Day 51.
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Posted on 08/20/2013 8:15:19 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
A conservative legal group has stated its intentions to file a lawsuit against New Jersey over a recently signed law banning sexual orientation conversion therapy for minors.
Mat Staver, founder and chairman of The Liberty Counsel, confirmed to The Christian Post on Monday his organization's plan to file the suit. "We will be filing suit," said Staver, adding that the suit should be submitted "later this week."
On Monday, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie signed into law A-3371, a bill that would ban the controversial practice of reparative therapy (also called conversion therapy) for minors. A-3371 enjoyed bipartisan support in the Garden State's Legislature, with both houses voting overwhelmingly in favor of the bill. A-3371 was sponsored by Assemblymen Timothy J. Eustace, Herb Conaway, Jr., John J. Burzichelli, Holly Schepisi, and Reed Gusciora. All the sponsors except Republican Schepisi were Democrats.
Weeks passed from when the Legislature sent A-3371 to his desk until Christie announced that he would sign it. In a statement, Christie said he believed government "should tread carefully into this area" and that he signed it with the belief that the well-being of children took precedence. "However, I also believe that on the issues of medical treatment for children we must look to experts in the field to determine the relative risks and rewards," said Christie.
"I believe that exposing children to these health risks without clear evidence of benefits that outweigh these serious risks is not appropriate."
In a statement provided to The Christian Post by the Liberty Counsel, Staver criticized the law for infringing on the rights of parents and counselors. "The New Jersey governor is putting himself in every counseling room, dictating what kind of counseling clients can receive," said Staver.
"This bill provides a slippery slope of government infringing upon the First Amendment rights of counselors to provide, and patients to receive, counseling consistent with their religious beliefs."
Staver also said in his statement released after the signing of the bill that A-3371 was also dangerous broad regarding its language. "This bill is so broad that parents would be prohibited from seeking help for their son who developed unwanted same-sex attractions after being molested by the likes of Jerry Sandusky," said Staver.
"Counselors would only be allowed to affirm these unwanted feelings as good and normal. This is absurd and dangerous. This law would inflict serious damage to children, parents, and counselors."
This is not the first lawsuit the Liberty Counsel has filed against a state government over a ban on reparative therapy for minors. Last year, when California Governor Jerry Brown signed a similar bill into law, the legal group immediately filed suit on behalf of families and counselors.
Charla Bansley, communications director for the Liberty Counsel, told The Christian Post that the decision regarding the suit against the California law was still pending.
"It is pending. We got an injunction, and we are awaiting the decision from the court of appeals," said Bansley regarding the California suit filed last year.
RE: The same with Bill DeBlasio’s wife, who was an outspoken lesbian until getting married to Bill and having kids. So what happened, how is it that she converted?
The LGBT groups have an explanation for this. She was never ‘L’, she’s really a ‘B’ (So is Ann Heche, who used to be with Ellen Degenerate ).
RE: Just ask Anne Heche. You know, the actress and lesbian who is Ellen DeGeneres’ ex. She must still be a lesbian, right?
The LGBT groups have an explanation for this. She was never ‘L’, she’s really a ‘B’
Everyday there’s another reason to get government out of people’s lives.
They are sinners just as we all are, except I do not expect others to accept my sin as a lifestyle and grant me privileges based on it.
What does that mean?
You can go both ways.
RE: What does that mean?
You can go both ways.
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Exactly. But then, they’eve added another class to their acronym — Q.
It used to be LGBT. Now it’s LGBTQ.
RE: 33% of gays report homosexual rape in youth. Many gays and lesbians who commit suicide do so because they often were childhood sex abuse victims and many have other copathologies such as antisocial conduct, drugs, etc. Sex abuse especially homosexual rape in youth is major cause of homosexual behaviors
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So, how would we ever know the above unless they go through some sort of therapy?
As Michael Brown at Townhall observes:
On a practical level, this means that a 17-year-old girl who was raped at the age of 14 and now feels a repulsion towards men and an attraction towards women cannot seek professional help to get to the root of her feelings, even if her parents back her decision.
That same young woman, however, would be allowed to seek professional help to develop her lesbian identity, even without the backing of her parents.
This is equality under the law? This is tolerance? This is a victory in the war against bigotry and discrimination?
And if this same young woman lived in California and was convinced that she was actually a boy trapped in a girl’s body, she could now choose to use the boys’ bathroom and even play on the boys’ basketball team, without any scientific diagnosis required.
In fact, it would be perfectly legal for her to undergo hormone therapy to help make her more masculine, soon to be followed by sex-change surgery. Yet if she said, “For many reasons, I’m uncomfortable with my same-sex attractions,” it would be illegal for her to receive counseling. What kind of madness is this?
Well said.
They are all tangled up in their pseudo sexual science. Face facts, people do what they want to do. They change their sexual preference because it is their choice to do so! I like how they instantly create new biological categories that a person is now born BI? No. They have it wrong, people are choosing to do this, and that is why their castle is built on sand.
Every time a double standard is exposed or debunked, lefties come up with an even more egregious double standard. How many organizations, many of them funded directly by the state e.g. educational institutions, have ‘gay or think you might be?’ support centers, counselors, hotlines, etc.? Why is coming out of the closet supposed to come with a fanfare and a party, while declaring there is no closet at all now outlawed?
Boil it all down and it’s more of the same: thought control.
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