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Here is Part Two of Americans For Truth Hour’s interview with Ken Hutcherson [click HERE to listen], former NFL linebacker and pastor of Antioch Bible Church in Redmond, Washington. [Click HERE to listen to Part One.] “Hutch” first discusses how as a youth he overcome a race-focused mindset to accept Jesus Christ, who became his “new Coach” while the Bible became his playbook. In commenting on Rick Warren’s ambiguous statements about homosexuality, sin and Prop 8, Hutcherson says that for a man to indulge sexual thoughts about another man is a sin unto itself: “Our thought patterns [are] what lead to the sin in the first place.”
Hutcherson says that rather than talk about his “gay” friends, Warren should be highlighting his “ex-gay” friends. “We’ve gotten to the point now [that] we’ve forgotten that we’re pastors and we want to be more politicians,” Hutcherson said. “A politician won’t give you a straight answer…to save his life, but he will give you an answer to save his seat.”
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Courtesy of our good friends at PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays):
My Testimony
by Debora Barr
Radical transformation is possible! I lived 18 years of my life as a lesbian with absolutely no desire to change. Now that I have been set free from my invisible shackles, I am experiencing the most wholesome and unconditional love of my Savior, Jesus Christ and will never turn back!
I was born in 1963, to a 19-year-old mother and a twenty-one year old father who lost their first child (my older brother) to complications during child birth less than a year earlier. My parents both came from homes where their same sex parent died when they were very young. I am the oldest of three biological children of my parents and one adopted sibling. I was brought up in the Catholic Church, and early in my life, I developed a love for God and even dreamed of becoming a nun.
I was extremely insecure as a child and did not make friends easily. I never really connected with kids my own age, and my best friends were always older than me. I matured quickly, and beginning at the age of nine, I took on the role of babysitter for my younger siblings as well as the 50 foster children (infants) that my family took in over a period of seven years. I felt like an adult, even as a child.
In high school I began dating a boy who was a couple of years older than me. He lived quite a distance away, so he would come and spend the weekends at my house whenever possible. During this time, my mother started to go with us to the movies or bowling alley nearly every time we went out. She never really dated as a teen because she was raising her two younger brothers. She married my father at the age of 16 to get away from her alcoholic father and her dysfunctional family situation.
When I was 15, my boyfriend and I were away at a church camp and there he tried to have sex with me. When I returned home, I experienced deep betrayal by someone very close to me which sent me spiraling into a deep depression. I rejected God and completely turned my back on him, denying that he even existed. I struggled for the next couple of years with deep depression and attempts at suicide. I graduated from high school, my parents divorced, and I went to college in another part of the state. There, I experienced sexual abuse from three different older men and further rejected any notion that God could exist. I thought what I knew as a child was just a lie and a fairytale – there was no God! I actively rejected the existence of God, telling people who believed that they were weak and deceived.
Homosexual activists sweep “gay marriage” ballot measures in Maine, Maryland, Minnesota and Washington State
Rep. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wisconsin) becomes the first open lesbian to win a U.S. Senate seat. Most assuredly, the voters of Wisconsin were largely uninformed about Baldwin’s radical record in support of the homosexual-bisexual-transgender agenda.
CHICAGO– Tuesday was a devastating day for pro-family advocates concerned about the advance of same-sex “marriage” and homosexual activism. While politics does not decide moral and spiritual Truth, it is an indicator of the heart of our nation. On Nov. 6, America took another giant step away from God and our Judeo-Christian heritage.
Here are the ‘Gay’ Lobby’s biggest victories:
Barack Obama, the most pro-homosexual president in U.S. history, won reelection after embracing homosexual “marriage”;
Voters in Maine, Maryland and Washington State passed ballot measures legalizing “same-sex marriage”;
Minnesota voters rejected an amendment to preserve natural marriage as one-man, one-woman after 32 states previously had passed similar marriage amendments;
Democrat Rep. Tammy Baldwin became the first open lesbian to win a U.S. Senate seat – defeating Republican former Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson. Five other open homosexuals and a bisexual atheist (Kyrsten Sinema, D-AZ) won House seats;
Judge David Wiggins – one of seven Iowa Supreme Court justices to legalize “gay marriage” in 2009 – survived a pro-family campaign against him and won retention. In 2010, Iowa voters tossed out three fellow Supreme Court justices who were part of the same “gay marriage” ruling.
No longer can pro-family advocates say that homosexual “marriage” has never been voted in by the people. Thanks to a never-ending bombardment of media-, educational- and pop-culture propaganda in favor of All Things Gay, homosexual “marriage” is now semi-popular, at least in Blue States. And there is no sugar-coating how damaging Obama’s reelection will be to this already depraved nation.
The following column by our friend Greg Quinlan first appeared on the website of PFOX (Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays):
By Greg Quinlan
Greg Quinlan says he was labeled a “traitor” for leaving the homosexual lifestyle and his “gay” identity behind.
The homosexual push for “equal marriage,” otherwise known as genderless marriage, can only lead to a ban on heterosexual rights. With a President in power who endorses gay causes and readily misuses executive orders, and emboldened by their numerous wins for gay rights at the legislative and judicial level, homosexuals have now moved beyond equal rights to the “more equal than you” level. As a result, gay organizations are working to ban that practice they fear the most — heterosexual behavior.
Witness the ban on heterosexual therapy successfully pushed by homosexual groups in California. Even though no scientific evidence exists of a “gay gene,” parents in California are now prohibited from taking their children to see a therapist to resolve their child’s unwanted same-sex attractions.
So for parents who discover that their son has been molested and is now sexually confused, their only option is to make an appointment with a gay-affirming therapist — because unlike heterosexual affirming therapy, gay-affirming therapy has not been declared illegal in California even though such therapy has not been proven beneficial by the APA.
Yet a parent can take their son to a therapist to approve gender blocking hormones so that the child’s natural gender is stunted before he reaches puberty. In short, parents can attempt to change a child’s gender, but they cannot change their child’s sexual orientation unless it is to a homosexual identity.
UPDATE: Gay militant smears AFTAH, again: Shortly after we posted the article and video below about Exodus International’s tragic embrace of “gay Christianity,” AFTAH founder Peter LaBarbera was attacked by notorious homosexual militant Wayne Besen (who came up with the hateful smear “Porno Pete”): see Besen’s lie-filled “report” here: http://www.truthwinsout.org/blog/2012/09/29105/
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Words cannot express my disappointment in Exodus International President Alan Chambers’ “exodus” from biblical truth on homosexuality. This 17-minute video of Chambers addressing a pro-homosexual, ostensibly “Christian” group (Gay Christian Network) aptly sums up his tragic defection. [For a rebuttal, see Prof. Rob Gagnon’s paper, “Time for a Leadership Change at Exodus?] Poor Alan is way beyond his pay grade here: imagine heading up an “ex-gay” umbrella group — which is how Exodus once described itself — and apologizing to unrepentant homosexuals for the simple slogan “Change is possible.” Shame. Substitute another sexual sin (say, pornography) for homosexuality (“sexual orientation”) — and Chambers’ “apology” makes no sense at all. (For that matter, would anyone take a “Porn-using Christians Network”–or a “Christian Lusters Network”–seriously and “dialogue” with them?)
Sad but true: these days when Christians “dialogue” with homosexual activists, as Chambers often does, it is usually the Christians who bend toward the world (sin) rather than vice versa. Stay tuned for more on this stunning story of Exodus’ and Chambers’ break with historic Christian teaching on homosexuality. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
This video was produced by Oklahoma City-based First Stone Ministries, led by our friend and former homosexual Stephen Black. First Stone recently broke away from Exodus International and is now part of a new, biblically-faithful umbrella group for sexual struggers, Restored Hope Network. Go HERE to watch this video on YouTube.
Americans For Truth is excited to hear about the formation of this Christian “ex-gay” alternative to ExodusInternational, which has lost the trust of many pro-family advocates and Christian leaders due to the perceived unbiblical and erroneous statements by Exodus leader Alan Chambers. See this paper by Bible-and-homosexuality expert and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Prof. Robert Gagnon as the best critique of Chambers’ liberal tilt. Also see former homosexual DL Foster’s blog, Gay Christian Movement Watch. We will have more on the Exodus and Chambers controversy in future posts. — Peter LaBarbera, AFTAH
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Announcing the Formation of Restored Hope Network and Its First Annual Conference
Contact: David Foster, 615-507-4166
FRANKLIN, Tenn., Aug. 23, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ — Restored Hope Network (RHN) has recently been formed by leaders from throughout North America who seek to minister to homosexuals and other sexually broken individuals according to the historic doctrines of the Christian faith. We seek to be honest about the need for repentance in the life of believer and nonbeliever alike and we seek to communicate the many ways that God brings about real and lasting change in the life of anyone who turns to Him and allows Him to take them through a life-transforming process.
One of RHN’s founding leaders is Frank Worthen, who was the key figure in the founding of Exodus International in 1973. Of this new network, Frank writes:
“I am feeling inexpressible joy that the Lord has brought together a group of people who will not allow the message of hope and change to die in a sea of misguided social/cultural relevance. Restored Hope Network will now carry the torch of freedom from the sin and degradation of homosexuality and the transforming power of Jesus Christ.”
Restored Hope Network will be holding its inaugural conference this coming September 21 & 22 at Sunrise Community Church in Fair Oaks, CA (Sacramento area). Speakers will include Frank Worthen, Andy Comiskey (Desert Stream Ministries), Dr. Robert Gagnon (Pittsburgh Theological Seminary) and others.
Mission Statement for “Restored Hope Network”: Restored Hope is a membership governed network dedicated to restoring hope to those broken by sexual and relational sin, especially those impacted by homosexuality. We proclaim that Jesus Christ has life-changing power for all who submit to Christ as Lord; we also seek to equip His church to impart that transformation.
Says Alan Chambers’ comments about ‘sexual orientation’ change “unwittingly played into the enemy’s hands”
Andy Comiskey of Desert Stream Ministries.
The following letter was published by Desert Stream Ministries, led by former homosexual Andy Comiskey, in response to growing concerns over statements emanating from Exodus International:
April 2012
Dear Friends,
Several of you have requested my views on the current Exodus debate. As far as I can see, this fundamentally involves the question about changing sexual orientation, with an underlying concern about a compromised view of grace. It also is a structural issue: who is able to do best at what for Exodus.
Please forgive our late entry into sharing our views on these matters. I (Andrew) am a weak social networker who finds the flurry of opinions disorienting, at times more flesh than Spirit. Still, we love Exodus and must take seriously the fact that Living Waters is the most commonly employed ‘healing’ format in our network.
Like you, our goal is to equip the church to offer sound ministry to the sexually broken, with an emphasis on those dealing with SSA. We will continue to do that in and through all our disagreements and adjustments. The goal is preparing a people who please Jesus, the Bride who has made herself ready.
Regarding sexual orientation change, we at DSM will continue to uphold change as a reasonable goal for Christians with SSA who are earnestly seeking Him and who are willing to do the hard work of resolving their gender disintegration through Christ and His healing community. (We realize that not all will graduate into a state of readiness for marriage. However, that should not preclude anyone from seeking full sexual restoration.)
Alan’s comments about change unwittingly played into the enemy’s hands. To question sexual orientation change on the basis of residual struggles is weak theology and psychology. Very few who have overcome destructive, life-dominating issues live without a trace of the problem. To then describe that ‘trace’ as a reason to tone down the idea of change makes no sense to us.
The following is a statement issued by First Stone Ministries, based in Oklahoma City, OK, and headed by Stephen Black, a former homosexual [click HERE to listen to Part One of AFTAH’s 2011 interview with Black; and HERE for Part Two]:
Many of you may know that for 36 years, First Stone Ministries has been affiliated with Exodus International, a network of ministries that all proclaim freedom from homosexuality through relationship with Jesus Christ. Over the last several months, the leadership of First Stone Ministries has become increasingly aware of some changes in Exodus’s ideology and leadership that have resulted in us feeling we are unable to continue as an Exodus Member ministry while maintaining Biblical integrity and a clear conscience before God. In April, First Stone officially resigned as an Exodus Member ministry. We remain dedicated to proclaiming Biblical truth in all sexual and relational matters, and to providing a safe place for those struggling with unwanted same-sex attractions to find healing and freedom in Christ and to be empowered to “go and sin no more.” Pray for us as we seek to remain connected with other Biblically-sound ministries and to maintain and even increase our influence to the Church and culture in Oklahoma and throughout the Midwest. Two sources which provide a prophetic and scholarly perspective of our decision:
