Focus on the Family on how to prevent gayness

[Q Classic]

Wasn't this posted before ??

Perhaps, I linked to it on the "I'm Not Gay" thread...

Wow, like that surprises me.

I'll wait and see if anyone here on the forum agrees with FotF, or whether this will be like the usual circlejerks.

While there are some general, possibly useful parenting tips in there, like, "Fathers are important to sons", the basic thrust of the essay, which is ostensibly to "prevent homosexuality", seems to be lacking in anything solid and conclusive. Quite frankly, it is a load of bs. I fail to see how bathing with your son and having him notice your penis is supposed to somehow make sure he stays straight. (Incidentally, I was under the impression that a lot of anonymous homosexual sex occured in bathhouses?)

I also believe that this much lambasted 'reparative therapy' does work on folks who want to change and overcome their inclinations, much like alcoholics who go to AA.

I'm sure it works. The human mind is amazing, if not wonderful, in its ability to convince oneself of one thing or another. I'm sure if someone made a "reparative therapy" school for turning straights into gays, it would work on those who want to change and overcome their inclinations.

===

Going back to the article, this offends me:

More often, they displayed a "nonmasculinity" that set them painfully apart from other boys: unathletic, somewhat passive, unaggressive and uninterested in rough-and-tumble play.

I've always considered myself masculine--most "feminine" things disinterest me. I've never been interested in making lanyards, for instance. (Off the top of my head.)
On the other hand, what I've always been interested in--i.e., reading, writing, thinking, computing, tinkering--is all in comparison, unathletic, rather passive, unaggressive, and not rough-and-tumble at all. In the context of this article, he makes them seem... second-class. As if the development of the mind is somehow unimportant in raising a child.

[Last Conformist]

Except for unaggressive, that would describe me as a kid, too. Heck, I'd go as far as saying it would describe most intellectually inclinded boys.

Now, conservatives disliking intellectuality is hardly news ...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
I'm sure it works. The human mind is amazing, if not wonderful, in its ability to convince oneself of one thing or another. I'm sure if someone made a "reparative therapy" school for turning straights into gays, it would work on those who want to change and overcome their inclinations.

Actually, no, it doesn't work. While groups like Exodus categorically refuse to release any sort of numbers on their "successes," real psychiatric experts have examined those who have undergone such therapy. They noted that it often had a negative impact on self-image, as patients overwhelmingly did not change their orientation, only suppressed their sexual urges. In fact, even those claiming success in the therapy will often admit they haven't lost their homosexual urges.

A study I linked to in an earlier argument over this examined ~116 gay men who had underwent therapy, and all but 2 admitted to still being gay, and something like a 2-1 majority had engaged in gay sex since the therapy. By any measure, that makes such therapy a failure.

[Az]

Yeah, I thought that this would be obvious, since these guys have no idea how homosexuality works, just like none of us. I think that all of this is a non-issue : These stupid techniques are guessing, so they don't work, and only inflict pain.

Question is:
A) Is it possible to device a technique that works?
B) The usual ethical debate of where can any such ( working!) technique be applied ethically.

[Boris Godunov]

The other problem is that many who undergo this "therapy" likely aren't gay to begin with. Plenty of hetero men have homoerotic thoughts/dreams from time to time. Given the complex and confusing nature of sexuality, it's understandable such men might question their orientation and seek to "fix" themselves. So they might undergo such "therapy" and come out non-gay, but they weren't gay to begin with, so that does nothing to prove the efficacy of the treatment.

[Sava]

christianity is a religion of hate

[Az]

Bah, stop talking about the goddamn stupid article. Everyone knows it's stupid.

Let's talk about my slight threadjack.

[Dis]

Originally posted by Ming
I couldn't stop reading this... each next line just deepened the BS. Just as I thought it couldn't get worse, it did... And the shocking thing is, some people believe this crap...

Truely scarey.

It's probably a joke site. Like the site on how to prevent masturbation.

[MrFun]

That article is . . . . . .




I can't find the words right now.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Dis
It's probably a joke site. Like the site on how to prevent masturbation.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_on_the_Family

Focus on the Family (FOTF or FotF), founded in 1977, is an evangelical Christian 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the United States. The organization describes itself as "dedicated to nurturing and defending families worldwide". The group was founded by Dr. James Dobson and is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Focus on the Family is one of a number of evangelical para-church organizations that have arisen in the last decade. Their stated aim is not to start a new church or denomination, but to work interdenominationally to protect and promote their definitions of traditional family and family values. Some of the core promotional activities of the organization include a daily radio broadcast by Dobson or his aides, as well as the publishing of a variety of magazines.

In response to perceived threats to the family from changing world views in society, Dobson and his associates have become more politically active, and are regarded as a major voice in the Christian right, generally promoting socially conservative policies. Recently it began publishing a new political magazine called Citizen which addresses political concerns, especially on issues where current public policies are seen as threatening to conservative families.

The organization has an affiliate in Canada called Focus on the Family Canada.

[Az]

is a religion of hate

Fixed it for you, Sava.

[Asher]

http://www.nbr.co.nz/home/column_article.asp?id=11140&cid=1&cname=Media

A "homosexuality detection expert" at the similarly conservative Family Research Council told the NY Times that words like "tolerance" and "diversity" are part of a "coded language that is regularly used by the homosexual community."

*dies*

[Az]

Ummmf, yeah baby, diversify my tolerance.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Originally posted by Boris Godunov


Actually, no, it doesn't work. While groups like Exodus categorically refuse to release any sort of numbers on their "successes," real psychiatric experts have examined those who have undergone such therapy. They noted that it often had a negative impact on self-image, as patients overwhelmingly did not change their orientation, only suppressed their sexual urges. In fact, even those claiming success in the therapy will often admit they haven't lost their homosexual urges.

What you have to remember, Boris, is that by their standards this is precisely what it would mean for the therapy to work. This nonsense arises because what they (and fundies generally) have cast homosexuality as is a weird mix of moral dilemma and behavior modification problem: the moral dimension is the temptation to "sin"; the behavior mod issue is the giving in to temptation. I'd imagine that even suggesting that they could remove the temptation would actually be blasphemous; so, they settle for encouraging the resistance of "temptation" -- encouraging what we recognize as repression.

So they are being successful; it's just that what they call "success" is what we would call "monstrous psychological harm."

[Dis]

Originally posted by Asher

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Focus_on_the_Family

just because they are in wikipedia, doesn't mean they aren't a joke.

Sometimes I think people like to make a big deal about things that don't really bother them. I think they like the attention.

For example: the NCAA has adopted a policy that the sportscasters now cannot say the names of certain teams on their broadcasts because they have tribal indian names. Teams such as the Florida St. Seiminoles are appealing this of course. But I seriously doubt anyone is that bothred by the names.