry.

You are welcome to stay, but I do wish you'd take your pink-eyed dragon somewhere else to bed down.

 

[MercyBurst]

This does not make sense. To affirm gay people is to affirm the inherent worth and dignity of gay people, and to call upon others to treat gay people as equals, just the way we are. I have argued, and I will continue to argue, that Christians should treat gay people fairly and accept us as we are, not level judgments at us or call our love relations "sin."

I think all people should be treated like people, but it seems you expect more than that.

You expect Christians to accept EVERYONE as a Christian brother or sister because you are a universalist.

I hate to disappoint you, but Judas Iscariot is not my brother in Christ. Neither is Pharoah.

You expect me to be spiritual family with anyone and everyone. This is kind of insulting. The bible calls it whoredom.

I tell you what makes no sense to me: Two opposing testimonies from the same Jesus -- now that INDEED makes no sense.

 

[davedjy]

Jesus would not stand with homosexuals, for in His presence they would drop to their knees in deep remorse for their perversions and cling to Him in submission to His Lordship.

Jesus would love them (He does) but they are not His, and could NOT remain as they are in His presence.

Verse and chapter, please.

 

[davedjy]

If same-sex-sex is harming them, I'm sorry, but I must give them the benefit of the doubt, rather than yourself.

What proof do you have that same sex sex was "harming them"?

They are obviously very devoted, their sacrifice is highly visible, and they go against all the odds. They serve the kind of God I believe in. That's OUR JESUS and these are my brothers and sisters in Christ

No proof that gays and lesbians aren't your brothers and sisters in Christ. "The kind of God you believe in" must be an arbitrary one, if one must obey an arbitrary rule.

 

[Floatingaxe]

Verse and chapter, please.

You've been given chapter and verse from the Holy God. Jesus will not accept homosexuals into His kingdom if they are unrepentant and unregenerate.

Homosexual behaviour says this:
“But,” some might say, “our sinfulness serves a good purpose, for it helps people see how righteous God is. Isn’t it unfair, then, for him to punish us?” (This is merely a human point of view.) Of course not! If God were not entirely fair, how would he be qualified to judge the world? “But,” someone might still argue, “how can God condemn me as a sinner if my dishonesty highlights his truthfulness and brings him more glory?”And some people even slander us by claiming that we say, “The more we sin, the better it is!” Those who say such things deserve to be condemned. Romans 3:5-8


Homosexuals need to get hold of the reality of their sin--it blocks their standing of required holiness before a holy God:
1 Thessalonians 4:3
God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.

Jesus' kindness will cause a sinner to fall to their knees before Him in repentence. If you argue that, you are truly apostate...
Romans 2:4
Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?

 

[Floatingaxe]

What proof do you have that same sex sex was "harming them"?


No proof that gays and lesbians aren't your brothers and sisters in Christ. "The kind of God you believe in" must be an arbitrary one, if one must obey an arbitrary rule.

There are no arbitrary rules in the kingdom of God. He is a loving Father but He is a just and jealous God. He is not mocked and His righteousness will not allow sin to enter. It is because we have been saved from an appointment in Hell that we love and serve our Substitute.

Scared straight is what you should be!

 

[davedjy]

There are no arbitrary rules in the kingdom of God. He is a loving Father but He is a just and jealous God. He is not mocked and His righteousness will not allow sin to enter. It is because we have been saved from an appointment in Hell that we love and serve our Substitute.

Scared straight is what you should be!

God doesn't make arbitrary rules to set people straight, so there goes that point.

 

[Floatingaxe]

God doesn't make arbitrary rules to set people straight, so there goes that point.

You brought up the word.

 

[GenemZ]

Nope. To disbelieve the Bible is not to disbelieve necessarily in God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit and / or anything else you might choose to mention.

Well... What do we have here?

Would Jesus agree with you?

Luke 11:28 (New American Standard Bible)
"But He said, "On the contrary, blessed are those who hear the word of God and observe it."
​

Matthew 4:4 (New International Version)
"Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God."
​

I do not think Christ would agree with your point of view...



,

 

[MercyBurst]

Q and A on the sin of the "gay Christian" doctrine:

What proof do you have that same sex sex was "harming them"?

[1.0] The damage is spiritual according to some of our brothers and sisters in Christ by their own personal testimony, not yours. Their personal testimony belongs to them.

[1.1] It's not about what you believe, or even who you are, it's about what struggling Christian brothers and sisters believe as they try to live for Christ.


[1.2] You believe you are living for Christ, and so do other gays. I'm not debating that, but if I must choose (and I feel that I must), then I choose the group that makes the greatest personal sacrifice for Christ. That group is obviously the ex-gay group, and they are my Christian brothers and sisters that are being hurt by gay rights advocates.

[1.3] Case at point: Wayne Besen's ex-gay watch. Apparantly many gays that call themselves Christians are siding with this montrous group of hate-mongers. God have mercy on anyone that calls himself/herself a Christian and joins the persecution against fellow-believers.

You are rather late in the game here Dave, and you need to read how we got here.

[2.0] I bring DMagoh's testimony as a witness:

http://foru.ms/u179387

Biography:
I am a Christian man who has struggled with same sex attraction. I am not a practicing homosexual because I know that homosexuality is wrong, know that it is a sin, know that the Bible is very clear in teaching that it is immoral. I do not try to spin it, rationalize it, or conveniently reinterpret the Scripture.

Marital Status:
Married

[2.1] It is sin for a fellow-believer to go against the weakness in another-believer's life, as they have done here on many occassions.
[2.2] On more than one occassion he said his conscious was offended.
[2.3] Regardless of what you or anyone else believes about sin, it is wrong conduct to offend his weakness.

[3.0] I bring Ist Corinthians 8:12 to witness:

12 And when you sin against other believers[a] by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.

Davedjy said:

No proof that gays and lesbians aren't your brothers and sisters in Christ.

[3.1] It is incumbent on ANY believer to prove THEY ARE a believer in Jesus Christ. So your request that I prove it for them is preposterous to start with and irrelevant to the point being made about gay-afirming doctrine, which is sin by definition in I Cor 8. Your objection is a non sequitor.

[3.2] Besides I think your claim is ridiculous anyway: Is someone my Brother or Sister in Christ simply because they are gay? How is a gay satanist my Christian brother? This is truly absurd.

[3.3] Again, your claim is irrelevant to address the point I've made regarding the gay-affirming doctrine. My point is that the gay-affirming doctrine is an open invitation for struggling Christians to go against their own conscience. The proponenets claim to be Christians and this is a violation of conscience for this particular group of struggling believers.

Davedjy said:

"The kind of God you believe in" must be an arbitrary one, if one must obey an arbitrary rule.

[4.0] The spirit of same-sex sex kills the spiritual life of some believers, and blesses the spiritual life of others, but this can not come from the spirit of Christ, otherwise Christ Himself is a contradiction.

[4.1] I call the entire ex-gay movement to the witness stand. Regardless of what you believe about them, they are making a tremendous sacrifice to please God, and frankly I think they are trying a lot harder than you are.

[4.2] By their own testimonies they can not be in a same-sex sex relationship and serve God too. That fact alone is enough, regardless of what you believe about sin.

[4.3] I'm sorry, but God does not have two standards for Christian conduct. You really have no debate as far as I see it.

[4.4] The SIN epitaph for "gay Christian" doctrine, ironically, is a lack of compassion for and a total disregard of struggling believers in Christ that are ex-gay.

great quote

The apostle Paul explains it far better in Ist Corinthians 8:

1 Corinthians 8

Food Sacrificed to Idols

1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.

3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.[a]

4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.

5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords.

6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.

7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.

8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.

10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol?

11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed.

12 And when you sin against other believers[c] by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.

13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

[5.0] So in the end:

- [5.1] it doesn't matter about sin definitions.
- [5.2] it doesn't matter what anyone believes about the gay lifestyle.
- [5.3] it doesn't matter about monogamous loving relationships.
- [5.3b] it doesn't matter that someone feels their gay relationship is without sin, because we are talking about ex-gay Christians.
- [5.4] it doesn't matter about bible translations.
- [5.5] it doesn't matter about who wants to call themselves a brother or sister in Christ.
- [5.5b] it dosn't matter if ex-gay therapy is a total failure and a fraud.
- [5.6] it doesn't even matter about sex at all.

[5.7] What matters is the body of Christ, and the spiritual damage this so-called "gay Christian" doctrine has caused that says gay sex is not sin. Some Christians that struggle with their Christian beliefs are confused and tempted to go against their conscience. As long as any Christian brother or sister struggles with this issue it doesn't matter about those that don't struggle with it, or those that returned to same-sex sex.

[5.8] The whole "gay Chritian" argument can be defeated with OUR Christian love for brothers and sisters in Christ that are being hurt spiritually by this doctrine that says gay-sex is not sin.

The gay affirmers can argue all they like. It's done.

The proof is iron-clad.

 

[lincolngreen50]

I have not turned my back on God's word. I don't believe the Bible is God's word. I listen for God every day, in everything I do. I try to love as God designed me, and I know great love in my life. I am very happy.

So by implication.
1.You do not believe in creation,Adam and Eve , well that figures.
2.You do not believe the great flood happened,the story of Noah
3.You do not believe the story of Moses and the creation of Israel in the promised land,
And so on.
4.You do not believe in the birth of Jesus,his death and resurrection,the cornerstone of Christian belief.
AND YOU CALL YOURSELF A CHRISTIAN.
Do you believe in Satan?
Satan is the great deceiver and your words are deceiving.

Are you really sure it is God that you are listening to?

 

[lincolngreen50]

The damage is spiritual, according to some of our brothers and sisters in Christ by their own personal testimony, not yours.

It's not about what you believe, it's about what struggling Christian brothers and sisters believe as they try to live for Christ.


You believe you are living for Christ as well as do other gays. I'm not debating that, but if I must choose (and I feel that I must), then I choose the group that makes the greatest personal sacrifice for Christ. That group is obviously the ex-gay group.

You are rather late in the game here Dave, and you need to read how we got here.

I bring DMagoh's testimony as a witness:

http://foru.ms/u179387



It is sin for a fellow-believer to go against the weakness in another-believer's life, as they have done here on many occassions. On more than one occassion he said his conscious was offended. Regardless of what you or anyone else believes about sin, it is wrong conduct to offend his weakness.

I bring Ist Corinthians 8:12 to witness:




Davedjy said:


It is incumbent on ANY believer to prove THEY ARE a believer in Jesus Christ. So your request that I prove it for them is preposterous.

Besides I think your claim is ridiculous anyway. Is someone my Brother or Sister in Christ simply because they are gay? How is a gay satanist my Christian brother? This is truly absurd.

Davedjy said:


The spirit of same-sex sex kills the spiritual life of some believers, and blesses the spiritual life of others, but this can not come from the spirit of Christ, otherwise Christ Himself is a contradiction.

I call the entire ex-gay movement to the witness stand. Regardless of what you believe about them, they are making a tremendous sacrifice to please God, and frankly I think they are trying a lot harder than you are.

By their own testimonies they can not be in a same-sex sex relationship and serve God too. That fact alone is enough, regardless of what you believe about sin.

I'm sorry, but God does not have two standards for Christian conduct. You really have no debate as far as I see it.

The SIN epitaph for the gay-affirming gospel, ironically, is a lack of compassion for, and total disregard of struggling believers in Christ.

great quote

The apostle Paul explains it far better in Ist Corinthians 8:

1 Corinthians 8

Food Sacrificed to Idols

1 Now regarding your question about food that has been offered to idols. Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.

2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much.

3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.[a]

4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.

5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords.

6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.

7 However, not all believers know this. Some are accustomed to thinking of idols as being real, so when they eat food that has been offered to idols, they think of it as the worship of real gods, and their weak consciences are violated.

8 It’s true that we can’t win God’s approval by what we eat. We don’t lose anything if we don’t eat it, and we don’t gain anything if we do.

9 But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.

10 For if others see you—with your “superior knowledge”—eating in the temple of an idol, won’t they be encouraged to violate their conscience by eating food that has been offered to an idol?

11 So because of your superior knowledge, a weak believer[b] for whom Christ died will be destroyed.

12 And when you sin against other believers[c] by encouraging them to do something they believe is wrong, you are sinning against Christ.

13 So if what I eat causes another believer to sin, I will never eat meat again as long as I live—for I don’t want to cause another believer to stumble.

In the end:

- it doesn't matter about sin definitions
- it doesn't matter what anyone believes about the gay lifestyle.
- it doesn't matter about monogamous relationships
- it doesn't matter about translations
- it doesn't matter about who wants to call themselves a brother or sister
- it doesn't even matter about sex at all

What matters is the body of Christ, and the damage this gay-affirming doctrine is causing people that struggle with their Christian beliefs.

The whole gay-argument can be defeated with Christian love for brothers and sisters in Christ that are being hurt by this same-sex sex.

The gay affirmers can argue all they like. It's done.

Great post.

 

[Ohioprof]

But this blessing is a curse to ex-gays. How can the same God bless and curse with the same spirit? This can not be.

The ex-gays have forsaken ANY kind of a same-sex-sex relationship so they can live spiritually with God.

If same-sex-sex is harming them, I'm sorry, but I must give them the benefit of the doubt, rather than yourself.

They are obviously very devoted, their sacrifice is highly visible, and they go against all the odds. They serve the kind of God I believe in. That's OUR JESUS and these are my brothers and sisters in Christ.

I do not believe there are "ex-gays." I think that there are bisexuals, and many people may indeed be bisexual. But if someone has to struggle to stop being gay, that's a pretty sure sign that they really ARE gay, and they are not likely to become "ex-gay." They may repress who they really are, but they are not likely to change in any fundamental way who they are.

If I am wrong about that, and it's certainly possible, then more power to these folks. My urging Christians to accept gay people in no way is a "curse" to anyone. I am urging people to accept others as they are no matter what their sexual orientation or gender identity. This means accepting "ex-gays" also, if they exist. If someone says to me, "I am 'ex-gay," that's fine with me. I accept them. I may doubt personally that they really are "ex-gay," but I will accept how they identify themselves and respect them fully for the choices they have made and the lives they are leading.

I know a number of people who do not believe that a MTF transgender person is ever really a woman. But, despite their personal doubts, these folks accept transgender people and treat them with respect. It's similar to accepting "ex-gays."

 

[Ohioprof]

Great post.

I think it's a mistaken post. It makes no sense to say, "The whole gay argument can be defeated." What "gay argument" is that? That gay people exist? Of course we exist; I am a living example of that.

Do you want to "defeat" the argument that gay people should be treated fairly and with respect? Why would any Christian advocate NOT treating someone fairly and with respect?

This whole line of reasoning, which seems aimed at making us gay people disappear entirely, makes no sense to me. We are not going to disappear.

 

[Ohioprof]

Folks should check out the testimony from former leaders of the "ex-gay" Christian movement who have apologized for starting this movement, which they say does not make people "ex-gay." Here is a link to their website and an excerpt from testimony from one former "ex-gay" leader who founded Exodus and who has apologized for doing so. The quoted material is in blue:

http://www.beyondexgay.com

Statement of Apology by Former Exodus Leaders

Michael Bussee

My name is Michael Bussee. I want to thank you for this opportunity to tell my story. Thirty years ago, I helped create EXODUS International. Today, I am here to apologize. Today, I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist, a father, a born-again, evangelical Christian—and a proud gay man. But thirty years ago, I was not so proud.

In fact, I grew up hating my gay feelings. I endured name-calling, bullying and beatings. Why did the other kids seem to hate me so much? I didn’t choose to have these feelings and wanted to get rid of them. I wanted more than anything to be “normal,” to fit in—to fall in love, settle down, have kids. I desperately wanted to be straight. But how?

At about age 12, I began a personal quest to find the “cure” for homosexuality. I made a decision to embark on my own private exodus—to find the way out of homosexuality. My search led me to God. As a senior in High School, I accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior. That decision changed my life forever and I remain a committed evangelical Christian to this day.

Then, in 1974, I found Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim and began work as one of their volunteer hotline counselors. At first, I told no one about my gay feelings. Finally, I had to “come clean.” I told the Hotline director that I was a “Christian homosexual.” He told me there was “absolutely no such thing.” He said that if I was truly a Christian, then I was “ no longer gay in God’s eyes.”

I needed to believe that I was now heterosexual – to “name it and claim it.” God would do the miracle over time. “Keep praying,” they told me. If I had enough faith, I would eventually be “set free.” I wanted it more than anything and sincerely believed it would come true.

At that time, there was no ministry to gays at our mega-church, so my friend, Jim Kaspar and I decided to invent one. In 1975. We created EXIT—which stood for “EX-gay Intervention Team.” (Sort of like “Ghostbusters” – only gay!) We began providing individual counseling sessions, weekly support groups, Bible studies, and prayer meetings. Even though we had absolutely no formal training, and had only been calling ourselves “ex-gay” for a few months, we were suddenly the “experts.”

Pastors and therapists began referring clients to us. We wrote materials on “How To Help The Homosexual” and gave our “testimonies of change” at church conferences and on radio and television talk shows -- including Pat Robertson’s “700 Club.” Robertson kept asking if we thought we had once had “gay demons.” He seemed disappointed when we both told him “no.”

In 1976, we learned of others like us who were setting up small “change” or “deliverance” ministries in their areas. In September of 1976, at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, EXIT hosted the first ever conference of “ex-gays.” A handful of ministry leaders along with approximately 60 delegates voted to form a loose-knit coalition of ministries. We called it EXODUS. We thought that, called like Moses and directed my God, we could and would lead many gays and lesbians to the heterosexual “promised land.”

I need to say that some had a positive, life-changing experience attending our Bible studies and support groups. They experienced God’s love and the welcoming fellowship of others who knew the struggle. There were some real “changes”—but not one of the hundreds of people we counseled became straight.

Instead, many of our clients began to fall apart – sinking deeper into patterns of guilt, anxiety and self-loathing. Why weren’t they “changing”? The answers from church leaders made the pain even worse: “You might not be a real Christian.” “You don’t have enough faith.” “You aren’t praying and reading the Bible enough.” “Maybe you have a demon.” The message always seemed to be: “You’re not enough. You’re not trying hard enough. You don’t have enough faith.”

Some simply dropped out and were never heard from again. I think they were the lucky ones. Others became very self-destructive. One young man got drunk and deliberately drove his car into a tree. Another (a fellow leader of the ex-gay movement) told me that he had left EXODUS and was now going to straight bars – looking for someone to beat him up. He said the beatings made him feel less guilty – atoning for his sin. One of my most dedicated clients, Mark, took a razor blade to his genitals, slashed himself repeatedly, and then poured drain-cleaner on the wounds—because after months of celibacy he had a “fall.”

In the midst of all of this, my own faith in the EXODUS movement was crumbling. No one was really becoming “ex-gay.” Who were we fooling? As one current EXODUS leader admitted, we were just “Christians with homosexual tendencies who would rather not have those tendencies.” By calling ourselves “ex-gay” we were lying to ourselves and to others. We were hurting people.

In 1979, another EXODUS pioneer (Gary Cooper) and I decided to leave EXODUS—and our wives. For years, we had both firmly believed that the EXODUS process would make us straight. Instead, we realized we had fallen in love with each other! We came out publicly against EXODUS in 1991. Our story is featured in the documentary “One Nation Under God.” Gary died of AIDS shortly before the film was completed.

Since then, I have remained one of EXODUS’s most persistent critics – not because I want to “deny hope.” On the contrary, I want to affirm that God loves every person—and that God’s love and forgiveness does indeed change lives. It has certainly changed mine. It just didn’t make me straight. I have found harmony between my sexuality and my spirituality—and I am hopeful that others can do the same. Everyone’s journey is different. My own private exodus has been an incredible journey.

I have lost many friends and lovers to AIDS. I have been fired from two jobs – just for being gay. And five years ago, I survived a violent and senseless hate crime that nearly took my life. I was beaten and then stabbed in the back by gang members yelling, “[wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth][wash my mouth]” as they attacked. My best friend, Jeffery Owens, was not so lucky. He was stabbed in the back five times and bled to death on an operating table.

In spite of all of this, I consider myself a survivor. I am a happy, relatively well-adjusted, evangelical Christian, gay man. I am in a loving committed relationship with a great guy, my partner Richard, and I serve as an Elder in my local Presbyterian church. I love God and I love life.

And I have hope. I believe that we are making headway. Groups like EXODUS will go out of business when people no longer feel that they must deny who they really are, to attempt to become what they really are not.

Until then, for those wonderful people, (gay, ex-gay and ex-ex-gay) who have blessed my life and enriched my journey, I am truly thankful. And to those I may have harmed by my involvement in EXODUS, I am truly sorry.

Michael Bussee was one of the originators of the ex-gay movement. In the mid-1970s, while working as a telephone counselor at Melodyland Christian Center in Anaheim, California, Bussee co-founded the Ex-gay Intervention Team (EXIT) and later hosted an unprecedented conference of ex-gay ministries at which a handful of ministry leaders, along with approximately 60 delegates, voted to form a loose coalition called EXODUS. However, by the end of the decade, Bussee began to doubt the efficacy and ethics of the ex-gay message. Bussee and his ex-gay colleague Gary Cooper made a dramatic departure from Exodus when they publicly declared their love in 1979. Their story is featured in the documentary One Nation Under God. Today Bussee is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist, a father, an evangelical Christian, and a proud gay man.
Public Apolgy from fromer Exodus Leaders