Why change? Our survey says… July 14, 2006
Posted by Rasheed Eldin in Ex-Gay.trackback
Just thought I’d point readers in the direction of this interesting survey done by People Can Change, which found “personal values” among the top reasons for people to try and rid themselves of SSA, while the bottom of the pile was “outside pressure from others”.
Survey on Factors Motivating Desire to Change
Ah yes, but look who ran the survey, an ex-gay group. When I was an ex-gay involved in a group, i would have responded similarly. I wouldn’t have been dishonest; I just didn’t yet take the time to explore why I was trying to straighten myself out.
As a religious person, I view the “gay community” with suspicion which was only reinforced by what I was taught in my faith community.
You have a point, but I worry when people wish to portray people in this situation (i.e. “Homo No Mo”, as you call it!) as nothing more than naive, even self-unaware (let alone self-hating). It is also unfair to consider people within a faith community as following uncritically other people’s opinions or way of portraying things.
I think that is why it is important for us to tell our stories honestly and vulnerably to share our faith along with our struggles with same-sex attractions.
Most people I know who have sought ex-gay experiences have done so in good faith with a genuine desire to serve God. The thing for many of us though is that in our faith communties we are often encouraged to follow our leaders more than our God. It is not said that way, but it can come down to that.
I trust that many of our leaders mean well, but often they represent a heterosexual bias that reinforces their beliefs that same-sex attractions and romantic relationships between people of the same sex are wrong. Most have not spent the time seeking the wisdom of God on the matter.