In Straight to Jesus, Tanya Erzen notes that after Alan Chambers took the helm of Exodus International in 2001 the organization became much more political. Prior to 2001, the statement of intent was
Exodus is an international Christian effort to reach homosexuals and lesbians. Exodus upholds God’s standard of righteousness and holiness, which declares that homosexuality is sin and affirms His love and redemptive power to recreate the individual. It is the goal of Exodus International to communicate this message to the Church, the gay community, and to society.
Today Exodus International’s mission statement reads:
Proclaiming to, educating and impacting the world with the Biblical truth that freedom from homosexuality is possible when Jesus is Lord of one’s life.
Missing is any mention of actual gay people or efforts to reach them. The message of love and redemption is gone and communication with the Church is replaced with impacting the world.
Perhaps this change in purpose was necessary for Exodus to take its part in the culture war against the lives of gay people. When you’re making a Christian effort to reach people, you can’t also campaign to take away their healthcare. But when you’re impacting the world, you don’t have to care who you hurt in the process.
The greatest victims of this shift may be those Exodus was created to serve. Erzen noted:
Most men at New Hope balk at the label “anti-gay”. In conversations, they often opposed any legislative efforts against gay civil rights, and they frequently spoke of their own identification with gay men and women, even as they rejected that label for themselves. … They assert that they have a right to change their sexuality and participate in ministries, but they also feel their stories should not be appropriated by larger organizations to promulgate a message that they feel is misleading and false.
I believe that in their efforts to move forward with a political agenda and in order to give its leaders a higher profile in the political landscape, Exodus has abandoned not only gay and lesbian people and the gay community, but also those ex-gay strugglers that Exodus and its leaders so freely claim to represent.
These changes in the Exodus documents are fascinating. For some time now, I’ve been telling Randy that he has become a culture warrior, and he has been denying it vociferously. When I told him that Exodus was no longer serving people with “unwanted same sex attractions,” but also trying to interfere in the lives of healthy gay and lesbian people, he also denied that. Now we have it on record.
All of this began when the political religious groups decided to us Exodus in their political campaigns using deceitful ads. Once the political religious right figured out that Exodus could be a useful tool for their war against gay people, Alan made the decision to go right along and play into their hands.
It’s now all about power and influence.
It’s about the MONEY; you know, Mammon and all that.
Anytime these kapos claim that they are not involved in the culture war, shove a picture into their face of them testifying against same sex marriage or against hate crimes, or against equal benefits, or against….
Sharon, I’ve tried that with Randy many times. He goes into a long winded speech about “how it’s his right as a citizen to influence public policy…blah blah blah”.
He knows what he’s doing but wont be honest enough to admit that he wants to punish happy gay people and use the power of the state to make them miserable.
I refuse to allow him to torture those of us who haven’t had the empty, lonely lives that he claims to have had as a gay person.
Does this mean they’ll be leaving us alone now?
Or just that they’ll have even less connection with current queer realities?
*sigh* I’m afraid I already know the answer to that one.
Scott,
Of course, it is his right as a citizen to blah, blah, bloviate. However, when he and other Exodus leaders speak on the issues and are identified as Exodus leaders (Google “Exodus International” and gay marriage) while doing so, that is an entirely different capacity, and he needs to be reminded about his favourite “clobber verses” and what they have to say about liars and false witnesses.
It is more than merely working towards using the power of the state to “make them miserable.” It is working to make us FELONS. I am not exaggerating.
As many Libertarians say, the surest way to make more outlaws is to make more laws….
Yes, Sharon, I know you’re not exaggerating.
I used to sing “Breaking the law! Breaking the law!” like Beavis and Butthead when I’d talk about sex with She Who Would Become My Wife that took place in the state of Florida. It was actually kind of funny. But I was really happy to retire that joke. I don’t want to revive it.
Steve Schalchlin said:
I’ve been telling Randy that he has become a culture warrior, and he has been denying it vociferously.
I’ve tried to understand Randy a bit through his writing and comments. It’s probably a worthless hypothetical, but it strikes me that he would be lost without Exodus. I’m sure God is important to his life, but only as channeled through the leaders of Exodus. Probably the best thing he could do for himself long term is to leave them, go back to school (or to school) and start a real career. I’m serious – it would be painful for a while as I’m sure he would face a lot of things he has not dealt with on his own, but long term it would be a healthy move. Whether he remains celibate or pursues relationships is secondary in this case.
it strikes me that he would be lost without Exodus
Take one addiction.
Substitute it with another.
Bingo. “Changed”.