Double standard: Mandating remediation program is good but offering reparative treatment is bad

Gay rights activists consider counselors such as Marcus Bachmann anti-gay for treating patients with reparative therapy when they ask for it.  Yet gay rights activists support schools imposing a “remediation program” on students against their will.  

Julea Ward, a grad student at Eastern Michigan University, was brought before school officials after requesting that a patient with same-sex attraction see a different counselor.  “I had never refused to counsel homosexuals; I had simply refused to affirm their lifestyle,” Ward clarified. 

She said EMU officials gave her three options: withdraw from school, take her case to a formal review hearing, or “take part in a remediation program which would basically show me the error of my ways.”

Talk therapy

Apparently this is how gay rights activists use doublethink:  talking in a remediation program can change the way people think and act.  But talking in reparative therapy is silly and counter-productive because people with same-sex attraction are incapable of change.

 Let’s fight fire with fire.  Gay rights activists like to redefine words.  They decided that marriage which meant the union of a male and a female now means two men or  two women or one man and one woman.  Simple.  Just redefine remediation to mean remediation training or reparative therapy.  That way students like Ward can receive instruction in how to help patients who want to stop being attracted to their own gender.  And university officials will be happy that she’s in a remediation program.

Talk about a win/win!

Key victory for religious rights versus LGBT agenda on campus

Detroit Free Press reports:

An Eastern Michigan University student who was expelled from a counseling program because she refused to counsel gays and lesbians about their lifestyles won a key victory today in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals 

.A three-member panel of the court said Julea Ward can argue her religious discrimination suit against the university before a federal court jury in Detroit. 

“Ward’s free speech claim deserves to go to a jury,” Judge Jeffrey Sutton said in an opinion joined by Julia Gibbons and John Adams.

Alliance Defense Fund attorney Jeremy Tedesco defended Julea Ward in court.  Tedesco said, “Public universities shouldn’t force students to violate their religious beliefs to get a degree.”  The judge agreed.

A crucial victory for freedom of religion.

The biggest loser in same-sex marriage will be children says Dr. Morse, video

Ruth Institute president Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse warned the Washington State Legislature that segregating genders in marriage will have catastrophic and long-lasting consequences on children.  Dr. Morse explained redefining marriage entails redefining parenthood, religious liberty, the way generations relate to each other, and even the civil rights narrative.

Dr. Morse's testimony: 

"I'm here today to address you who've already made up your minds to redefine marriage. History will not be kind to you."

"But I'm here today to hold you to account for the predictable harm that you have already caused and will continue to cause in your efforts to redefine marriage."

"You’re redefining parenthood as a side effect of redefining marriage"

“The same sex partner of a biological parent is never the other biological parent”

“Same sex marriage becomes the vehicle that separates children from the parent”

“No longer will the law hold that children need a mother and a father”

“Mountains of date show that children do need their mothers and fathers and do care deeply about their biological”

“Should the state insist that children never care about their biological origins?”

“The next generation of children of divorce may be shuttling between 3 or 4 households with their backpacks and their sleeping bags”

“Redefining marriage redefines the way generations relate to one another”

“’Equality’ is becoming a battering ram for smashing every aspect of social life that has any hint of sexual differentiation”

“No more mothers and fathers only parent 1 and parent 2”

“Churches are already under attack”

“Same-sex couples have brought legal complaints against wedding photographers as if there were a constitutional right to have your picture taken by the person of your choice”

"All in the name of civil rights"

“A vast majority of African Americans completely reject same-sex marriage.  They’re deeply offended by the hijacking of the moral authority of the civil rights movement.”

Thirty years from now when we come to our senses . . ."not a single child born motherless or fatherless in a same-sex marriage will get his missing parent back.”

Dr. Morse ended her testimony with a positive word for advocates of gender-integrated marriage:

"And to those of you who vote for man-woman marriage: stay strong. History is on your side."

Romney criticizes Obama’s ‘assault on American values’ such as life, religion, marriage

“I think he [Obama] is detached from reality when he says that he wants to ‘reclaim American values.’ There has been in my view an assault on American values since the beginning of his administration.”

During a conference call with the Faith and Freedom Coalition, Mitt Romney criticized President Obama’s “assault on American values” such as life, religion, and marriage. 

From Right Wing Watch:

Romney: 

“The disregard for the sanctity of human life is absolutely appalling. 

Then of course there’s the assault on religion . . . [President Obama has] gone forward and said that religious institutions, universities, hospitals and so forth, religious institutions have to provide free contraceptives to all their employees, even if that religious institution is opposed to the use of contraception, as in the case of the Catholic Church. Even in that regard, fighting to eliminate the conscience clause for health care workers who wish not to provide abortion services or contraceptives in their workplace, in their hospital for instance. It’s an assault on religion unlike anything we have seen. 

There’s been an assault on marriage. I think he is very aggressively trying to pave the path to same-sex marriage. I would like this president defend the Defense of Marriage Act. I would also propose and promote once again an amendment to the constitution to define marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman."

Dude, where's motherhood and apple pie?  Is Obama anti-life, anti-marriage, anti-religion, and anti-American? 

Rachel Maddow: Join the club

Rachel Maddow was outraged at PolitiFact for giving one of President Obama’s statements in his State of the Union address a rating of “Half True,” which it later upgraded to “Mostly True.”  Maddow wants to reclaim the word “fact.”

Huffington Post quoted her rant:

"PolitiFact, you are fired. You are a mess! You are fired! You are undermining the definition of the word fact in the English language by pretending to it in your name. The English language wants its word back.”

But why does a “staunch supporter” of redefining the word “marriage” suddenly have a major problem with redefining words?

Rant back at ya:

We want the word “marriage” back.  We want "marriage" to continue to mean one man and one woman.  Calling the gender-segregated union of two men a “marriage” is neither Mostly True nor Half True.   It’s a Lie. It can’t be a true marriage while it’s missing the female half. 

Rachel, you want words to have actual, consistent, and authentic meanings?

Join the club.

First they came for babies . . . now they come for pro-lifers

German clergyman Martin Niemoller, described the Nazi’s successful tactic of eliminating groups one at a time:

First they came for the communists, 
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak out because I was Protestant.

Then they came for me 
and there was no one left to speak out for me. 

Because Niemoller was an anti-Communist, he supported Hitler’s rise to power at first.  But then: 

“When Hitler insisted on the supremacy of the state over religion, Niemöller became disillusioned. He became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to Hitler.”

Now we have President Obama.  First he came for babies born alive back when he was a senator in Illinois.  Now the Obama administration is coming for Catholics and other pro-lifers. 

Insisting on the supremacy of the state over religion, the Obama administration has given hospitals, schools, and charities one year to comply with the Obamacare mandate and pay for contraception, abortion drugs and sterilization.  This is in direct conflict with the Catholic stance on life.

And it won’t stop there.  Because once they’ve trampled the constitutional right to freedom of religion, who knows what rights they’ll trample next?

Maybe your rights.

It gets better: woman struggles with same-sex attraction

I could not just turn off the habit of being sexually aroused by women.

Dawn Wilde, a happily married woman with a husband and five children tells her story about recovering from same-sex attraction.  Although she was in a relationship with her “BFF” Nora for three years, they still longed for more.

From LifeSiteNews:

“I realize now that despite our attraction to one another, God’s call to union through marriage was still written on our hearts. We cared deeply for one another, but we still wanted the fairy tale wedding, the marriage, the children, the white picket fence.”

What helped Wilde attain a healthier and holistic attitude toward sexuality was studying the Theology of the Body by John Paul II.

"Finally, I understood my body’s purpose and why marriage was so sacred. I understood why I’d never been satisfied with Nora and why I’d yearned to unite myself to a man and have a family. 

But understanding my sexuality did not make the temptations go away. I could not just turn off the habit of being sexually aroused by women."

Wilde ordered her thoughts in the direction she chose.  It took work to develop new habits of thinking and acting, but it became easier and better.

It all comes down to love:

“Naturally, I have profound compassion for those who struggle as I do. But I don’t believe we must indulge same-sex attraction if we experience it. 

Does God love His children who struggle with same-sex attraction? Yes, of course. But He loves us too much to leave us that way.”  

 You are not alone.

Chris Christie vows to veto same-sex marriage bill

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said he would veto a bill granting marriage licenses to gender-segregated couples.

Huffington Post reports:

Republican Gov. Chris Christie said Tuesday he'd veto a gay marriage bill advancing in the Legislature and instead wants same-sex unions put to a referendum. 

"Whether or not to redefine hundreds of years of societal and religious traditions should not be decided by 121 people in the Statehouse," he said.

Although New Jersey already has a civil union law, gay rights activists want more; they want the title and respect that goes with gender-integrated marriage.  Unfortunately, granting special rights to same-sex couples conflicts with the constitutional right to freedom of religion.  The so-called “religious opt-out clause” pertains only to clergymen and churches, not to religious citizens and their businesses as many have discovered after being sued by same-sex couples.  Religious affiliated businesses are not immune as the United Methodist Church discovered.  New Jersey already faces lawsuits:

“New Jersey judge Solomon A. Metzger ruled that seaside retreat Ocean Grove, which is associated with the United Methodist Church, must host receptions for same-gender couples even though the Christian organization considers such unions sinful.”

Saying yes to gender-segregation in marriage means saying no to religious liberty. A vote for same-sex marriage is a vote to opt-out of freedom of religion in America.

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon calls being gay a better ‘choice’ for her outraging gay rights activists

“I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.”

Actress Cynthia Nixon of Sex and the City fame said she chose to be gay. 

  

From the New York Times:

“I gave a speech recently, an empowerment speech to a gay audience, and it included the line ‘I’ve been straight and I’ve been gay, and gay is better.’ And they tried to get me to change it, because they said it implies that homosexuality can be a choice. And for me, it is a choice. I understand that for many people it’s not, but for me it’s a choice, and you don’t get to define my gayness for me. A certain section of our community is very concerned that it not be seen as a choice, because if it’s a choice, then we could opt out.”

 Admitting that is was a “choice” for her outraged some gay rights activists.  

  “As you can tell,” she said, “I am very annoyed about this issue. Why can’t it be a choice? Why is that any less legitimate? It seems we’re just ceding this point to bigots who are demanding it, and I don’t think that they should define the terms of the debate.”

Gay rights activist John Aravosis condemned Nixon for voicing her opinion. He wrote, “This was an incredibly irresponsible interview.”  He believes people have no control over their sexual orientation:  “It’s the way you’re wired, it’s not a choice.”

Tracy Baim at Huffington Post sees it both ways.

"This nature-vs.-nurture argument has been debated in the LGBT movement for decades.To generalize, it seems that more men go with "born this way," while more women see either a combination of nature and nurture, or all "choice." 

Gender differences are apparent even in the homosexual community.  Why, it’s as if people were born with gender differences beyond their control.

Identity or experience?

David Prosen, who struggled with same-sex attraction, wrote  “homosexuality was a false identity that I had embraced.”  He said this nature vs. nurture debate focuses on a false premise, that homosexuality is an identity:  

Are people born "gay" or do they choose to be gay? 

The answer to both questions is no—although in many passionate debates generated by this topic, we are quick to dismiss objectivity. In reality, these questions provide a smoke screen to a much bigger problem that is pervasive in our society, in religious circles, politics, and clinical settings. The problem I speak of is the idea that homosexuality is an identity. 

By defining myself as a "gay" male, I had taken on a false identity. Any label such as "lesbian," "bisexual," or even "homosexual" insinuates a type of person equivalent to male or female. This is simply not true. One is not a same-sex attraction, but instead experiences this attraction.

People are born male and female.  They are not born as same-sex attractions.

School says calling homosexuality sinful a ‘form of bullying’

A funny thing happened on the way to redefining “marriage.”  In order to keep up, gay rights activists now have to redefine “homophobia” and “bully.”  People who treat homosexuals with compassion and healing are now called homophobes.  You know, support groups like Courage.

And the new definition of bully: someone who opposes gay adoption.

From  Foxnews: 

A Wisconsin high school is in the middle of a free speech debate after they apologized for publishing a student essay opposing gay families who adopt children. School officials called the essay a form of “bullying and disrespect.” 

The column ran on the editorial page of the Shawano High School student newspaper. It was part of an op-ed featuring a student supporting gay families who adopt children and one opposed to the idea.
“If one is a practicing Christian, Jesus states in the Bible that homosexuality is (a) detestable act and sin which makes adopting wrong for homosexuals because you would be raising the child in a sin-filled environment,” the student wrote.  

The school district profusely apologized after a gay couple – who has a child at the school – complained.

Shawano School District superintendent, Todd Carlson said:

 “It is a form of bullying or disrespect to a group of people – that’s right.”

 The school claims this is simply a bullying issue and not about censoring or free speech.  However, “the school district only took issue with one of the opinion pieces—the one opposed to gays adopting children.” 

So much for equal rights.  What gay rights activists really want are special rights:  Free speech for their opinions and silence for their opposition.

Question:  Can students call censorship “sinful,” or is that verboten also?

Rick Santorum glitter bomb: can you spot the hate?

Okay kiddos, let’s play a game called Find the Hate-Filled Bigot.  

Rick Santorum was glitter bombed in South Carolina while celebrating his third place finish in the primary.  Can you figure out who needs anti-bullying training?  

I thought gay rights activists opposed name-calling.  

Fed Up Vermont: With liberty and gender studies for all

Fed Up Vermont organized a rally Saturday to combat “rape culture” and “gender violence” as well as “eradicate sexism” at the University of Vermont.  Fed Up VT member Hayley Mason explained that UVM frat Sigma Phi Epsilon’s offensive survey asking members whom they would like to rape was only one of many issues addressed by the “grass-roots feminist coalition.”

From the Burlington Free Press:

 “Rape culture is bigger than one frat,” Mason said. “(Sigma Phi Epsilon) only embodied what we all want to fight against, oppressive inequality and a division between men and women.”

The solution? Fed Up Vermont demands that UVM:

• Must institute mandatory women and gender studies courses for all students.
• 

Must invest more resources into the women and gender studies department and make gender studies a Spire of Excellence.
• Must provide full transparency about sexual harassment, rape and gender violence in the UVM community and regularly report statistics about the occurrences.
• 

Must develop leadership bodies which reflect the gender composition of the UVM community and project the role of women as leaders.

 What's next on the march to equality?  Mandatory men and gender studies for all?