Truth Wins Out condemns church exorcism of gay teen in CT

This is obscene.

I find what is done to this poor kid is akin to the torture of children.

But then, I have to admit that I expected it to be -- our opponents see this as a war, and such damage is, to them, acceptable.

I hope the police and agencies are investigating this and plan to put in place harsh penalties for those who contributed -- especially the parents.

I fear they are not.

http://www.dyssonance.com  Breaking all the rules...

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by: dyssonance @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 23:15:14 PM CDT

How anyone can manage the disconnect

in their heads, as they view this- either of relating as a kid, a parent or any caring adult- is beyond comprehension.


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by: Louise @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 09:40:52 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

H.L. Mencken summed it up perfectly:

The most unbelievable social convention of the age in which we live is the one to the effect that all religious opinions should be respected, no matter how ignorant.

Cynic, n.  A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.  
-Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

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by: QScribe @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 10:01:37 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

::nods in agreement::

As an atheist, I say, "Amen!"

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by: PurpleLove08 @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 11:50:02 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Stephen Colbert did a hillarious bit about this

Colbert: The Problem With Exorcisms Of Gay Teens Is That They Put Gay Demons On The Loose (VIDEO)

   http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 23:21:10 PM CDT

The homo demon angle aside, this is pretty common stuff in

lots of churches.  Of course, to those raised in white-bread religious traditions, it's looks absolutely nuts.  As, of course, it is.

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by: Pollyanna @ Fri Jun 26, 2009 at 23:51:11 PM CDT

being raised in one of the most vanilla white bread churches...Lutheran in MN

Being exposed to many of the MCC ministers who came from Southern Pentacostal backgrounds was really strange, and difficult to embrace. The whole heavy handed WASHED IN THE BLOOD...gave me major icks.

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 00:28:54 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

With me it was nowhere near this

But I do remember going to a church in Harlem and having the preacher annoit me with oil in order to pray"the demon of homosexuality" out of me.

Of course, all it took was a walk through Central Park going downtown to show me that the cure hadn't worked. At all.

This is absolutely evil.  

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by: kevinchi @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 00:26:38 AM CDT

I'd market that oil as cologne

Demon of Homosexuality.....mmmmmm!

"race, taste. and History finally overcome....and you ain't there"
by Tony Kushner

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by: peteyPornpig @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 00:32:24 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Sarah Palin's Church

Sarah Palin belonged to a church in the meth-infested town of Wasilla, AK that advocated "praying away the gay."

I am so weary of these radical, Christian loons, perpetrating their homophobia on the LGBT community.

The only way to shut them down is to target their tax exempt status. Get them in their pocketbook.

People ask, "How have you guys managed to stay so long?" I tell them, "Don't sweat the small stuff." It's mostly small stuff.

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by: christopher di spirito @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 07:57:24 AM CDT

Condemn The Boy Too

He's just as guilty as the adult church members, an accomplice in this loony display of theatrics.

Any normal person would just stand there with their arms crossed, rolling their eyes at those adult lunatics.  At least that's how I've always handled these types of kooks when I once attended church.

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by: bluegrassfool @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 08:14:04 AM CDT

No do not condemn the boy

No, do not condemn the boy. He is a 16-year-old child and is no doubt feeling the same way that many of us felt at that age when having to deal with our sexual orientation. He is very conflicted.

We have to do more to make sure resources are available to our lgbt children when stuff like this goes down. It's sad.

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by: Alvin McEwen @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 08:32:15 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Conflicted & Indoctrinated

Oh I agree with you on both of those.

The church I was raised in was a mix of southern baptist and pentecostal, so it's not like I haven't seen theatrics like this with my own eyes up-close.  

From my experience, it's just somebody crying out for attention and to receive pats on the back after church service.  And whatever reason the person was being "exorcised" for, they were back up to their old tricks the next day anyway.

If you're going to show off for attention, you can at least find a more attractive way of going about it than vomiting.

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by: bluegrassfool @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 09:19:45 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Having been emotionally abused as a child

lemme say that some kids will do WHATEVER is demanded of them to make the adults happy- and while the mind can twist itself like that, the body CAN'T.

I still am capable of intense GI upset (no further details) with the right triggers; have Tums, Pepto and loparamide with me all the time.

Took decades for me to even understand that I had been abused- thought I was simply driven to get good grades, scholarships and hide my true self as not to disappoint my father. Never comprehended that this was NOT a normal parent/child relationship until after my sister's suicide...

My heart goes out to this kid. This is NOT normal... and certainly not "attention seeking".  

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by: Louise @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 09:58:08 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Actually

there was study done a couple of years ago that looked into the "odd" experiences that organized religion causes. (I tried to find an on-line copy to post but, unfortunately it is still officially unpublished and they will not let you copy it).

It states that the human mind is very capable of causing people to experience a number of odd effects. That vomiting and near seizure behavior are not out of the realm of possibilities.  

nothing new at this time.....

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by: Mattkazoo @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 10:02:36 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

And ass a minor

he is probably indoctrinated by that church and his parents. He is no more responsible than those kids who get sick and their parents refuse to let them see a doctor, due to their religious beliefs. The kids have no choice.

nothing new at this time.....

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by: Mattkazoo @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 08:50:21 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Maybe so, bluegrassfool re"any normal person"

But here's the thing- this child has NOT been raised to be normal and healthy. So at that point, his perceptions are skewered.

Please do not condemn him.

Unless one has actually known child abuse, it is almost impossible to comprehend how PERVASIVE and damaging it is. It doesn't come on suddenly one day and I don't know if one ever fully gets over it.

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Click here for DADT photobook

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by: Louise @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 09:51:10 AM CDT

[ Parent ]

Theatrics is part of the religious experience

nearly everywhere, some places more than others. The poor kid is merely trying to get out from under something he's been told blocks his salvation, trying to relieve disapproval from family and society.

This reminds me of the abuse I suffered at the hands of a Bible Study group at about the same age. After a year of secrecy, shame and damnation, trying to pray the gay away, I tried to blind myself to avoid the temptation of gay lust. Mine eyes offended me. It was a slim hope for heaven, but the only one I could up with at the time.

I hope Rod 2.0 is right that the kid's going to a gay-affirming church these days, if that's what he needs.

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by: adamblast @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 12:26:47 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

homosexual demon?

Demons???  Is this religion or a fairy tale? It is amazing that these people are able to say this sort of thing and defend it with a straight face.  Do they also have problems caused by ogres, giants, lamias, vampires?  Come on!  And they expect to be taken seriously.  Embrace that young man and assure him that as a member of the human race he deserves a place among all of us!
Love,
Rick Cabral

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by: RickCabral @ Sat Jun 27, 2009 at 13:17:26 PM CDT

Are you asking seriously?

Is this religion or a fairy tale?

You mean you've noticed a difference?

Cynic, n.  A blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.  
-Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary

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by: QScribe @ Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 15:07:12 PM CDT

[ Parent ]

This is criminal assault

The boy being assaulted is 16, so he is not legally able to give consent and his parents can't give their consent for him to be assaulted like this.

SO... Why aren't these people in jail?

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great moral crisis, maintain their neutrality. -- John F. Kennedy (inspired by Dante's Inferno)

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by: oldbrit @ Sun Jun 28, 2009 at 03:27:36 AM CDT