As with so many issues facing the American public, our society is ill-served by intellectually lazy leaders who fail to deal in foundational principles. Whether the subject is the economy, reform of the public schools or health care, seldom do we hear an intelligent and succinct articulation of what’s really the crux of the matter.
The intellectual laziness is never more apparent than when the topic is the so-called “homosexual rights” agenda. Today, too many Republican politicians are ruled by superficiality and pop culture.
Those Republican politicians should have been at the event I was last Friday. It was a presentation by Arthur Goldberg at a dinner held by Americans for Truth about Homosexuality (AFTAH). Mr. Goldberg is a Co-Director of JONAH, “Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality.” I’ve posted excerpts from their website below.
Pete LaBarbera’s AFTAH website has posted an article by Arthur Goldberg and Michelle Cretella titled “Homosexual marriage: Bad science, bad politics.” In it, they write about the topic of state legislation that would approve same-sex “marriage”:
“Because informed public policy decisions should be based on rational judgment grounded in fact rather than fiction, it is helpful to review a few of the key considerations relevant to this debate.
Nearly every argument favoring same-sex ‘marriage’ is based on the belief that homosexual orientation is inborn and immutable. Thus, the argument often is made that just as interracial marriage gained approval so, too, should gay ‘marriage’…
No genetic earmark distinguishing homosexuals from heterosexuals has ever been identified. Homosexuals and heterosexuals are genetically indistinguishable. As stated in a British medical journal, ‘From an evolutionary perspective, genetically determined homosexuality would have become extinct long ago because of reduced reproduction.’
Indeed, taking the question further, more than 100 scientific studies indicate that change of sexual orientation is possible for many motivated individuals.”
You can read their entire article here.
On the JONAH website is a page of background information about their history and organizational approach. I’ve bolded certain sections that go to the point that not enough people seem to realize: sexual attraction is not an immutable human trait such as race or skin color, and sexual behavior of any stripe is a choice. Both can be changed with the right counseling – and to use JONAH’s word – “healing.”
“JONAH was launched in 1998 by two New Jersey Jewish couples whose adultchildren had become involved in homosexuality. Recognizing the almost total absence of resources and services available for Jewish families to address this issue, the founders adhered to the traditional Jewish teaching that homosexual behavior should be discouraged, but they were also determined to maintain a loving bond with their children.
Because JONAH was the only Jewish-based organization specifically dealing with the healing of homosexuality, they quickly discovered a huge vacuum existing within the Jewish world.
Innumerable strugglers with unwanted same-sex attractions, spouses, other parents, and citizens concerned about the direction of society’s permissiveness, contacted them either for assistance or to ask what they could do to help individuals in crisis who suffered from unwanted same-sex attractions (SSA)…
JONAH believes that homosexuality is a learned behavior and that anyone can choose to disengage from their same-sex sexual fantasies, arousals, behavior and identity – if motivated and supported in that process. We also believe that with appropriate assistance, same-sex attractions can be reduced or eliminated followed by the subsequent development of one’s innate opposite-sex attractions.
JONAH believes those who feel same-sex attraction should be able to make an informed decision about whether they wish to act on their same-sex attraction and identify as gay or whether they wish to journey out of homosexuality.
JONAH provides the information needed to make a reasoned choice and then provides resources to those who choose to grow out of same-sex attraction.
JONAH teaches that strugglers can journey away from homosexuality with psychological and spiritual help, peer support, and personal empowerment. Its objective is to reunify families, to heal the wounds surrounding homosexuality, and to provide hope that persons with unwanted same-sex attraction can become the person that God intended them to be.
JONAH’s strength-based approach helps the struggler integrate various parts of his or her identity and move forward in a positive manner, thereby permitting the struggler to work through issues of shame, self-denial, and/or repression. Our approach is positive and affirming, providing hope to those in the process.
JONAH is a pioneering organization in tackling this issue from a Jewish perspective. However, consistent with traditional Jewish teachings, its services are available to those of any faith or no faith. It differs from any other existing faith-based ministry focusing on this subject, in that, consistent with the tradition of Judaism, it will provide assistance without proselytizing those of other faiths.”
It’s time for ignorant Republicans to wake up to the truth about homosexuality. Click here to visit the AFTAH website, here to visit the JONAH website, and here to purchase a copy of Arthur Goldberg’s book “Light in the Closet.”
