The following is a sort of dialogue...two comments left by "Anonymous", a former participant of Love In Action, and a response from a member of QAC.
ANONYMOUS(in 2 entries): I am a graduate of the 9-month program at Love In Action. But, it's not so much about what Love In Action has done, but what God has done. It is written in God's Word that the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ cleansed and brought to righteousness "homosexual offenders" (1 Cor. 6:9-11). Why would Jesus empower this to happen, and then permit this sanction to be documented for eternity in the Bible?
The Bible commands that we confess Jesus as Lord--not our sexuality as lord--over our lives. Many Christians even have a hard time believing that God would want someone to change from homosexual behaviors and mindsets, but Christians who profess God's salvation over their lives must be willing to acknowledge the truth of Scripture; this is a commandment of the God from whom the ministry of Love In Action draws its direction.
Perhaps the Jesus of the Bible is not the same Jesus this blog refers to. Yes, my Jesus loves gay people and other people unjustly oppressed and ridiculed by society. But I thank God that my Jesus cares enough about me--and anyone who will trust Him--to give me another option.
Does the person supporting the Queer Action Coalition have such freedom? I think not. But God's redemption is available to those who are willing to receive it.
1:59 PM
Bet you didn't count on a story like that....one of truth and non-shame. Shame on you for being judgemental of people who want to and are able to change their lives to glorify and follow Jesus.
7:45 PM
QAC RESPONSE:Dear anonymous...as always, QAC has been, and will continue to be supportive of anyone's personal decision to make these choices for their lives. How can we judge you for making such a choice...if it makes you happy, and through this you feel more whole, and fulfilled...then you may indeed be doing what is right for you, and in that-we support your personal journey. It has never been a mission/goal/stated intent of QAC to condemn such personal choices. Our concerns are for those who are coerced into such places of shame, fear, isolation, and judgement AGAINST THEIR WILL....as their experiences with such programs as Love In Action have been quite different.
We can respect you as a fellow human being, and do not feel it necessary to co-opt, or exploit our personal idea's of a higher power in order to say that we have greater freedom's, opportunities, or understandings than those who may indeed hold quite a different personal understanding of such things. It is our hope that we may, over the process of our amazingly diverse lives, continue to learn and understand things...and from this...may we grow...
We come from this standpoint...It would be wreckless for us to ignore the countless stories of those who have both volluntarily attended LIA, and those teenagers who've been coerced into the REFUGE program...We cannot ignore their experiences. Just as we respect you for your choices, and the happiness it's brought you, hopefully, if only for a moment, you may look at the pain, and suffering many people have experienced inside those walls, and the choices they've made since, which have also brought them fullness, and peace of mind.
We certainly all have choices to make, and with each word...with each action...with each beat of our hearts...there are choices involved...sometimes we make them...sometimes others make them for us...sometimes we just do not have the answers, and do not know what choice to make...so we follow the path that we feel is right for us...we make decisions...and hopefully...we learn from these decisions...about our choices...about our words...about our actions...
In your first comment, you make several very all-knowing, absolute statements which present yourself as having a complete and full understanding of something that billions of people over the passing of time have also professed to have an all-knowing, absolute understanding of, however in many different ways. We can not be certain, but we wonder, if you feel as if YOUR UNDERSTANDING is THE RIGHT ONE, infallibly. It is impossible to know, from reading a comment on a blog, what is behind the words...as i'm sure many emotions, differing understandings, and questions lie. We just aren't sure how to respond....we suppose God may have wanted us to all be understanding...and thus we understand you have your perceptions of HIS word...what can we say, but "we understand", although we may percieve differently the same words, as so many have over the years-errupting in bloody wars, so much oppression, and misguided hate..people die while the argument over who knows the TRUTH plays out, as other people who "know the truth watch the people doing the dying and the killing, and say neither of them are right....but WE are right...we, personally choose not to engage that argument of who's right or wrong at the expense of putting vunerable human beings through a living hell of judgement, shame, fear, self-hatred, or worse...
In your second comment, you wrote:
"Bet you didn't count on a story like that....one of truth and non-shame. Shame on you for being judgemental of people who want to and are able to change their lives to glorify and follow Jesus".
Fortunately we've had the great experience of speaking to so many former clients of Love In Action, as well, one of QAC's organizers has had the opportunity to sit at length with John Smid. It is rather fortunate, because we are quite aware of the love and care that is experienced there at Love In Action. We are quite aware of the good intentions, and have never tried to demonize those involved. That's just it....we too, speak stories of truth, and thus understand the heart which exists inside everyone's personal truth...
We too, come with love. We too are fulfilled, we are whole, just, kind, and aware. You see, this may just be where we differ. It is our opinion that you are us, and we are you...That your Jesus, could indeed be our Jesus...just as ours, may also be yours...It is our perception that this life we're living-that we're working towards, working for so hard-everyday...is a life worth living...and that WE ARE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE...capable of understanding...of learning from what has come before us...from what we experience day in and day out...from both what we are...and what we will become.
We stand in love, when we stand and say "we support you", and when we come out there this coming monday, please be assured, when we hold sign's that read "we support you", and "be as you are"...not only are we speaking to those teenagers inside who may be forced there against their will...but we're also speaking to the person that they'll be once they leave...just as we are speaking to you.
Hopefully, you will understand when we feel the love in our hearts for those whose experiences have been different from yours, that this is not in spite of you...but merely out of our own love ....just as real, worthy, whole, and alive...
These individuals, their experiences, and where it had led them to this moment, may not look exactly like yours...but surely "your Jesus" would not ask every human being to live by YOUR personal understanding.....perhaps your understanding is not the correct one...as I'm quite sure those of us who make up QAC have plenty to learn about our personal understandings of life...
Maybe...hopefully...eventually...if not NOW...we may learn to embrace these different understandings...as opposed to forcing others to see it our way...
Be well.