GAYS DEFEND MARRIAGE

I recently ran across the Web site of Randy Thomas, the executive vice president of Exodus International. They’re perhaps the most prominent “ex-gay” group, but by no means the most extreme. They don’t embrace reparative therapy and confrontational behavior the way groups like JONAH and NARTH do. Anyway, Thomas mentioned on his site that he’d like to meet me. I posted that I’d be happy to talk to him, but I had some concern about the fact that on that page he told a Jewish gay man “repeatedly” that he sees him converting to Christianity someday. I made it perfectly clear that a condition of our dialoguing was his not trying to convert me.

His response was if a Jew is offended by his proselytism, he will apologize – obviously insincerely because he will definitely still keep reminding him that he is praying for him to convert. He then proceeded to show he means what he says by apologizing to me – and saying he wants me to convert.

When I called him on his bigotry he said he checked with a supposedly Orthodox Jewish friend of his (who he didn’t name – perhaps it was a “Messianic” Jew) and the friend said I’m insecure (people, you know me, am I insecure?) and trying to recruit me against my will like that was not “culturally insensitive.”

Now, I have been a Jew for 37 years. I know thousands of Jews. Maybe five would think proselytizing a Jew who has told you he’s not interested is not culturally insensitive.

JONAH speaks positively about this organization three times on its Web site. I’ve heard JONAH people talk about going to Exodus conferences. Why are the leaders of JONAH turning Jewish souls over to predators like Thomas? This is a man who openly proclaims he will only talk to a Jew who agrees that Thomas may repeatedly and continuously try to convert them. Isn’t a Jew’s spiritual health more important than his sexual orientation? What on earth is JONAH doing?

UPDATE: A Christian reader of my blog says it’s unclear if I think a Christian who wants Jews to convert and prays for their conversion is automatically a bigot. Definitely not. It’s a Christian who won’t respect a Jew’s request not to be proselytized that’s a bigot (defined as someone completely intolerant of other people’s beliefs).

FURTHER UPDATE: I’ve been communicating with Alan Chambers, the president of Exodus International, who I like. He apologized for the initial interaction I had with Randy, saying “that isn’t how we do things around here.” And Randy apologized as well, and has promised to never again push his faith on Jews or anyone else who indicates they do not want to hear it.He reserves the right to pursue conversion with a Jew whose position he doesn’t know, which is fine. But if asked to stop, he has agreed to stop. I think Exodus’s reaction to this whole episode is terrific. It’s not easy to admit you were wrong, especially in deeply personal matters like religion. Of course, whatever complaints I may have about “ex-gays” they by definition know how to admit they’re wrong, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.