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Difference Is Not A Sin

Chapter 6: MEDICAL EVIDENCE

B: THE CHURCH'S ATTITUDE TO HEALTH AND HOMOSEXUAL CURES

It is of course no surprise that while the medical and the general community has been moving forward in its understanding of human psychology and sexuality the church has been stuck, officially at least, in the world before 1700.

There are scattered allusions to homosexual behaviour in the literature and canons of the early church, all of them hostile. Penalties varied from nine years penance (Gregory of Nyssa, epist. cant 4) to perpetual excommunication (Conc.Illib., 71) The severe laws in Gothic Spain in the seventh century may have a political motive (Lex. Vi., III.v.4,7; XVI.Tolet.,3) The Penitentials (books of rules, prayers, devotions and spiritual advice) especially Cummean's, contain a comprehensive treatment of the `sin' of homosexual behaviour. They recognise female practices, distinguish between different acts and propose different penances according to the supposed gravity of the offences. There was at one period an association of homosexual acts with heresy. The Albigensian heresy from Bulgaria briefly flourished in Provence and Southern France, before it was destroyed. Several of the leaders were accused of Sodomy; hence the term `bougre', from which we get our word `bugger'. A systematic study of the morality of homosexual acts `peccata contra naturam' (sins against nature) was undertaken by Thomas Aquinas. (Summa Theeologica Part 11, second section qq152-154) He argued that the sexual organs should not be used in any activity that precludes the possibility of conception. This seems strange in our overcrowded age when birth control is seen as an imperative, but it is of course the argument of Philo and still forms the basis of the Roman Catholic Church's objection to artificial forms of contraception.

Even as late as 1971 the Dictionary of Christian Ethics, in a rather quaint article, described homosexual people as `handicapped.' "As a handicapped person the homosexual person presents society with peculiar and neglected problems; but moralists and legislators have usually shown more concern with `homosexualism' (Bailey's term for homosexual behaviour) than with the adjustment of the homosexual." (S.Bailey. Article `Homosexuality and Homosexualism.' Dic. of Christian Ethics p.152) Most homosexual people would say that the only handicap they face is other peoples' prejudice.

EVANGELICAL CHURCHES AND HOMOSEXUAL `CURES'

Perhaps the most overt way that some , mostly evangelical churches, have approached the question of homosexuality in our own day, is by supporting groups which purport to be able to `cure' homosexuals of their homosexuality. Many gay Christians who have been brought up in fundamentalist christian churches have terrible struggles with their conscience. Many of them sensibly leave such groups and go to churches which have more liberal and informed views. However this will always be a wrench and may lead to family break-up. Others struggle on, plagued by doubt and self disgust; many lead double lives with all the stress that implies, it is a significant cause of suicide. "God had every opportunity to make me straight, the amount of fasting I did, the number of groups I went to, people I had counselling from. If anybody was going to be made straight it was me. I desperately, desperately wanted to be straight. I just believed that it hampered my spirituality. I was told that I couldn't be a committed christian and a homosexual." (Lawrence, a one time minister in the Elim church.) This is a rather stricter position than that of the Anglican church which, with its usual desire to be all things to all men, has said that there can be no objection to a person who is homosexual, it is the acting upon it which is wrong. In fact the Anglican church can accept practising homosexuals in its congregations but not, officially at least, among its clergy. (In fact I know from my own experience as a parish priest, that many congregations are only too pleased when young gay men join them, they are good for moving furniture, usually have more money for the stewardship campaign and dramatically lower the age profile of the congregation.)

The chief protagonist of the policy of a christian cure for homosexuality is the American writer and `ex gay' Frank Worthern. His book `Steps out of Homosexuality', is the principle text used by the ex-gay movement here and in the States. In the last fifteen years some half dozen groups drawing their inspiration from Worthern's book have been founded in this country, among them True Freedom Trust, Courage, U-turn Anglia and Living Waters International are the most prominent. Some of these groups have been supported by influential churchmen including the Bishop of Chester and the contentious Dean of Lincoln who serve on the trust of T.F.T. Other churchmen, notably the present Archbishop of York, have expressed considerable reservations about the activities of these groups.

These so called `ministries' have attracted considerable criticism from gay groups such as Outrage, which have disrupted services at St Michael's Chester Square and they have been dogged by allegations of malpractice, manipulation, of leaders who are unqualified, and far worse, of sexual abuse. It has been alleged that the misery caused by the activities of these groups has meant that many former members have had to go on to further, professional, counselling after they have left these groups. An article in `Gay Times' in October 1995 reports the experience of Greg Rattey who approached T.F.T. in 1982 for counselling by Martin Hallet. "I was told homosexuality was wrong. Speaking to Hallet was so degrading and I found that the more I was counselled the worse I felt. He kept telling me that I could change if I wanted to. I had to redirect my homosexual desire. I was so depressed and filled with self loathing by the end." I have spoken to other ex members and their experiences and feelings are not dissimilar to Mr Rattey's. Chris Medcalf the one time secretary and treasurer of Exodus International Europe which is closely linked with TFT resigned after allegations that he had fondled young men who had come to for him for support. These allegations were made by three young men during an ITV documentary broadcast in 1995. In America there have been allegations that young men and women in the `care' of Exodus have been held in remote isolation, giving them intensive `healing' counselling at the request of their parents. There is a yet more compelling criticism of these activities that is made by many ex members of these groups - they don't work. John the son of a pastor in the Plymouth Brethren Church in Australia, described his experiences in the article in "Attitude" in February 1996. He is still in contact with many people who were in the same programmes "I don't know of anyone who has been `healed' how can they be? They cannot for so many reasons. Even if it is a psychological issue and not a genetic one, that doesn't mean it is changeable, any more than you can make a hetero person gay." Dr Robert Hale of the British Institute of Psychoanalysis says, " . . for the generality of people the chances of changing their psychic structure are pretty small - even assuming that they would want to." Perhaps a more pertinent question for christians is, "Would God want homosexuals to change?

The criticism of the idea that there my be a `cure' for homosexuality is not restricted to gay action groups. Dr Richard Isay, a prominent psychiatrist working in the field of sexual therapy, in his book `Being Homosexual', disagrees with the proposition that homosexuals are incapable of happy fulfilled lives with stable loving relationships, which is the proposition used to justify therapy. He asserts that ". . . . the effort to change the sexual orientation of a gay man is harmful to him." (ibid. p.110) Freud too was unconvinced that any significant change could be made to a homosexual orientation. He wrote to a mother concerned about her son's homosexuality. "In general, to convert a fully developed homosexual into a heterosexual does not offer much more prospect of success than the reverse, except that for good practical purposes the latter is never attempted." (`The Psychogenesis of a Case of Homosexuality in a Woman,' Standard Edition 18:151 1920).

In some highly motivated individuals some therapies can have some effect in modifying behaviour but as we have seen from the reports made by people in the groups led by some churches, at terrible cost to the individuals involved. "All these treatments depend for their efficacy on making homosexuality appear less desirable than heterosexuality, or on `spoiling the gratification'. Such treatment has the ultimate effect of undermining the self esteem of the patient by making him feel that his sexual orientation is unacceptable to the therapist as long as he remains homosexual." (ibid. p111) Kinsey and his co-workers for many years attempted to find patients who had been converted from homosexuality to heterosexuality during therapy, and were surprised that they could find no-one. When they interviewed people who claimed they were once homosexual but who now were now functioning heterosexually, they found that all these men were simply suppressing homosexual fantasies to maintain potency when they attempted intercourse.

Perhaps the saddest epitaph on this ill considered policy of gay therapy, is given by one man who proclaimed to the Kinsey researchers that although he had once been actively homosexual, he had now "cut out all of that and don't even think of men - except when I masturbate." (Personal communication from Alfred Kinsey to Clarence Tripp. Quoted in Tripp `The Homosexual Matrix p.252)