NUIG Pray-away-the-gay Soc

FouxDaFaFa wrote: »

But being a religious group shouldn't give them license to insult a whole student demographic and imply they're inferior.

I saw this and I was disgusted, but not because it's an insult, it's something that is far worse than merely implying LGBT people are inferior. These so called "reparative" therapies are extremely harmful and widely discredited, they not only do no work, they do serious harm to the people who undergo them.

saidinmilamber said
I really hope you've been able to move on from it somehow since then

Im absolutely fine saidinmilamber, that was many years ago and Ive had loads of time to process it all.
It has left me particularly sensitive to how vulnerable LGBT people can be when they are isolated and when they have not come to terms with themselves because I know how vulnerable I was.

There are reasons people become attracted to organisations that make them feel welcome and a part of things, who say they offer love and a purpose or meaning in life. LGBT people when coming out sometimes feel they are no longer welcome or accepted by their communities, including their church and its community. If you have been involved in church and have been committed to it, the experience of rejection can leave one bereft and searching for something to be part of and for something to believe in, with people who believe in you. The attraction of a christian group offering these things can be strong and they can have a lot of power over people who have been made vulnerable in this way.

Sometimes groups like this recognise better than we do the power and importance of a feeling of community and of belonging .

It's important to stay connected to others who welcome us as we are and understand our struggle as we travel along the journey to understanding SSA and strengthening our relationship with God!

http://couragerc.net/Young_Adults.html

People are as has already been said entitled to their own opinions without hurting anyone.
This kind of "ministry" preys, not prays, over vulnerable LGBT people.
They not only want to offer their own kind of community to others they also want to prevent young LGBT people meeting one another or talking about their sexuality.

Individual Catholic teenagers who are experiencing same-sex attraction do need to find a safe venue to speak with someone about their concerns and fears; however, a group setting in which young people publicly identify as “gay” or “lesbian” is not advisable. There is no need to publicly label oneself as having same-sex desires, a condition that may very well be transitory. Even if the group was private, that would also be unadvisable. Young people who are gathering specifically to identify themselves as being same-sex attracted, may actually still be conflicted about their sexuality and even striving for chastity. ..............
Young Catholics who are experiencing same-sex attractions ideally should have access to both Catholic therapists and Catholic priests who solidly support the Church’s teaching on chastity.

http://couragerc.net/Catholic_Schools.html

Thank you saidinmilamber FouxDaFaFa and everyone else who has done work by emailing or otherwise bringing this issue to light.
Im impressed that the reaction of the authorities of the college has been so swift and effective. Its also wonderful to have equality legislation in place and to have the power to tell people this is against Irish and European law. Lots of people put work into making that happen, great to see it in action.
It sends a very clear message that homophobia of this kind will not be tolerated and importantly also, it makes an impression on those who are maybe ashamed of or not comfortable with their sexuality. It sends a message that there are others who think it is perfectly all right to be LGBT and not fair game for people who want to exploit them in this way.
Very Very well done.

But just saw this from Thursday, June 20, 2013, so its fairly recent. Im sure loads of people know about this but I seemed to have mised it and found out about it because I was looking up places where young LGBT people could be sent to in order to be cured. It used to happen, probably still does in some parts of the world.
I remember lots of fuss about Exodus, they were often held up as proof that homosexuality could be cured. I didnt know they shut down and so publicly and so apologetically.
Seems there is loads of good news today but it is sad to read of those mens stories in the links below. Here it is once again some of the most virulent anti gay material comes from those who are fighting it in themselves. I think many people may not be aware of these kinds of struggles around religion and whether you believe in any particular faith or not there are people for whom it means a great deal. Personally I put away my own beliefs and politics when I see someone in pain and basically its a pain of not belonging and of loss of community and meaning, those things are serious.

Exodus International, largest ex-gay ministry, shuts down, apologizes for causing gays pain
President Alan Chambers, who has struggled with same-sex attraction, says the organization has been ‘imprisoned’ in a worldview that is not truly biblical.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/exodus-international-closes-article-1.1378129

and this

Statement of Apology by Former Exodus Leaders
Michael Bussee

My name is Michael Bussee. I want to thank you for this opportunity to tell my story. Thirty years ago, I helped create EXODUS International. Today, I am here to apologize. Today, I am a licensed Marriage and Family therapist, a father, a born-again, evangelical Christian—and a proud gay man. But thirty years ago, I was not so proud. .............

I need to say that some had a positive, life-changing experience attending our Bible studies and support groups. They experienced God’s love and the welcoming fellowship of others who knew the struggle. There were some real “changes”—but not one of the hundreds of people we counseled became straight.

Instead, many of our clients began to fall apart – sinking deeper into patterns of guilt, anxiety and self-loathing. Why weren’t they “changing”? The answers from church leaders made the pain even worse: “You might not be a real Christian.” “You don’t have enough faith.” “You aren’t praying and reading the Bible enough.” “Maybe you have a demon.” The message always seemed to be: “You’re not enough. You’re not trying hard enough. You don’t have enough faith.”

Some simply dropped out and were never heard from again. I think they were the lucky ones. Others became very self-destructive. One young man got drunk and deliberately drove his car into a tree. Another (a fellow leader of the ex-gay movement) told me that he had left EXODUS and was now going to straight bars – looking for someone to beat him up. He said the beatings made him feel less guilty – atoning for his sin. One of my most dedicated clients, Mark, took a razor blade to his genitals, slashed himself repeatedly, and then poured drain-cleaner on the wounds—because after months of celibacy he had a “fall.”

In the midst of all of this, my own faith in the EXODUS movement was crumbling. No one was really becoming “ex-gay.” Who were we fooling? As one current EXODUS leader admitted, we were just “Christians with homosexual tendencies who would rather not have those tendencies.” By calling ourselves “ex-gay” we were lying to ourselves and to others. We were hurting people...........

http://www.beyondexgay.com/article/busseeapology

ewan whos army said
I may be wrong, but this sounds like its copied from some southern baptist thing from the US, I haven't heard a priest called a pastor before by Catholics.

There are several branches of the RC church or organisations within it that have similarities and links to Evangelical Churches such as Baptists.
The whole Born Again or Pentecostal Movement has a Catholic form in the Charismatic Renewal and there are prayer meetings all over the country.
The Legion of Mary is similar in that members usually practice spreading the gospel, sometimes door to door. They have a history of working with people who are socially deprived and often destitute when others have refused to work with them and social services neglected them or were non existant. In Dublin they have a history of working with prostitutes prisoners and homeless people. I would imagine they saw a link with their historical working with prostitutes and working with gay people misguided as that may be. They may also have been looking for examples of other Christian groups who have worked with homosexuals to save them from their/our lifestyle and come up with some of the material they linked to. The use of the word Pastor in the RC church you will come across in Catholic Schools where they say they are providing Pastoral Care and in the USA people sometimes refer to a Parish Priest as a Pastor.

This issue of praying away the gay is most painful for those who have been part of a church and for whom that matters a great deal in terms of community and in terms of providing a meaning to life.
Getting rid of religion altogether is another issue. It can be an issue for some people at a later stage when they question things further.
Being rejected by the church and community I was part of speed up my own questioning of Christianity. I found that because I knew one thing they were teaching was wrong i.e. that my love was not real, the whole pack of cards began to fall. Thats how it worked for me it can effect others differently.
Being rejected or thrown out of your church can be kind of like breaking up with someone you are in love with, you miss them, their family, the crowd you used to hang around with, where you saw your life headed, all you took for granted and you often feel abandoned, literally outcast. Much much later the person may be ready to hear others say s/he wasn't any good for you anyway, but not at the time and ultimately it is up to the individual to decide who to be in relationship with. Believe it or not for some people that is what it is like belonging to a church.
There are all kinds of things we may not agree with or not in total anyway, but you might also support another LGBT persons right to like that thing and take part in its activities.

FANTASTIC getting this into the news by the way. Again well done everyone.