Posted on 02/13/2007 9:18:03 AM PST by presidio9
Corey Larsen spent years hiding the feelings that drew him to other men, at first refusing to acknowledge them and then praying daily for them to be taken away.
As a teenager in Clearfield, Utah, he tried to banish the thoughts. As he grew older, the attractions grew stronger, but so did his religious convictions as a Mormon.
The contradiction tormented him. After moving to Manhattan several years ago, he remained a respected young leader in his church ward. Behind closed doors, though, he sank into despair. I was either going to stay in the church, in what I believe and what I love, or choose this different path that I felt was just knocking on my door, he said.
Last May, Mr. Larsen, 28, began seeing a therapist in Jersey City, joining others across the country making similar attempts to eliminate their gay desires through therapy or religious ministries dedicated to that end. Most are caught in similarly anguishing crises of faith and identity, searching for a way out through a murky world of intense dispute and warring political agendas.
Efforts by religious conservatives to treat homosexuality received renewed attention last week with news that the Rev. Ted Haggard, an evangelical pastor dismissed from his Colorado megachurch in a gay-sex scandal, had undergone three weeks of intense therapy and then reportedly concluded that he was completely heterosexual.
Although the scientific community cannot say definitively what determines sexual orientation whether it is nature or nurture most mainstream mental health professionals dismiss attempts to eradicate homosexual desires or to change someones sexual orientation as quackery that is potentially harmful.
Gay rights advocates say the efforts only provide additional fodder for homophobia. Mental health experts say there is no proof that sexual reorientation therapy, as it is often called,
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
I believe Homosexuality is an addiction and needs to be treated as such, with therapy.
I am "tormented" by my attraction to women other than my wife, but my religion and morality keep me from acting on these strong impulses.
That is said to be the first step to curing mental illness: admit you have a problem. It is criminal that this sickness was politically changed to "preference" years ago. Think of the deseases and social turmoil that could have been avoided had treatment been available.
ping
"I believe Homosexuality is an addiction and needs to be treated as such, with therapy."
I agree. I think homosexuality, like alcoholism, is an addiction that can be treated. However the success rate of treatment is probably low for both addictions.
Which would a guy choose...
Owl_Eagle
If what I just wrote made you sad or angry,
it was probably just a joke.
I found this article totally credible until I read Rev. Haggard and his miracle three week gay conversion to straight. I absolutely hope that others do indeed get the help they need if they feel they need too. I have no respect for Haggard who was forced to go to therapy because he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. A huge difference between these other guys trying to change their lives in my opinion in my opinion.
A google search of Micheal Luo shows that he writes about Christianity or Homosexuality virtually every week.
I'm sure people have pre-disposed tendancies toward their sexual preferences. But so do serial murderers and rapists. I'm not sayihng being a homosexual is the same as a rapist, but why is it ok to talk about treatment for rapists, pedophiles, and murderers, but not homosexuals?
I remember reading about a third way that acidhead-guru Timothy Leary championed a few decades ago. He'd give the patient a very large dose of LSD and place him in as isolated/quiet/comfortable an enviroment as possible. Then when the patient started "peaking" on the drug (the best time to imprint upon the brain, Leary maintained) he'd send in a bunch of hot, naked chicks to "cure" the homo.
I suspect he got a lot of straight volunteers for this experimental therapy ;)
Because there's nothing "wrong" with being a buttstabber. There are gay penguins, so that proves that homosexuality is just another natural state. You are homophobic if you do not understand this.
That might make the gay guy like women too, but not sure it would remove the desire for men. We'd have to add to that therapy and have a bunch of naked men beat the living cr@p out of the guy as well.
Man, I led a sheltered life. How did they go about signing up for that treatment? Heck, I coulda faked it, maybe.............
I gotta say, for the NY Times this is very even-handed.
A long but good tagline in the making.
Except for the title.
Some Tormented by Homosexuality Look to a Controversial Therapy
Controversial only to the readers in Sodom.
I would say that only proves mental illness or abnormality is not restricted to the human species. But if you are saying abnormality is natural, have at it.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.