A New Twist To The "Gay" Debate
I’m wondering why this isn’t getting more attention…
An organization of pediatricians has come out against the theory that people are born homosexual.
Physicians Caution Educators on Dealing with Sexual Orientation and Gender Confusion
The American College of Pediatricians cautions educators about the management of students experiencing same-sex attraction or exhibiting symptoms of gender confusion.  These concerns are outlined in a letter and fact sheet sent by College president Thomas Benton, MD, to all 14, 800 school district superintendents in the U.S. Dr. Benton also alerts them to a new Web resource, FactsAboutYouth.com, which was created by a coalition of health professionals to provide factual information to educators, parents, and students about sexual development.
âAs pediatricians, our primary interest is in the health and well-being of children and youth,â Dr. Den Trumbull, Vice President of the College explains. âWe are increasingly concerned that in too many instances, misinformation or incorrect assumptions are guiding well-intentioned educators to adopt policies that are actually harmful to those youth dealing with sexual confusion.â
The College reminds school superintendents that it is not uncommon for adolescents to experience transient confusion about their sexual orientation and that most students will ultimately adopt a heterosexual orientation if not otherwise encouraged. For this reason, schools should not seek to develop policy which âaffirmsâ or encourages these non-heterosexual attractions among students who may merely be experimenting or experiencing temporary sexual confusion. Such premature labeling can lead some adolescents to engage in homosexual behaviors that carry serious physical and mental health risks.
There is no scientific evidence that anyone is born gay or transgendered. Therefore, the College further advises that schools should not teach or imply to students that homosexual attraction is innate, always life-long and unchangeable. Research has shown that therapy to restore heterosexual attraction can be effective for many people.
Optimal health and respect for all students can only be achieved within a school by first respecting the rights of students and parents to accurate information and to self-determination. It is the schoolâs legitimate role to provide a safe environment for respectful self-expression for all students. It is not the schoolâs role to diagnose or attempt to treat any studentâs medical condition, and certainly not the schoolâs role to âaffirmâ a studentâs perceived personal sexual orientation.
The American College of Pediatricians is a national organization of pediatricians and other healthcare professionals dedicated to the health and well-being of children. The College produces sound policy, based upon the best available research, to assist parents and to influence society in the endeavor of childrearing.
Under an article entitled “Quick Facts“ is this statement;
By the late 1980âs gay, lesbian, and bisexual activists began to successfully employ strategies to radically change Americaâs perception of homosexual behavior.
The true facts are:
Homosexual attraction of young students is usually temporary (if not encouraged) and may be unwanted.
The homosexual lifestyle carries grave health risks, especially for males.
For unwanted sexual attractions, therapy to restore heterosexual attraction has proven effective and harmless.
âWhen compared with heterosexual men, men who have sex with men are 44 times more likely to be diagnosed with HIV, and 46 times more likely to contract syphilis.â Read here for more facts and statistics from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Sexual Orientation is Not Fixed. The National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) addresses this topic.
Gay, lesbian, and bisexual students are not born that way. The most recent, extensive, and scientifically sound research finds that the primary factor in the development of homosexuality is environmental not genetic.1,2,3,4,5
As this controversy rages inside the church and out, what should our response be to articles and research of this nature?
FIRST.
Interesting article.
“As this controversy rages inside the church and out, what should our response be to articles and research of this nature?”
We need to consider the scientific evidence and reevaluate our positions, and test our beliefs about the issue, if presented with strong evidence.
I wonder if the same standard we discussed in the creation/evolution issue (about not being a scientist) will be applied to all the homosexual activists (who are not pediatricians) when they tear into this report – assuming of course the report actually gets mainstream press.
As an educator and budding administrator, I will be reading the articles with interest, making copies, and visiting with appropriate staff regarding the implications. Research based decision-making is all the rage in Education currently, and likely well into the next generation, so balanced, well-researched material from reputable organizations will be invaluable in providing helpful direction to students.
The American College of Pediatricians:
http://americancollegeofpediatricians.org/About-Us/
Mission, Vision and Core Values look good to me…
These are the kinds of organizations that need support and affirmation, IMO, from the Christian Community.
i won’t pontificate here, and will concede that the issue isn’t black and white – but when i was raising my children the American College of Pediatricians was a group to be trusted
Interesting that this gets posted the day the media reports that Jennifer Knapp comes out of the closet…
Last week there was an article about a Jr. High have a “gay club” and I thought, “how in the world does a child of 12-14 know he/she is gay? W
I am glad to know that common sense is speaking instead of PC speak. However, I don’t think it will get much airplay on the media.
I thought the OC register article comparing Kempner to Lonnie Frisbe made a very interesting point. Kempner soliciting a prostitute does not disqualify him from ministry but Lonnie being a homosexual writes him out of CC history. Very interesting.
Pineapple head, I was just thinking that…
For my part, as a parent of two teenagers – I think schools, both Christian and public spend WAY too much time addressing the issues related to sex and sexual orientation. My daughter (who now goes to a public charter) was talking the other day about how the Baptist school she went to as a freshman brought it up all the time, in Bible class, science classes, English and history classes. I read a study reported how many times teenagers think about sex in a given day – it’s no wonder when practically every segment of the curriculum deals with it.
I’m not against all forms of sex ed in school but it seems like the schools have become overly focused on the subject.
“Lonnie being a homosexual writes him out of CC history.”
Yes, regardless of how Science comes down on the issue of homosexuality…there is a Hierarchy of Sin within large parts of the church…I still believe that.
Jennifer Knapp has come out as being gay. Very interesting article…
http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/music/interviews/2010/jenniferknapp-apr10.html
I’m still waiting for the Truly Reformed to tell me how to think about this topic. đ
Jennifer Knapp, that is đ
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this is very upsetting…
from the interview from Ebrothers link….
“In the lyrics to that song, who is the you when you sing, “Holding onto you is a menace to my soul”?
Knapp: It changes nightly…. Some days I’m singing to God, like You’re a menace, man.”
***i wonât pontificate here, and will concede that the issue isnât black and white â but when i was raising my children the American College of Pediatricians was a group to be trusted***
I’m not completely positive, but I think you might be confusing the American College of Pediatricians with the American Academy of Pediatricians. The American Academy of Pediatricians has been around since the 1930s, but the American College of Pediatricians was only founded back in late 2002/early 2003 which seems like it would be a little too recent for it to be the group you are thinking about.
I thought Knapp’s interview was candid and vulnerable. Worth the read. The ‘issue’ is more complex than most are willing to admit or wrestle with. Anyway, I printed copies of a number of pages from the thread’s article in question and we discussed it in my university class tonight. Each student and the prof was surprised at the statement, but supportive of its content. It led to some very interesting discussion.
Fil… great that you had a discussion at the university.
Also Fil said, “The âissueâ is more complex than most are willing to admit or wrestle with.”
Yup.
Would the debate be different if the person being elevated here wasn’t cute perky and s*xy like Knapp? I notice we forgive good looking people and “hot” women before others. Why is that?
Jessica reminded me to remember that what is is and what was isn’t đ in certain areas
never, never, never assume… ah me, i’ll never learn that lesson in this life or the next…
Bob,
Whether anyone likes it or not…that’s a valid question.
“âLonnie being a homosexual writes him out of CC history.â
Can we please be done with this canard? I’ve known about Lonnie Frisbee from the time I 1st started praying about becoming a CC pastor, and I didn’t know *anything* about CC prior to 2002. Lonnie is hardly a cover-up in CC history.
Maybe it was that way at one time, but those days (if they ever existed) are long gone.
The issues of Knapp, Frisbee and others help provide a window into my own sin and rebellion, do I have something I cling to and do my best to justify, but yet I find God saying something different?
Tim, maybe calling it a cover up is too strong of a statement, but they did and still do try to hush it up. When my husband was at the School of Ministry more than one person asked him if he knew or ministered with Lonnie Frisbee. When he would ask who Lonnie was, the basic response was along the lines of, oh never mind he was just some guy in the early days of the movement.
The same people that asked him if he knew Lonnie would then blow it off like that?
That is weird…You wonder why someone would ask him about Lonnie in the first place with that sort of attitude. Why bring the guy up or care who ministered with him?
jlo –
Obviously you & your husband experienced something that’s different than what is experienced today. Lonnie has been mentioned several times from the platform at the Sr. Pastor’s Conference, over CC blogs, email listservers & more.
Bob, with all due respect, it’s not my place to forgive her. Nor am I giving her a free pass. I’m simply saying blanket condemnation ignores too many things, blanket forgiveness does too. Our broken-ness manifests itself in a multitude of ways and this is an example that deserves a degree of sadness and doses of prayer. Yes, she’s an attractive person, but that doesn’t excuse anything, nor does her notoriety, talent, or celebrity. Our prayers are more powerful than our disagreement or condemnation.
Let me rephrase for clarity. When I write “CC blogs,” I should probably keep that in singular. I don’t read too many CC blogs, but I know of at least one that has referenced Lonnie in the past.
Tim, thatâs actually good to hear, the time frame I reference was 2001, 2002. (?)
AV, my guess is it was all about attitude. At that time my husband looked like the quintessential longed haired, tattooed, hippie Jesus freak. He actually had a guy stop him in the parking lot one day to pray with him about his clothing choices.
Why isn’t this getting more press?
Well, it took me about 2 minutes on the internet to see that this is a group (American College of Pediatricians) with a conservative agenda.
OK, sorry to use “conservative” and “agenda” but it’s the quickest way to state it.
This group does not appear to be a large group of pediatricians who have collectively decided to address this issue. Rather, this appears to be a group who are promoting a particular message.
OK, another disclaimer. I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with anything they say. I’m just pointing out one reason why this press release is not getting the attention some might think it deserves.
ACPeds was founded in 2002 by a group of pediatricians, including former president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Dr. Joseph Zanga, who were concerned about the AAP’s stances on a number of issues
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http://www.acpeds.org/ (one can read what they stand for here)
philberts:
You totally lost me!
If we are all being honest, would we be inclined to handle attractive homosexual women different than men in our circles? How about in a divorce situation, who do most people assume is at fault?
Why is it this way?
bob,
beats me. guess we’re both lost.
Late to this discussion – been busy- This sounds like a group with an agenda. The American Academy of Pediatricians would not agree with them. It’s hard enough for so many adolescents to discover they are gay – those who are gay often need support in dealing with it. It is often very stressful for them – who would choose that stress?
Thursday was Gay Day at the high school I work at. How wicked an agenda to have adults promote and lie to children that it is normal to desire the same sex. The children were encouraged to take a vow of silence for the day to protest the bullying and discrimination that homosexuals must deal within American culture. The queer twist to this is that by having children playing the victim the adults make demands that they could not normally get attention with. By using the normal process of teens growing into an awareness of their own sexuality they use them for their own political motives. Unless they have children tape their mouths (literally) pushing pads of paper and pencil instead of speaking they involve all people in the everyday work of the day. At the end of the school day there was a rally for the children that participated on the patio. Wheeeee! Another ploy to organize and recruit confused young people to a life style that agrees with adults who have a twist on what is right and wrong and tell those that are young and developing how good it is to be “gay”. How sad.