Posted on 07/27/2003 7:21:52 AM PDT by apackof2
Former Homosexual Says 'No one is born gay'
CBN.com – Stephen Bennett is a former homosexual, who lived the "gay" lifestyle for 11 years. Today he's married and has two young children. He's also a born-again Christian who has a ministry to men and women who want to be set free from homosexuality. Whenever he's invited to appear on television news programs, though, Stephen says most won't let him tell his story truthfully. And they won't let him say that he's a former homosexual. He recently spoke with Lee Webb on The 700 Club.
Lee Webb: Stephen, I wanted to get into this interview that you did with CBS. They interviewed you on tape for a segment on same-sex marriage that appeared on one of their CBS Sunday morning programs. And I want to show our viewers how they identified you and your wife.
Let's look at that, it says that 'Stephen and Irene Bennett…say they will never endorse same-sex marriage for religious reasons.'
Now they went on to say, they included a sound bite with you saying that you could not…you said that homosexuality was wrong, but that's all that they said. Why do you say that that was the wrong way to identify you.
Stephen Bennett: Because the reason they brought me on to the show was to share that I was gay. They were doing a piece particularly on gay marriage and they wanted to understand our perspective. And as a person who is a former homosexual I wanted to tell the truth about the homosexual lifestyle.
I said to them specifically, 'I am living proof that there's no basis whatsoever for any kind of legislation equating homosexuality with heterosexuality.' For the fact that I was gay. I lived the gay lifestyle until I was 28 years old, probably for about 11 years. Well, with over 100 men sexually, many of whom are dead today from AIDS. I've buried countless boyfriends in the ground because of AIDS.
I was in love with another man who was going to be my partner for life, until a Christian woman showed up at my door one day with a Bible and said that I could be set free from my homosexuality. That was back in 1990 and my life has never been the same again.
Webb: And none of that was included in the CBS segment.
Bennett: None of it whatsoever. And I shared my Christian testimony just for, maybe about two or three seconds, because I know when dealing with the secular media most of the media does not want to know about the Christian response. So we were able to bring a powerful, powerful message of deliverance. How no one is born gay, how people can completely change. But again the media is the major conduit today of the gay agenda. They are out there pushing their false agenda, that number one, a person is born gay, and number two, that no one can change, for example, just as a person cannot change their race or skin color. But I said to the producer at CBS and the interview, 'you will never have a former black man on your show, but today you have a former homosexual.'
Webb: Now, later on CBS responded to this by saying, 'look we were just looking for someone to represent the religious right.' Is that the way they portrayed themselves (to you).
Bennett: Not once, not once. They brought us on there particularly to hear a person's view who was a former homosexual. Again, I am living proof that homosexuals can change, that no one is born gay. We need to equate homosexuality with that of drug addiction or alcoholism. They are destructive behaviors that we would never encourage people to continue a life in -- we need to say the same exact thing about homosexuality.
Webb: Now unfortunately, this is not the first time this had happened. You say it even happened at Fox, which typically is considered a fairly conservative network.
Bennett: My friend Bill O'Reilly. I was brought on to the show to talk about homosexuality, as well as its effects on America's children, how it's being promoted. Unfortunately it turned out to be a debate about Bill O'Reilly and his theology. He did not receive me very well and unfortunately Bill O'Reilly is a bit confused on this issue. He came out in full support of gay rights last year.
All we want to get across to America is for people to understand the mainstream media is not giving them the truth. Thank God for people like CBN and other organizations who are out there sharing that no one is born gay. And especially through the power of Jesus Christ people can change completely. I am happily married now today for over 10 years to a beautiful woman who knew me when I was gay, who was praying for my salvation. I no longer am living a lie. I was playing house with my boyfriend back then. I have the real thing today. I may not be the mostly masculine person in the world, but, you know what, I don't need to be. I'm a man in God's eyes, in my wife's eyes, I'm the father of our two little beautiful children today. Jesus Christ has changed my life completely. He has taken a story that was a nightmare and turned it into a fairy tale and I am just so grateful to Him for doing that.
Webb: Stephen, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts is set to rule on same-sex marriage. Tell us why you think it would be a bad idea for America.
Bennett: You know, again, the only thing I can say is I am living proof that there is no basis whatsoever for any type of legislation equating homosexuality with heterosexuality. These people need to realize that change is possible. Encouraging someone to continue in a lifestyle that is false, that is a deception, is not going to do them any good. Giving them every right, it's not going to do anything. What they're looking for is that acceptance inside. And they feel that by getting acceptance from the states and government and everybody else, maybe homosexual people can find that acceptance within themselves and I tell you that will never, ever happen.
Webb: You have a ministry to homosexuals around the country. You speak to churches. You know when we interview homosexuals they appear to be happy, they say this is the lifestyle they want to lead but you have noticed something under the surface, haven't you?
Bennett: When I was living the gay lifestyle I portrayed that I was happy. I was in love with my boyfriend, had great gay and lesbian friends. But the problem with that was is that deep down I knew something was wrong. Again I firmly believe that no one is born gay, that homosexuality tragically happens early on in the childhood. For me it was a broken relationship with my father that was reconciled after I became a Christian. I love my father dearly, he loves me and I was able to move on from homosexuality to healthy heterosexuality. And what we want to share with men and women is when we go out trying to reach the homosexual for Christ -- is that God loves them. The Gospel is the most important thing that we can reach these people with, so we need to let people know that God loves the homosexual but he hates the sin. And homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. And that is my heart's desire. And I'm sorry but I've got tunnel vision on this issue. We want to reach the homosexual for Christ in America and make a difference in this country.
Webb: Stephen, you mentioned earlier that you're now married. Your wife Irene and your two beautiful children are in the audience with us right now. Why don't you introduce your children to us.
Bennett: That's my beautiful wife Irene, and I'm very prejudiced, the most beautiful Christian woman in the world. And these cute little cuties, my little girl Chloe, born four years into our marriage, and my little boy Blakey. He was born on Chloe's birthday, Jesus gave her a little brother for her birthday. So this is what God's done for me. God has just turned my story into a fairy tale and I'm just so grateful, I just want to serve Jesus Christ all of my days now and share the truth that no one is born gay and through the power of Jesus Christ homosexuals can completely change.
Webb: Stephen Bennett, thank you for telling your story today. We appreciate it.
Bennett: Thank you so much.
For more information on Stephen Bennett and Stephen Bennett Ministries please visit his web site at http://www.sbministries.org/.
Obviously gestation is very complex and has different stages. The connection between the development of the genitals and parts of the brain is certainly not fully understood. Studies of finger-length ratios suggest that male homosexuals might even have a higher-than-normal level of testosterone in utero. I would assume that with intersex cases the problem is often the opposite.
It is well established that a group of women whose mothers took a particular drug to avoid miscarriage grew up to be unusually promiscuous. I have met one of these women (dated her sister). So clearly the pre-natal environment can affect one's adult sexual nature.
Actually I'm doing the same thing you are doing.
When I read a religious writing that was written by someone who is alive now or someone who passed on years ago, I choose to agree with what that person wrote or I choose to not agree.
You have chosen to believe that the collection of writings that were picked by a committee of religious leaders to include in the bible is the actual word of God. I just don't trust others to tell me what I am capable of deciding on my own, that is, what religious beliefs to have and which not to have. I am not condemning you for your beliefs, I am just saying that in my opinion, the committee of religious leaders who said this is the word of God, and this is not, are capable of being wrong, just as all humans are capable of being wrong.
Actually, funny you should mention this, because there are many descrepencies between these Gospels, as the examples below will demonstrate.
Stories of the resurrection of Jesus differ. They differ on whether it was one (John 20:1-8), two (Matthew 28:1), three (Mark 16:1) or more (Luke 24:10) women who went to Jesus' tomb. One gospel says that Mary Magdalene found the tomb open (John 20:1) and two other gospels say that the tomb was open when the women arrived there (Luke 24:2, Mark 16:1-4), but Matthew 28:1-6 has the women witnessing the tomb being opened by an angel. This contradicts both Luke and John, for in their accounts the woman or women were perplexed at the open and empty tomb. (Luke 24:4, John 20:2).
The gospels differ on whether the women (or woman) saw a man (Mark 16:5), the angel of the Lord (Matthew 28:2), two men (Luke 24:4-5), or two angels (John 20:12). Matthew says that the angel was outside the tomb (Matthew 28:2-6), but Mark, Luke and John say that they (he) were (was) first seen inside the tomb. (Mark 16:5-6, Luke 24:3-5, John 20:11-12).
In Matthew, Mark 16:9 and John, Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene (Matthew 28:1-10, John 20:1-17), but while Mark 16:9-11 implies that Mary Magdalene was alone when Jesus saw her, and John has her without a companion (John 20:10-13), Matthew says that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and "the other Mary" together. (Matthew 28:9). John says that Mary Magdalene told Peter of the empty tomb before she saw Jesus (John 20:1-2), but Matthew says that Jesus met the two Marys when they were going back to tell the disciples. (Matthew 28:5-10). There is no suggestion in Matthew's account that the women had any trouble in recognising Jesus (Matthew 28:8-9), but in John's version Mary Magdalene did not recognise him at first. (John 20:14-16).
But whatever the differences between Matthew and John (and Mark 16:9-11) on Jesus' appearance to Mary Magdalene, Luke is at variance with them all, for he excludes this appearance. Luke says that she and other women saw two young men at the tomb who told them that Jesus had risen, but neither they, nor some of Jesus' followers, who went to the tomb, saw Jesus then. (Luke 24:4-24). The first part of Luke's account is something like the account in Mark 16:1-8, but though both mention Galilee, Luke 24:6 says it's the place where Jesus predicted his resurrection, while Mark 16:7 (and Matthew 28:10) say it's the place where Jesus was to appear.
Mark 16:8 says that the women said nothing, but other accounts, including Mark 16:9-11, make much of the reports of the women. (Matthew 28:10, 16, Luke 24:8-12, 22-34, John 20:18).
In two accounts Jesus orders the disciples to stay in Jerusalem until they received power from on high (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4), but in Matthew and Mark, Jesus directs them to Galilee (Matthew 28:10, Mark 16:7), with Matthew 28:16 specifying that it was to a mountain there, John also records an appearance of Jesus in the Galilee area, but this was on the shore of Lake Tiberas, and it caught the disciples by surprise. (John 21:1-8). The most curious thing about this account, however, is that it shows several of the disciples back at their ordinary work after the supposed resurrection. (John 21:1-8, compare Matthew 4:18-22, Mark 1:16-20, Luke 5:1-11).
One appearance seems to be common to several accounts, but again the details vary. Paul lists an appearance to "the twelve". (1 Corinthians 15:5). Luke 24:33-43 and Mark 16:14 describe an appearance to the eleven remaining disciples (without Judas) on the evening following the resurrection, but in John's account of that evening, another disciple, Thomas, was missing. (John 20:19-25). Matthew's account would seem to exclude this appearance entirely. (Matthew 28:9-12, 16-17).
There is another basic difference between Matthew and several of the other accounts. Luke and Acts stress the conviction of the disciples about the resurrection (Luke 24:33-45, Acts 1:3-4, 14) and John's story of doubting Thomas shows that even he was convinced. (John 20:24-29). But Matthew says that while the disciples saw Jesus, some of them doubted. (Matthew 28:17).
Finally, there is a major textual problem with part of Mark. Mark 16:9-19, which contains the actual resurrection appearance of Jesus, is not part of the original document and is missing from several of the most ancient of the surviving manuscripts. Without it, Mark, generally reckoned to be the most ancient of the gospels, ends with an empty tomb, but without any actual resurrection appearance of Jesus. It also loses Mark 16:17-18, used as a proof text by faith healers and snake handlers.
Funny you’re under the impression you did. Making silly statements and then crying about it when you’re challenged simply exposes your disingenuous attempt to mislead the gullible. Grow-up!
Don’t assume. Ambiguous external genitalia develops in females when the external genital structures are exposed to greater-than-normal amounts of male hormones resulting in masculinized females. There are several syndromes associated with this problem, mosaic comes to mind.
Now be honest, it is a bit more complicated than that, and you know it. It is also not childish to point this out if you are trying to maintain that the bible is inerrant. It either is or it isn't. You can't have it both ways.
For the record, I am no atheist. I also don't require a belief that the Bible is inerrant or the actual word of God in order to maintain a belief in and a relationship with God.
That's not the only way people could be "born gay." Genetics are one possibility, but another is if the baby was exposed to certain hormones while in the womb. If a female baby is exposed to male hormones, she can come out pretty butch. Different hormones can have different effects. For instance, women who carry male babies and have a lot of stress during their pregnancies are more likely to give birth to kids who grow up to be gay. That doesn't seem to have anything to do with genetics, but nonetheless would result in a child being "born gay."
Debunks the "by committe" argument
If you pick up a pen to write a letter, did you write the letter or did the pen?
The Lord wrote the Bible using men as the "pens"
Not at all, propensity does not assume that there is no choice
"Cafeteria Christanity", you pick what you like and leave the rest
Read his story and you will truly be amazed at the power of God to change people's lives.
By the way, Sy is an awesome speaker who deals with sexual dysfunction on all levels...and the reasons we make the choices we do.
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