Palin's church believes in "praying away the gay"

NoH8

Here's the link-  http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/09/06/palins-church-promoting-conference-aimed-at-converting-gays/  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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well adjusted GLBT folks don't think there's anything wrong with their sexual orientation or themselves because they're gay. These type groups go after the same type people the Moonies used to go after, people who are lost in their lives and seeking to fit in and feel a sense of family/community. They don't go after people who are happy with who they are.

They just don't get that sexuality is inborn, not something that's a sin or that needs to be prayed over. If I was being reincarnated, I'd rather be reincarted gay than heterosexual.

wishiwere

Wow....srange things that come out when politics is involved hey?

I guess my only thought is that yes, I consider myself Catholic.  Do I believe in everything the Catholic church teaches?  Not by a long shot.  Well, I was going to state some of them but by far, there are just too many...maybe that's why I quit actually Going to church?

Anyway...I would hate to think that just because I enter a church to pray to my Lord God, that I would be held up as believing in each thing a preacher preaches on, you know what I mean? I haven't read or followed this on either her church or Obama's situation back when his preacher was causing waves....to me, it's not important, it is importan what THEY themselves believe, so it will be interesting to see what she has to say in response to what is being asked by the questions now raised a result.

As for the insurance and bennies for couples...I wonder this...and haven't ever seen it, but maybe you can tell me?  Just curious, b/c I have many family members from both the 'living together as heteros' and some from the 'gay couples living together' also.  At what point do they consider them a 'couple' and get these bennies?  Do they have to go through a process of 'marriage' and divorce as hetero married couples?  OR what?  I imagine it would be a really difficult thing to control who gets it and who doesn't?  What about these couples how change partners so often as my dd's friend. Always a new guy living with her?  Would her live-ins qualify for bennies?

Thanks if you have an answer...it's always been a question I could never get an answer to.

GayleB

geez, just how crazy can this world get!  I am so tired of super-conservatives who refuse to recognize the rights of others.  Ah, well, I am to irritated to argue.  Like you, I am Catholic, but don't agree, or follow, all the dictates.  Nevertheless, the "world" sees the church affiliation and they categorize us. 

Wish, I am sure there are others here who are better able to answer your questions.  All I can say is that when people are in a truly committed relationship, then their rights as a couple should be recognized.  I have watched my sister struggle for years with this problem--jumping through legal hoops to be able to care for her partner who died of colon cancer.  Fortunately, for both of them, they have families who understand and support them, so that wasn't a problem.  But the rest of the world can be.  I do agree that it is what the person says themselves that is important, but, so far, I haven't seen anything from Palin to offset these statements.  Hopefully, they will be forthcoming. 

Someday, we will live in a world where it is the quality of a person's character that matters, not the color, church, or sexuality.  And cancer is just an unpleasant memory. 

NoH8

wishiwere- there needs to be some type of marriage, civil union or other commitment ceremony just like heterosexuals. Divorce would actually be a benefit of legalized marriage because in many cases the partners don';t have the legal rights to benefits, child custody, pensions etc that heterosexual counterparts. To me the difference between living together heterosexuals is that they have the choice to marry and get the rights/penalties of marriage where their homosexual counterparts do not.  I do not think gays should get benefits that their heterosexual counterparts cannot get. Marriage and civil unions are the same to me. Gay couples shouldn't get benefits just because they're living together unless there is a legal union, providing there is one available.

I have yet to hear about a rush of gays to pretend they are couples to try to get benefit, although I did hear about that movie I NOW PRONOUNCE YOU CHUCK AND LARRY.

Gayle, I tend to disagree with you about the catholic thing and being pigeon holed. There are a large number of catholics in this country and in the world and we probably all know some who are more aligned with the exact rules of the pope than others. I never think just because the pope says something that every catholic believes it. The thing is that Palin hasn't given any interviews or been questioned about anything yet, in my opinion, and yeah I want to know if her thoughts about homosexuality and rights include playing to cure us.

wishiwere

Thanks for explaining that, Amy. I guess I didn't understand it, b/c I've never had. Head in the sand.  I know my sister who lives with, owns a home with and is planning to marry wishes there were more for her and her beau in ohio also.  Just never got into it with to understand what it entailed.  Then again, it's been a whole long time since either dh or I had jobs where bennies were provided as we do now unless we paid for individual plans.  I'm not even sure what michigans stance on it is. Sad, but I've never read up on it.  I'm learning though, thanks to reading a lot of your post.  So, thank you again   I'll be more intersted now in what michigan has and not and how this all pans out with the palin situation.  I heard a tad on the movie you mentioned, but not even sure what it was about.

Thanks again.

NoH8

wishiwere-- the movie sounded pretty lame to me- a dumbed down comedy, but I haven't seen it. The premise is that 2 guys don't have benefits so they pretend to be gay and get married. With the right writers and actors it might have been really good if they could manage to do so without stereotyping male gays. it would be nice to live in a world where being gay was so beneficial heterosexuals were pretending to be gay instead of people living in the closet LOL.

wishiwere

Intesting concept.  A world where everyone can live their lives, without playing to be something else! Ha!  That would be interesting in and of itself.  Scary maybe too.  Can you imagine.....no, never mind...too scary.  If we could see true personalities, traits,  and beliefs on ones sleeves, I'm sure it would be scary in many ways.   I think it's too early to be posting....my thoughts aren't scattered till I wake up fully and feeling like maybe more sleep would help this ol' feeble brain...so nighty night!

easyquilts

Amy....I am a Catholic, too, and to tell the honest truth, I believe it is none of my business what people do in the privacy of their own bedrooms.....I believe that gayness is...most of the time.. a genetic thing, and not a choice. 

Sandy

NoH8

Sandy, I know a lot of catholics who think the way you an and also a lot of prochoice catholics. As for the choice to be gay thing, I think many more gay people try to play straight for societal reasons than straights playing gay. I just don't see any benefit from "chosing" to be gay if you're not attracted to people of the same sex. I suppose it could happen. I'm with you on the genetic thing. Thanks for posting.

Irishsun

I was raised as a catholic, and from my experience most catholics do not agree with everything the pope has to say.  I know some people feel that GLBT people choose to be so.  I truely believe that it is genetic.  This is based on my son.  I had to ask my son if he was gay.  I always thought that he was even as a child.  I also thought that when he was ready he would tell me...This wasn't the case. He was terrified to tell me because he thought I would hate him because he was "not normal"!!!!!!!!  I told him that I loved him and that his being gay was as normal for him as being straight was normal for me.  He told me of so many of his friends being thrown out of their homes or abused by their parents because they were GLBT.  Most of these parents came from "christian" homes. I will NEVER vote for ANYONE who would discriminate against the GLBT population.  Some day I hope that people will reialize thatGLBT people are as normal as straight people.  Now that I'm done ranting i'll go back to work!! (I just had to comment!)

NoH8

Wow, Irish. Your son is so lucky to have you. It's so sad what some young GLBTs have to go through in their own families, often from "christian" homes. Thanks for commenting.

dee1961

Hi Daisy, would you care to elaborate on what you meant by your above post?

Or are you as ignorant as you sound? I do not need scientific proof that you are a mean person, you have proved that quite well yourself. Blah back at ya~

NoH8

ROFLMAO @Dee. Ignore the trolls, anyone with a scientific knowledge base knows studies can be manipulated to show anything, particularly with biased researchers. The ignor button is a wonderful feature of these boards.

dee1961

Hi NoH8,

Sometimes I just can't help myself, can't stand the hate mongers... LOL

I do not seem to have that feature on here, but my computer is older than dirt, so maybe thats why. Thanks for the tip and have a great day!

Dee

hollyann

"Pray away the gay"???????.......Kind of like praying away skin color...NOT possible!.......I grew up in churches like Palin's...That is after my mom died.....Thank God my mother taught me tolerance and acceptance BEFORE she passed.......That said I will tolerate their opinion about gays as it is only opinion and opinions are like butt holes.....Everyone has one.......By the way I am straight and my daughter has proclaimed herself bisexual.....Do I love my daughter less because she has proclaimed this?....NO!...I love her more for being true to herself and not hiding her true feelings......

Daisy that is called BRAINWASHING!     It occurs in cults all of the time!.......Would YOU want ot be brainwashed in to thinking you were gay if you were straight?????

AnnNYC

Beautifully said, Lucy!

NoH8

For me the whole concept is all about respect for differences. I saw a great documentary yesterday called, "It's Still  Elementary." http://www.newday.com/films/Its_Elementary.html  about a little girl who won a mother's day contest with an essay about why her mommies were the best in the world in 1996.  Back then it was less common for kids with gay parents to feel open enough  to talk about their parents in many areas of the country. One of her moms made a documentary about students' thoughts about gay/lesbian and included her daughter reading the essay as well as the daughter a few years older. The mom tried to show the doc in schools, encountering some resistance, and also used the doc to train teachers to handle homophobia and kids with lgbt families. So basically the doc I saw was about the doc called "It's elementary". There were some churches like Palin's who said this was "recruiting" kids to be gay and of course they were against it. I caught the doc on comcast, on demand channel LOGO, and you can see it online here http://www.logoonline.com/video/misc/348092/its-still-elementary-part-1.jhtml?id=1606376 . It warms my heart. (doesn't the little girl look like a very young Molly Ringwald-- adorable).

Anonymous

Mar 15, 2009 11:59 am NoH8 wrote:

ROFLMAO @Dee. Ignore the trolls, anyone with a scientific knowledge base knows studies can be manipulated to show anything, particularly with biased researchers. The ignor button is a wonderful feature of these boards.

Why are you bringing up old news, Amy?  To get something started?  Your succeeding, AS USUAL!  You don't have to go to that church so stop worrying about it  And it's old news anyway..she's not running for VP anymore.  Get over it!  If one believes the way they believe..like you believe gay's should be able to marry and those who don't..why do you want those to believe what you believe for the sake of agreeing with you?  Obama said, "Marriage is between a man and a woman.:  What'cha got to say for that?

Go ahead, Amy, and click on the ignore button OR  THE REPORT THIS POST.  Amy, do you really use the "ignore" button.  I think not.  You and your friends on the dem thread went on a REPORTING SPREE and succeeded in having IBCspouse and Roctobermom who broke NO rules banned for a lifetime. I bet you gals had a real good giggle over that one.  When one hits that button enough one is automatically banned or restricted.  I was banned twice and restricted once (may be still on restriction..don't know cuz I haven't posted here much since you gals had your fun!).  BTW, IBCspouse's wife has skin mets now and cannot post with others because of ya'll.    Angry, you better believe it.  And Nicki was banned (not related to politics) by someone and she came on here trying to post about here new stage IV  dx.  Whoever it was from a beach thread or mountain thread..have no idea...saw she posted they reported it, and guess what.  Yes, she received the "banned" message from the mods.  How HORRIBLE!  And EVIL for someone to report somone who needs support.

I see someone from this community had a post deleted..dont' know what it said...apparently it was against what you or whomever reported it believe.  Why do you guys try to censor?

Amy, don't send out your attack dogs.  I've had them PM me telling me not to "call out your name."  You're a big girl.  Put your big girl panties on and fight for yourself!  Man, having kids teaches one to fight, fight, fight!  That's when the old fighting spirit came out of this mama bear and I learned to take up for myself..so, Amy, learn to take up for yourself instead of telling everyone to IGNORE THE TROLLS.  I've been called a troll mulitple times by you cuz you didn't agree with what I had to say.  I've been called a drama queen.  I've been called (or insinuated) tht I'm ignorant by you.  You manage, just barely, to stay within the guidelines.  Oh, and what about the PM you got that was sent to you but was meant for me?  You shared it with all your Obama friends and her name was put on the "ignore" list and she got banned or restricted (can't remember).  Did you report it to the mods.  Certainly you did.  She was/is an Obama supporter, but she dared to take up for me because of your name calling and your constant, "IGNORE THE TROLLS...DON'T FEED THE TROLLS...I IGNORE TOXIC PEOPE....SOME PEOPLE ARE IGNORANT..."  SPEECH.  People on this board need to know what you guys did.  I just wished I had names to name, but I can't prove who, or how many or which one's did what so I'll keep it to myself.

And, Amy, I know you and your friend's goal was to get the political threads taken down.  You succeeded.  We had a lot to say and still have a lot to say, but we were censored because the "report this button" was abused and is still being abused!

Now,ROFandLYAO while you click on that REPORT THIS POST button.

Wishiwere, HEY!  Please don't get angry with me.

BTW, I have not read all the posts on this thread and don't intend to.  The title caught my eye.  I can't believe you're starting crap that's old, old, news!  On second thought, YES I CAN!  And we definitely NEED A CHANGE around here!

BTW, I was just listening to an old gospel song, "Old Friends."  Take a look at the lyrics and think about the people who have formed friendships here and can no longer post because of immature actions. 

OLD FRIENDS  

OLD FRIENDS after all of these years

Just OLD FRIENDS through laughter and tears

OLD FRIENDS what a find, what a priceless treasure.  

OLD FRIENDS like a rare piece of gold

My OLD FRIENDS makes it great to grow old

OLD FRIENDS through it all I will hold to OLD FRIENDS.  

Now, God must have known that there'd be days on our own

We would lose the will to keep trying to go on.

That's why he sent FRIENDS like you along.  

OLD FRIENDS you've always been there

My OLD FRIENDS we've had more than our share

OLD FRIENDS, I'm a rich millionaire in OLD FRIENDS.  

Phone call or a letter, or just a pat on the back

Or a, hey, I just dropped by to see ya.

A Hand when we're done or a loan we just couldn't pay.

A song or a story or a little rose from the florist

Or a special note that you just happened to send

Somehow just out of the blue to tell me you're still my FRIEND.  

OLD FRIENDS after all of these years

Just OLD FRIENDS through the laughter and tears

OLD FRIENDS what a find, what a priceless treasure.   (repeat)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd1YKYOpB3A&feature=related

Three of the older fellows in this video have passed away.

Just saying.........

Anonymous

BTW, I'm trying to understand why you are allowed to have a political thread.

Again, just saying....

Shirley

AnnNYC

Shirley, please look at the dates.

It was Daisy6 who resurrected this thread. 

This thread was started back September 9, 2008 -- before we got "separated" into political threads, and it had ended back in September too -- the last post was September 12, 2008 --

until Daisy resurrected it on Sunday March 15.

Please note, this is not an attack by me, nothing "contentious" -- just a statement of the facts.

dee1961

Shirley~

SHHHHH... take a deep breath and call the doctor quick, you may need some help with that rage problem of yours. Do you like the word Neanderthal better than Troll?

Peace~

Anonymous

this area seems so one sided.  Only people who agree with you all 100% can post here.

This is America in case you have not checked lately. 

AnnNYC

This area is entitled: 

"Support & Community Connections - Forum: Lesbians with Breast Cancer: A special and safe place for lesbians with breast cancer to connect."

hollyann

Janey this is a world wide board...Not just an American Board......This is for any lesbians/gays and their family and friends.......If it seems one sided that's becuase it isn't for straight people......Sorry if you are offended but you can go to other sites if you don't like this one.......(by the way....I am straight but my daughter is bisexual and co chair of her high school's GSA)........