Pray the Gay Away.....

[ctozrn]

Sarah Palin's church will be holding a "Pray the Gay Away" conference.

http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/USElecti...676926-ap.html

This made a tiny little blurb on page 5 of my local paper.

[Daniel]

http://www.salon.com/wires/ap/2008/0...ays/index.html

Palin church promotes converting gays
By RACHEL D'ORO Associated Press Writer

Sep 5th, 2008 | ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Gov. Sarah Palin's church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.

"You'll be encouraged by the power of God's love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality," according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.

Palin's conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain's candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples.

Focus on the Family, a national Christian fundamentalist organization, is conducting the "Love Won Out" Conference in Anchorage, about 30 miles from Wasilla.

Palin, campaigning with McCain in the Midwest on Friday, has not publicly expressed a view on the so-called "pray away the gay" movement. Larry Kroon, senior pastor at Palin's church, was not available to discuss the matter Friday, said a church worker who declined to give her name.

Gay activists in Alaska said Palin has not worked actively against their interests, but early in her administration she supported a bill to overrule a court decision to block state benefits for gay partners of public employees. At the time, less than one-half of 1 percent of state employees had applied for the benefits, which were ordered by a 2005 ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court.

Palin reversed her position and vetoed the bill after the state attorney general said it was unconstitutional. But her reluctant support didn't win fans among Alaska's gay population, said Scott Turner, a gay activist in Anchorage.

"Less than 1 percent of state employees would even apply for benefits, so why make a big deal out of such a small number?" he said.

"I think gay Republicans are going to run away" if Palin supports efforts like the prayers to convert gays, said Wayne Besen, founder of the New York-based Truth Wins Out, a gay rights advocacy group. Besen called on Palin to publicly express her views now that she's a vice presidential nominee.

"People are looking at Sarah Palin as someone who might feasibly be in the White House," he said.

(This version CORRECTS that Palin has attended for about six years.)

Palin has gone on record as saying that she has gay friends. But what kind of friend has she been to those friends?

[Emproph]

Originally Posted by Daniel

Palin has gone on record as saying that she has gay friends. But what kind of friend has she been to those friends?

I know. Some of my best friends are anti-gay bigots. They graffiti my house with anti-gay slurs, slash my car tires, steal my mail - then we sit around, have a beer, and we laugh and we laugh and we laugh…

[labguy22]

Wow! "Pray the Gay Away" ... Sounds like a South Park episode

These are the same people who are Pro-Life and Pro-Death penalty, right??? Guess we can't expect rational from irrational

[Emproph]

You'd think they'd do a Google search first.

This is from a couple of months ago from the protest in Orlando, but still relevant:

PFLAG Protests Ex-Gay Love Won Out Conference

@ the 5:39 mark:

“My name is Lynn Mulder, I am Ryan Skipper’s stepfather, and Ryan was murdered last year because of his sexuality. My stepson Ryan was gay, and it is important to me to speak out to the ex-gay ministry, because people are who they are, and they don’t have to be changed to be loved.

~~~

My name is Elke Kennedy and I’m from Greenville South Carolina. My son Sean was murdered last year, in a hate crime. The person hated him so much, even though he did not know him. So, um, I go out and come to these things, is to let people know that a) people don’t choose this lifestyle. God knows people before they’re ever born, and God is not wrong.

So, my son loved God, he had a good relationship with God, and these ministries do so much damage to children. I have a stepson who had gone through this program, and who has suffered, emotionally, for years because of it.

So, I’m here today, to make sure that we get our message out. It is that unconditional love is the way to go. This is what you’re supposed to do, and not just as a parent, but also as pastors, and people that go to church.”

From what I've learned about these organizations, Wasilla Bible Church isn't just promoting 'Love Won Out's' "pray away the gay" program, they're promoting murder.

[Daniel]

Thanks Patrick. Powerful stuff that you've posted.

[RedneckDyke]

This disappoints me. And here I thought me and Gov. Palin could be buddies since we both like to hunt and all. I got news for the people there at the congregation. I tried to pray the gay away for myself and I'm here to tell you IT DON'T WORK.

I went and protested a Love Won Out conference once. There was a guy there with a little dog. The dog wore a sign that said "ex-cat". Point being it makes about as much sense trying to change a cat to a dog as trying to change who people are.

[tymejumper]

Palin has gone on record as saying that she has gay friends. But what kind of friend has she been to those friends?

Well with friends like those, who need enemies????

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by RedneckDyke

I went and protested a Love Won Out conference once. There was a guy there with a little dog. The dog wore a sign that said "ex-cat".

Rick

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by RedneckDyke

I went and protested a Love Won Out conference once. There was a guy there with a little dog. The dog wore a sign that said "ex-cat". Point being it makes about as much sense trying to change a cat to a dog as trying to change who people are.

That's hilariously, but.....wouldn't it make more sense if the sign said, "ex-dog"? Because, it's obvious he's still a dog.

Rick

[tdogg]

So, perhaps we should start a Pray the Bigot Away organization, to help all those bigots out there change. Do you think it's possible? Could God really be that powerful? I hold out hope. But I'm not holding my breath!

[u-dog]

Originally Posted by tdogg

So, perhaps we should start a Pray the Bigot Away organization, to help all those bigots out there change. Do you think it's possible? Could God really be that powerful? I hold out hope. But I'm not holding my breath!

Wouldn't it need to actually rhyme though? maybe ... hmmm... "Let's Shut off the Bigot spigot?" Ok ... maybe not.

[tdogg]

Got bigot?

Sorry U, can't think of a darn thing that rhymes at this point of my day!! I do kinda like yours.

[Emproph]

Originally Posted by tdogg

So, perhaps we should start a Pray the Bigot Away organization, to help all those bigots out there change. Do you think it's possible? Could God really be that powerful? I hold out hope. But I'm not holding my breath!

Here's one from Joe Brummer parodying the Love Won Out Billboards:

[Rick336]

Last night Jay Leno talked about the "pray the gay away" in Palin's church and got a huge laugh response from the audience.

Rick

[Gennee]

Originally Posted by RedneckDyke

This disappoints me. And here I thought me and Gov. Palin could be buddies since we both like to hunt and all. I got news for the people there at the congregation. I tried to pray the gay away for myself and I'm here to tell you IT DON'T WORK.

I went and protested a Love Won Out conference once. There was a guy there with a little dog. The dog wore a sign that said "ex-cat". Point being it makes about as much sense trying to change a cat to a dog as trying to change who people are.

Your right, RedneckDyke. I tried praying my transgender urges away. No go. I accepted who I was and have never been happier.

Gennee

[tymejumper]

Gennee,

I think maybe most of us out there tried to pray the gay away.

I said to myself, "Satan, get thee behind me" and you know what he said back? "yeah that chick looks really hot from this angle too!"


Sometimes you have to laugh at ignorance, otherwise i'm afraid I'd cry.

[alstone77]

If "praying the gay away" worked, I might be married already!

[antiochian]

I prayed for God to "change" me. He answered--he made my lisp stronger.

[Rick336]

Originally Posted by antiochian

I prayed for God to "change" me. He answered--he made my lisp stronger.

You're lucky. I asked him to change me and the next morning I woke up with antlers and a red nose.

Rick