“You will not acknowledge the freedom of those who seek change”

Homosexual activist Wayne Besen of "Truth Wins Out" viciously attacks people who have overcome homosexuality in their lives--like former lesbian Janet Boynes. To order Boynes' book, go to www.JanetBoynesMinistries.com.

The following is an open letter to “Truth  Wins Out” (TWO), a homosexual activist organization that attempts to discredit the observed truth that people practicing homosexuality can change their dominating sexual attractions (and behaviors). This letter was sent to members of the California state Assembly, which is considering SB 1172 — passed in late May by the state Senate — banning “sexual orientation” change therapy (also know as “reparative therapy”) for homosexual youth. The letter’s signers are: myself [Peter LaBarbera, Founder and President of Americans For Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH)], Wayne Lela, Founder of H.O.M.E. (Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment), and John McCartney, Jr., an AFTAH Board Member and advocate with the Citizens Concerned About Media, also based in Chicago.

TWO viciously demonizes “ex-gays”; typical is TWO founder Wayne Besen’s crass and demeaning characterization HERE of former lesbian Janet Boynes as an “ex-gay fraud” and “con artist.” Significantly, much of Besen’s and TWO’s efforts are directed at denying media visibility to people like Boynes who have overcome homosexuality in their lives. You can also listen HERE to Besen’s embarrassingly unprofessional appearance last year opposite me on liberal radio host Barry Lynn’s talk show, “Culture Shocks”: in addition to repeatedly calling me “Porno Pete” (a nasty smear he concocted) on air, Besen exposes his own folly of trying to “prove” homosexuals cannot change by admitting that he hasn’t (and of course cannot) monitor every former homosexual. (Besen and his small outfit evidently hadn’t been tracking successful Chicago former lesbian Linda Jernigan.)

I wish to add, for myself personally as a Christian who has monitored the homosexual movement for two decades, that some people trapped in homosexuality HAVE experienced rapid and, many would say, miraculous change away from homosexuality — mostly (but not always) through spiritual regeneration in Jesus Christ. However, that should not be the expectation of every person seeking sexual healing and transformation. As in all areas of life, each person brings his or her own unique circumstances, struggles, beliefs and personality to the process of overcoming adversity, sin and addictions in their life. And the lingering effects of temptation, abuse/family dysfunction and indulged, habitual sin — of whatever stripe — usually last a lifetime.

Urges “gays” trapped in sexual sin to “snatch up” God’s free gift of salvation and forgiveness through Christ

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (John 3:16-21, English Standard Version of the Bible)

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Friday, June 15, 2012

This column first appeared in WorldNetDaily (WND.com). We have added links to the original piece:

AN OPEN LETTER TO HOMOSEXUALS

By Matt Barber

I write this not to professional homosexuals. That is to say, not to members of the well-funded, politically powerful homosexual activist lobby. They will mock and reject my words outright. They will twist and misrepresent what I say to further their own socio-political agenda. That’s fine. It’s to be expected. It merits little more than a yawn and an eye roll.

Instead, I write this to my fellow travelers in life – average, ordinary people, male and female, young and old – who happen to call themselves “gay.” I write this out of obedience to God.

It is my hope and prayer that you will consider what I have to say and take it at face value. My intentions are pure and my motives upright. If I can plant the seed of truth in just one person, and that seed begins to sprout, then I consider this letter a success.

I pray that you are that person.

The following are the remarks of Michael Heath, Co-Chairman of the Maine No Special Rights Campaign, on June 9, 2012, at the Lewiston City Hall Steps in Lewiston, Maine. Heath, Co-Chairman Paul Madore and No Special Rights are opposing a ballot initiative in November to legalize homosexual “marriage” in Maine:

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As our society continues her descent into the gloomy depths love compels us to come together here today.  The inky blackness of evil only appears solid.  The flicker of a solitary candle reveals the deception.  Light always forces darkness to flee.  Darkness has no power over light … and love.

Sodomy, and those who practice it, choose to live in the darkness.  First they convince themselves that evil is good, and then they must convince everyone else.

The siren song of sexual pleasure entices them from the righteous course God prepared for them in eternity.  The clanging song excites them for a minute, but the pleasure always flees before the moment passes.  And so it will be with Maine.

The most unloving and intolerant act we could choose to perform would be to not engage the people of Maine in a conversation about morality, sodomy and sin.  My heart is heavy, for the institution most capable of leading this conversation is itself now turning her head in the direction of the siren’s song.

The church must repent.  It must choose clarity and courage over political correctness and sin.

This is Part One of a three-part interview with Peter Sprigg [click HERE to listen], Senior Fellow for Policy Studies at the Family Research Council. This podcast was recorded June 14, 2012. Sprigg is the author of “Outrage: How Gay Activists and Liberal Judges Are Trashing Democracy to Redefine Marriage” (Regnery, 2004), and is co-editor of the FRC book “Getting It Straight: What the Research Shows about Homosexuality.” The bulk of this interview deals with the new study on homosexual parenting” by University of Texas scholar Mark Regnerus, appearing in the journal Social Science Research (June 10, 2012). The study found dramatic differences between children raised in normal, mom-and-dad families and those raised in lesbian-led households. Sprigg is also on the Board of PFOX (Parents & Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays). Joining program host Peter LaBarbera of Americans For Truth is Pastor John Kirkwood of Grace Gospel Fellowship Church in Bensenville, IL.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Real Player is not supported and there may be difficulty when attempting to listen with it.  Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

6-14-12, Peter Sprigg, Part One

Ignacio Arsuaga of the Spanish pro-family group Hazte-Oir ("Speak Out"), which hosted the highly successful World Congress of Families VI conference in Madrid.

AFTAH’s Peter LaBarbera and Pastor John Kirkwood interview Ignacia Arsuaga [click HERE to listen], founder and president of the Spanish pro-family/pro-life group Hazte-Oir (roughly translated, “Speak Out”). Hazte-Oir did an outstanding job as the main local host joining with the Rockford, Illinois-based Howard Center to put on the World Congress of Families VI conference late May in Madrid. It drew more than 3,000 attendees, including representatives from Americans For Truth and 130 other pro-family groups from across the globe. This interview occurred May 31, 2012. Arsuaga discusses the failed pressure campaign by homosexual and leftist activists against the conference, and also how Madrid’s homosexual lobby targed Catholic Bishop Juan Antonio Reig Plà (of the diocese of Alcalá de Henares), after Reig Plà included homosexual behavior among other sins that war against the soul in a homily. Hazte-Oir and its followers rallied to support of Reig Pia, who received a standing ovation at the WCF conference. Arsuago, speaking here in his second language, English, discusses the state of the pro-family movement in Spain, and how his organizations mobilizes young people to stand for truth in the Culture War.

TAKE ACTON: Hazte-Oir needs help to cover a financial deficit from the huge undertaking of hosting an international conference. Please help them by making a donation at: http://congresomundial.es/help-us/.

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Real Player is not supported and there may be difficulty when attempting to listen with it.  Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

6-3-12, Ignacio Arsuaga

Wooden responds to CNN host Don Lemon calling opponents of homosexual “marriage” “sexual rednecks”…

North Carolina pastor Patrick Wooden, here being interviewed following AFTAH's press conference exposing the Southern Poverty Law Center's politicized "hate" agenda.

The following is Part Two of AFTAH President Peter LaBarbera’s interview with Patrick Wooden [click HERE to listen], a key leader in the successful effort in North Carolina to pass a constitutional amendment affirming natural marriage (one-man, one-woman). This interview was conducted May 17, 2012; we apologize for the delays in posting it. Wooden, senior pastor at Upper Room Church of God in Christ, in Raleigh, N.C., discusses the “lies” used by pro-homosexual acitivists in his state to distort the effect of the Marriage Amendment, part of an “emotional strategy” aimed at discrediting it. Joining LaBarbera is John Kirkwood, pastor of Grace Gospel Fellowship Church in Bensenville, Illinois. Wooden responds to a tendentious segment by CNN host (and pederasty victim) Don Lemon comparing opponents of homosexual “marriage” to the late Alabama governor and segregationist George Wallace (and saying that Blacks and people defending traditional marriage risk being seen as “sexual rednecks”).

HOW TO LISTEN: This is an mp3 file, supported in most operating systems by Windows Media Player, Quick Time and/or I-Tunes.  Real Player is not supported and there may be difficulty when attempting to listen with it.  Left click once on the link below to play. (Please be patient, depending upon the speed of your internet connection it may take a moment or two to load.)  OR right click the link then “save target as” to download the whole show.

5-19-12, Patrick Wooden, Part Two

AFTAH in the News: Why would a major ‘family-oriented’ corporation back foes of natural marriage in the middle of a ballot campaign?

Folks, it’s up to us to hold soulless corporations who back immorality accountable. The item below appeared in AFA’s “One News Now” news service. [Sign up for their Daily News Briefs HERE and their Alerts HERE.] Clearly, Big Business is gambling that opposition to homosexuality is dying out in the USA. I hope they are wrong, because if they are correct and America is jettisoning its Christian roots to embrace sexual sin and the trivialization of “marriage” to accommodate it, we will continue to decay like all once-great civilizations before us. (In that sense, there is no American “exceptionalism”….)

God will not be mocked, and it is difficult for God to “Bless America” if America blesses sodomy and sexual sin.

TAKE ACTION:  To reach Target, call 1-800-591-3869 and hit “0” at the prompt to get an actual person. Click HERE to give your feedback online. When I called, the operator told me that the “pride” t-shirt donation campaign was consistent with the company’s longtime support of “diversity,” including the “LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender] community.”  

As the 61-39 vote for REAL marriage in North Carolina showed, Sodomy-Based “Marriage” (SBM) is NOT inevitable. Thank you for taking a stand, and have a terrific weekend.

— Peter LaBarbera, www.aftah.org

PS.  Madrid and the World Congress of Families conference were both wonderful, as AFTAH Board Member John McCartney and I had many opportunities to meet and network with pro-family activists from all over the world! We’ll have more on that next week.

PPS.  Please “re-sign” up for AFTAH e-mails HERE (the “Join Our E-Mail List” button at the top of the site), as we prepare to switch to “MailChimp” to improve our e-newsletter service to you. Signing up is quick and easy! Thanks for supporting AFTAH!

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Target taking ‘a big risk’

Read it online: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Business/Default.aspx?id=1606832

Charlie Butts – OneNewsNow – 6/1/2

Referring to the corporation pumping funds into the campaign to defeat Minnesota’s Marriage Protection Amendment, Peter LaBarbera says Target has missed the mark on moral issues.

The Americans for Truth About Homosexuality (AFTAH) founder reports that Target has pledged to donate 100 percent of earnings from “pride” T-shirt sales during June to the Family Equality Council, a group that is against the proposed constitutional amendment that will go to Minnesota voters in November (see earlier story).

“It’s unbelievable to me that Target would give $120,000 to the pro-homosexual marriage side, right in the middle of a ballot campaign [on traditional marriage],” he comments. “This will certainly have an impact on Target’s bottom line, as pro-traditional marriage Americans find out that Target is now a pro-same-sex ‘marriage’ company.”

Pro-life advocates would never abandon defense of their core truths, neither should we…

While many pro-life and pro-family conservatives have shied away from directly discussing the morality of homosexuality and confronting "gay" activism, LGBT advocates have steadily indoctrinated young people in the platitudes and myths of their movement. Above is a page from the groundbreaking children's book "Daddy's Roommate," claiming, "Being gay is just one more kind of love." It was published in 1991. Click on graphic to enlarge.

By Peter LaBarbera

MADRID, Spain–Attending the Sixth World Congress of Families put on by the Howard Center, I am struck once again by the enormous gulf between the international pro-life groups and leaders that have assembled here — with their tremendous progress, momentum and cultural influence — and the diffident, ambiguous and defensive posture of pro-family groups and leaders opposing organized homosexuality.

The pro-life movement has palpable energy and confidence — reflected in the myriad of pro-life groups tackling every aspect of the struggle to protect innocent life and reach and heal abortive or potentially abortive women. It is fantastic to behold and provides much-needed evidence that good can rally against evil (though there is of course much work to be done).

Contrast that with the struggling “movement’ (if you can call it that) of those who are dedicated to the principled cause of defeating the Homosexual Lobby — just like pro-lifers aim to defeat the Abortion Lobby (i.e., without an ounce of guilt or reservations). Talking with pro-family activists from various countries here at World Congress reveals the simmering divide over how to approach the homosexual juggernaut: some, like me, favor a direct approach on the issue while others believe we should sidestep the “H” debate and instead focus positively on the campaign to protect the definition of marriage.

This is not to say that preserving marriage as between a man and a woman is not a critical priority — but rather that it is only one battle in a much larger war that must be fought aggressively if we have any hope of turning things around as the pro-life movement has. This necessarily means not just defending our First Amendment “right” to oppose homosexuality, “gay marriage” and gender confusion but systematically tackling these salient issues:

• Explaining WHY homosexual and transgender behaviors are always wrong;
• Educating youth and potential allies on how homosexual sex is fraught with health risks; ditto for gender-confused behaviors including “sex reassignment surgeries”;
• Teaching why homosexuality violates Natural Moral Law, the teachings of Judaism and Christianity and most major religions;
• Acknowledging the reality that many men and women (like Charlene Cothran) have successfully left homosexual, lesbian or transgendered identies behind;
• Building awareness of the tragic realities surrounding homosexual, bisexual and transgender lifestyles, such as the inordinate drug and porn use among homosexual men, and “gay-on-gay” assaults and abuses;
• Ground the Church and religious/moral citizens in a basic understanding of how homosexual militants like Dan Savage have been in the vanguard of mocking and attacking Biblical Truth and time-honored, Judeo-Christian tenets that historically have served as the basis for wholesome sexual values and stable marriages;
• Educate the public on how State-enforced “gay rights,” e.g., “Sexual Orientation” laws — not just legalized homosexual “marriage” and “civil unions” — naturally war against the freedom of citizens (religious or not) to oppose sexual immorality (sin). Show how “gay” laws corrupt “civil rights” and force Christians and religious citizens to subsidize and “celebrate” immoral homosexual relationships.