 HELP FOR THE HOMOSEXUAL WHO WANT HELP... (25 views)
From:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)    Nov-13 2:40 am  
To:  ALL    
 
  743.1  
 
See: 
www.anchorhelp.com 

A Publication of Hope for Christians 
Struggling with Homosexuality 

---------- 

Historic Gay Advocate 
Now Believes Change is Possible 

Linda Ames Nicolosi, Writer and Editor of NARTH 

The psychiatrist who led the team that deleted homosexuality from the diagnostic manual in 1973, now says homosexuality may sometimes be changeable. 

His provocative new study drew worldwide media attention at the American psychiatric Association's annual conference on May 9th. 

Dr. Robert L. Spitzer's study was funded by his department's research unit. He is Professor of Psychiatry and Chief of Biometrics at Columbia University. "Like most psychiatrists," says Dr. Spitzer, "I thought that homosexual behavior could be resisted--but that no one could really change their sexual orientation. I now believe that's untrue--some people can and do change." 

Most mental-health associations have recently issued warnings about therapy to change sexual orientation. Homosexual fantasies and feelings can be renounced or resisted, most clinicians agree--but not transformed. But in a panel discussion at the annual A.P.A. meeting, Spitzer released the evidence for his conclusions. He reported interviewing 200 subjects (143 men and 57 women) who were willing to describe their sexual and emotional histories, including their self-reported shift from gay to straight. 

Dr. Spitzer is best recognized in psychiatric history for his scientific role in 1973--he led the team that investigated whether homosexuality should be removed from the psychiatric manual. He drew bitter criticism during that historic event from psychoanalysts who sought to retain homosexuality among the list of disorders. Since then, Dr. Spitzer had been convinced that sexual orientation is unchangeable. But on the opening day of the American Psychiatric Association's annual conference two years ago--in 1999--he was drawn to a group of ex-gays staging a demonstration at the entrance to the conference building. The picketers were objecting to the A.P.A.'s recent resolution discouraging therapy to change homosexuality to heterosexuality. They carried placards saying, "Homosexuals Can Change--We Did--Ask Us!" Others said, "Don't Affirm Me into a Lifestyle that was Killing Me Physically and Spiritually," and "The APA Has Betrayed America with Politically Correct Science." Some of the psychiatrists tore up the literature handed out to them by the protesters. But others stopped to offer the protesters a few quiet words of encouragement. 

Dr. Spitzer was skeptical, but he decided to find out for himself if sexual orientation was changeable. He developed a 45-minute telephone interview which he personally administered to all the subjects. Most had been referred to him by The National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality and by Exodus, a ministry for homosexual strugglers. To be eligible for the study, the subjects had to experience a significant shift from homosexual to heterosexual attraction which had lasted for at least five years. 

Most of the subjects said their religious faith was very important in their lives, and about three-quarters of the men and half of the women had been heterosexually married by the time of the study. Most had sought change because a gay lifestyle had been emotionally unsatisfying. Many had been disturbed by promiscuity, stormy relationships, a conflict with their religious values, and the desire to be (or to stay) heterosexually married. 

Typically, the effort to change did not produce significant results for the first two years. Subjects said they were helped by examining their family and childhood experiences, and understanding how those factors might have contributed to their gender identity and sexual orientation. Same-sex mentoring relationships, behavior-therapy techniques and group therapy were also mentioned as particularly helpful. To the researchers' surprise, good heterosexual functioning was reportedly achieved by 67% of the men who had rarely or never felt any opposite-sex attraction before the change process. Nearly all the subjects said they now feel more masculine (in the case of men) or more feminine (women). "Contrary to conventional wisdom," Spitzer concluded, "some highly motivated individuals, using a variety of change efforts, can make substantial change in multiple indicators of sexual orientation, and achieve good heterosexual functioning." He added that change from homosexual to heterosexual is not usually a matter of "either/or," but exists on a continuum--that is, a diminishing of homosexuality and an expansion of heterosexual potential that is exhibited in widely varying degrees. 

But, Dr. Spitzer said, his findings suggest that complete change--cessation of all homosexual fantasies and attractions (which is generally considered an unrealistic goal in most therapies) is probably quite uncommon. Still, when subjects did not actually change sexual orientation--for example, their change had been one of behavioral control and self-identity, but no significant shift in attractions--they still reported an improvement in overall emotional health and functioning. 

This study is believed to be the most detailed investigation of sexual orientation change to date, in that it assessed a variety of homosexual indicators. Previous studies have usually assessed only one or two dimensions of sexual orientation, such as behavior and attraction. The assessment tool was developed with the assistance of New York psychiatrist Dr. Richard C. Friedman. Dr. Spitzer used a structured interview so that others could know exactly what questions were asked, and what response choices were offered to the subjects. The full data file is now available to other researchers, including tape-recordings of about a third of the interviews, which (with the subjects' permission and without any reference to their names) can be listened to by investigators who wish to carry such research further. He expressed his gratitude to the National Association of Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), and to the ex-gay ministry Exodus, "without which this study would not have been possible." American Psychiatric Association president Daniel Borenstein was asked by the Washington Post to comment on the recent Spitzer study. "There are a group of people who think all homosexual behavior must be changed...and they try to impose their values [on gay men and lesbians}, which is inappropriate," he said. 

Dr. Spitzer agreed that this study should not be used to justify coercion. Nor should it be used as an argument for the denial of civil rights. "But patients should have the right," Spitzer stated, "to explore their heterosexual potential."  

********************************************************** 





~ CHOICES. ~


 
-----------------------------
* He is looking for REALITY: not pretense! * 


Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

but the wicked shall do wickedly:

and none of the wicked shall understand; 

--> but the wise shall understand. <-- 


---> Isaiah 54:15-17 * Psalm 35:1-8,22,23 * <---
*LenBenHear/FranknSense/SEE: Romans 8:14 + John 3:8 and

~~~ I Cor.1:15-16; 4:3-5 ~~~

VINCIT OMNIA VERITAS: * There is a time for mercy...and a time for Judgement. * - (which one you get depends upon your honesty and humility before GOD)


sanctification. 




==================================

and YOU will be EITHER the cross on His right...or the cross on His left. - they symbolize the whole of humanity in relation to Him: The Savior and Judge of every soul. THIS I declare to you in the authority of His Name and Word: you are EITHER {and WILL be either} one or the other. ~ Selah. {pause and ponder that very carefully} for it is an ETERNAL TRUTH.
 
From:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)    Nov-13 2:42 am  
To:  ALL   (2 of 7)  
 
  743.2 in reply to 743.1  
 
and then this very biblical perspective: 
The book of Genesis and the Gospel accounts teach that God created humans heterosexual. They also teach that marriage between male and female is a divine institution and that fidelity between one man and one woman is the Creators expressed will and intentionsupported by many other passages in Gods Word. 

A homosexual relationship contradicts the Creators principles and purposes concerning human sexuality. That is why biblical law strongly condemns it 
in the book of Leviticus (18:22; 20:13), 
and the apostle Paul goes on to sternly warn against 
its practice in several of his New Testament epistles 
(Romans 1:24-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:8-10). 

The Church and human sexuality 

By quoting Deuteronomy 8:3, Jesus Christ clearly showed that the Church must base its teachings on the entire Bible (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4). The apostle Paul called this "the whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Human beings are told to live by every Word of God. The Church is not free to selectively pick and choose biblical principles and passages according to the dictates and current fashions of our modern world or our frail human nature. 

That said, Jesus Christ said: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance" (Matthew 9:13). So biblical teaching also requires the Church to wholeheartedly accept truly repentant sinners, whether they have been idolaters, fornicators, homosexuals or guilty of any other sins contrary to sound biblical doctrine. 

All are guilty of having broken Gods great spiritual law, the Ten Commandmentssummarized by Jesus Christ as loving God above all and loving others as much as we love ourselves. 

In principle, the Seventh Commandment covers all forms of sexual immorality and unchastity. In regard to several major sins, including homosexuality (all threatening our entrance into the Kingdom of God), the apostle Paul said this to Christians: "Such were some of you. But you were washed [by the blood of Christ, Revelation 7:14], but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). 

Later in this chapter Paul tells us to "flee sexual immorality." Then he explains that "every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body" (verse 18). The strong implication is that this form of sin can be very difficult to fully overcome. 

Often people have been raised in a dysfunctional home environment they could not control, which left them susceptible to sexual sins. In light of this, Gods ministers compassionately help Christians to conquer wrong sexual inclinations of whatever nature. The United Church of God provides a compassionate ministry to help educate, comfort and assist Christian men and women in surmounting this challenging personal issue. We offer a publication titled Anchor, a magazine of hope for Christians struggling with homosexuality. More information about Anchor can be found at its Web site, 

www.anchorhelp.com. 

---------- 


~ CHOICES. ~


 
-----------------------------
* He is looking for REALITY: not pretense! * 


Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

but the wicked shall do wickedly:

and none of the wicked shall understand; 

--> but the wise shall understand. <-- 


---> Isaiah 54:15-17 * Psalm 35:1-8,22,23 * <---
*LenBenHear/FranknSense/SEE: Romans 8:14 + John 3:8 and

~~~ I Cor.1:15-16; 4:3-5 ~~~

VINCIT OMNIA VERITAS: * There is a time for mercy...and a time for Judgement. * - (which one you get depends upon your honesty and humility before GOD)


sanctification. 




==================================

and YOU will be EITHER the cross on His right...or the cross on His left. - they symbolize the whole of humanity in relation to Him: The Savior and Judge of every soul. THIS I declare to you in the authority of His Name and Word: you are EITHER {and WILL be either} one or the other. ~ Selah. {pause and ponder that very carefully} for it is an ETERNAL TRUTH. 
 
  
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  From:  IM4GIVN2   Dec-5 10:37 pm  
To:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)   (3 of 7)  
 
  743.3 in reply to 743.2  
 
There is help for the homo-sexual, His Name is Jesus! For whom the son sets free is free indeed! 
Jesus forgave the prostitute and did not condemn her! Then after that Jesus said, GO and sin no more! Anotherwards, stop being a prostitute now! Do we continue in those sins because we are under grace? God Forbid!
 
  
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  From:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)    Dec-9 9:12 pm  
To:  IM4GIVN2   (4 of 7)  
 
  743.4 in reply to 743.3  
 
right. be sure to walk in it. 
Shalom. 


~ CHOICES. ~


 
-----------------------------
* He is looking for REALITY: not pretense! * 


Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

but the wicked shall do wickedly:

and none of the wicked shall understand; 

--> but the wise shall understand. <-- 


---> Isaiah 54:15-17 * Psalm 35:1-8,22,23 * <---
*LenBenHear/FranknSense/SEE: Romans 8:14 + John 3:8 and

~~~ I Cor.1:15-16; 4:3-5 ~~~

VINCIT OMNIA VERITAS: * There is a time for mercy...and a time for Judgement. * - (which one you get depends upon your honesty and humility before GOD)


sanctification. 




==================================

and YOU will be EITHER the cross on His right...or the cross on His left. - they symbolize the whole of humanity in relation to Him: The Savior and Judge of every soul. THIS I declare to you in the authority of His Name and Word: you are EITHER {and WILL be either} one or the other. ~ Selah. {pause and ponder that very carefully} for it is an ETERNAL TRUTH. 
 
  
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  From:  IM4GIVN2   Dec-9 11:41 pm  
To:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)   (5 of 7)  
 
  743.5 in reply to 743.4  
 
I am making my calling and election sure! :) 
  
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  From:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)    Dec-10 1:22 am  
To:  IM4GIVN2   (6 of 7)  
 
  743.6 in reply to 743.5  
 
Praise God, sister! you are so right! - the fruit of the 
walk is the PROOF of the calling! 
God bless. 

Len 


~ CHOICES. ~


-----------------------------
* He is looking for REALITY: not pretense! * 


Daniel 12:10: Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried;

but the wicked shall do wickedly:

and none of the wicked shall understand; 

--> but the wise shall understand. <-- 


*LenBenHear/FranknSense/SEE: Romans 8:14 + John 3:8 and
~~~ I Cor.1:15-16; 4:3-5 ~~~

VINCIT OMNIA VERITAS: * There is a time for mercy...and a time for Judgement. * - (which one you get depends upon your honesty and humility before GOD)


sanctification. 




==================================

and YOU will be EITHER the cross on His right...or the cross on His left. - they symbolize the whole of humanity in relation to Him: The Savior and Judge of every soul. THIS I declare to you in the authority of His Name and Word: you are EITHER {and WILL be either} one or the other. ~ Selah. {pause and ponder that very carefully} for it is an ETERNAL TRUTH. 
 
  
   Options  Reply Delete Edit   
Rate 
  
    
 


   From:  IM4GIVN2   Dec-10 6:39 pm  
To:  LenBenHEAR/LIFE_or_death:SEE: John 3:36 (franknsense)   (7 of 7)  
 
  743.7 in reply to 743.6  
 
LOL! God Bless you! My dad used to say its in the proof of the pudding! LOL! 
Rose
 
  
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