Converting Homosexuals

* I cannot help but compare two front-page stories. On July 17 there was a story on the Rev. Carroll Barbour--an Episcopalian priest who had dedicated his ministry to AIDS patients in Hollywood. On July 19 there was a story on conservative churches in Anaheim attempting to “convert” gays to heterosexuality.

One ministry accepted gays into its church just the way they were. The other ministry attempted to convert them, with a less than 30% success rate that was not verifiable. One ministry seemed to preach tolerance, acceptance and compassion. The other ministry divisiveness, exclusion and confusion.

Conservative Christians are fond of the motto WWJD: “What would Jesus do?” Well, Jesus never spoke of homosexuality over his 33-year life span. He associated with prostitutes, tax collectors, lepers and sinners, healed the sick and practiced a life of compassion and unconditional love. His harshest words were reserved for Pharisees, hypocrites and other self-righteous religious people who condemned others without examining their own lives.

What would Jesus do? I am pretty sure which ministry above he would have served.

JOHN J. DURAN

Los Angeles

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With all the problems we have in our country, like poverty and child abuse, it’s truly amazing how obsessed some Christians are with recruiting homosexuals into the heterosexual lifestyle. This kind of brainwashing is contrary to most scientific and scholarly research, which has confirmed that sexual orientation is not something one chooses but is an innate human characteristic.

But I suppose anyone can fake a behavior if he or she tries hard enough. Maybe that’s the point of these conversion groups.

TRACY GAY

Long Beach

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Although I’ve no experience with groups described in your article on the ex-gay movement, I am someone who escaped from homosexuality, married and had a family. Change is possible. Homosexuality is not inbred, as best illustrated by the case of twins, where the genetically identical sibling of a gay twin is normally not homosexual.

DAVE WILSON

Los Angeles