[Faith-talk] Fw: Nov. 14: Is Homosexuality Innate?

[Everett Gavel]

Only because of some recent discussions and comments 
here, I am forwarding this issue.  Linda, I know you 
said it's over, and no worries there, it's over.  But I 
wanted to pass this along in case it had any useful 
info for Beth, her 2 friends, or any others here who 
may have an interest in this topic.


Strive On--for His Glory,
Everett


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "CitizenLink" <citizenlink at family.org>
Sent: Friday, November 14, 2008 5:35 PM
Subject: Nov. 14: Is Homosexuality Innate?

CITIZENLINK DAILY UPDATE
Nov. 14, 2008

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Nov. 14: Is Homosexuality Innate?
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VIDEO
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It's "Tossmas" time again. In his Stoplight® video
commentary, Stuart Shepard politely asks retailers to 
please at least
acknowledge the name of the holiday that falls on Dec. 
25. Otherwise,
their catalogs may meet an unfortunate end.

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/HKBLJLGJZT/2630265056

(A-P)

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TOP STORY
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Video Friday Five: Dr. Neil and Briar Whitehead
by Kim Trobee, digital producer

SUMMARY: Their research demonstrates homosexuality is 
not innate.

The National Association for Research & Therapy of 
Homosexuality
(NARTH) recently held its annual convention in Denver.

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/FFBLJLGJZU/2630265056/

Dr. Neil Whitehead was the keynote speaker at the Nov. 
7-9 event. His
wife, Briar, also spoke.

The Whiteheads are co-authors of My Genes Made Me Do 
It! A Scientific
Look at Sexual Orientation and have lived and worked in 
India, France,
Japan, Afghanistan and the U.S. They currently reside 
in New Zealand.

Dr. Whitehead has published more than 130 scientific 
papers. He holds
his Ph.D. in biochemistry and worked as a scientist 
with the New
Zealand government for 24 years. He has now been a 
consultant for seven
years.

Briar Whitehead is a journalist, researcher, writer and 
speaker. She is
the author of Craving for Love and God Speaks from a 
Little Box.

The Whiteheads spoke with CitizenLink during the Denver 
conference.

WATCH THE VIDEO

LINK

READ THE TRANSCRIPT

1. Dr. Whitehead, you've done extensive research in the 
area of
homosexuality. What have you found with regard to the 
causes of male
homosexuality?

There are multiple causes, and some of them are sexual 
abuse and
failure to identify with the masculine world, sometimes 
a rebellion
against it, sometimes exclusion and bullying by peers, 
sometimes
failure to copy a father.

The twin studies show that genetics could not be a high 
factor. If you
have identical twins, they have the same genes and 
probably the same
family environment. So, if you have identical twins, 
one of whom is
homosexual, will the other be homosexual, as well? Only 
about 10
percent of the time. That means it's mostly not 
genetic.

2. In the United States, there is a lot of resistance 
to helping people
who have unwanted same-sex attractions. Do you find 
that in New
Zealand, as well?

Indeed. There are far fewer therapists in New Zealand 
(interested in
such therapy).

3. Briar, how did you get into all this?

I'm a writer by training. I thought I might look at 
homosexuality; it
just interested me. I found a fellow who had been a 
homosexual activist
and prostitute, who had become a Christian, who had had 
an experience
that was so profound of God's love that he wanted to 
get out of
homosexuality. I met him and I thought, "Wouldn't it be 
good to
do a racy biography of this guy? It could sell well."

We started with interviewing, and I found I had no 
empathy whatsoever.
I was very switched off by what he had to say about 
what he did. And
then God took me on a crisis in which I discovered . a 
series of
emotional dependencies in my life on men old enough to 
be my father. I
could not break these things. I could not shake these 
things. If I
relocated geographically, I would find another one. And 
I would hook in
again, and my emotional world would shrink down to the 
size of this
person who I could not do without.

And God healed me of this. He profoundly spoke to me 
and explained the
reasons for this, and at the end of it I found I was 
able to empathize
with the homosexual person. The book I wrote was called 
Craving for
Love.

4. Dr. Neil, modern psychiatry says that if you treat 
someone for
homosexuality, you are doing them harm. Is that true?

No. There haven't been any studies which have shown 
conclusive,
significant harm. One study, which looked deliberately 
for harm, found
a lessening of suicides afterward. So, therapy must be 
doing a tower of
good.

5. Briar, how do you respond to those who say, "I've 
read your book,
but I don't think that can work for me"?

God deals with us as individuals. There are different 
paths for
different people. We're uniquely made, and God relates 
with us
uniquely. And what heals one person will not 
necessarily heal another.
But there are things you can find in common. When it 
comes to
homosexuality, you can get out of this thing. It's not 
quick; it's a
process. But it is a steady movement out.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
Visit the Whiteheads' Web site, where you can download 
their book My
Genes Made Me Do It! and read about their research.

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/OFCWJLGJZV/2630265056/

Should those who demand "tolerance" be tolerant of 
former
homosexuals?

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/GYFKJLGJZW/2630265056

Don't homosexuals have the right to live in alignment 
with their chosen
values?

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/KNLUJLGJZX/2630265056

Can gay people really change?

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/KXJCJLGJZY/2630265056

Watch a special video report from the NARTH conference.

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/CNEAJLGJZZ/2630265056

(NOTE: Referral to Web sites not produced by Focus on 
the Family is for
informational purposes only and does not necessarily 
constitute an
endorsement of the sites' content.)

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NEWS
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Good News: U.S. Gambling Regulations Finalized

Two years ago, Congress passed the Unlawful Internet 
Gambling
Enforcement Act (UIGEA). The law gives financial 
institutions a
government go-ahead to block payments to off-shore 
Internet gambling
interests.

And for two years, Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., has 
fought to undo the
regulations.

On Thursday, the battle seemed to come to an end, as 
the Treasury
Department and the Federal Reserve Board finalized 
UIGEA regulations.
Banks have one year in which to bring their systems 
into compliance
with the law.

"This is a huge victory for families," said Chad Hills,
analyst for gambling research and policy at Focus at 
the Family Action.
"For the past decade, Congress has tried to pass such 
legislation,
and now it is complete."

- Jennifer Mesko

(A-P / JMM / 30 min.)

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Chicago Middle-Schooler Finds Tolerance Hard to Come By

A 14-year-old Chicago-area student has discovered those 
who cry for
"tolerance" the loudest may be the most intolerant.

Just before the election, Catherine Vogt conducted an 
experiment in
political tolerance at Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School 
in Oak Park. On
the first day of her experiment, she wore a T-shirt 
with the words
"McCain Girl" written on it.

"People were upset. They started saying things, calling 
me very
stupid, telling me my shirt was stupid," Catherine told 
Chicago
Tribune columnist John Kass.

"One person told me to go die. It was a lot of dying. A 
lot of
comments about how I should be killed." One student 
even suggested
she should be crucified.

Catherine recorded all of the comments in her journal.

The next day, Catherine wore another T-shirt, this one 
with "Obama
Girl" written in blue. And an amazing thing happened.

"People liked my shirt. They said things like my brain 
had come
back, and I had put the right shirt on today," 
Catherine told the
Tribune.

Candi Cushman, education analyst for Focus on the 
Family Action, called
it a disturbing trend.

"Too often we see tolerance being awarded and promoted 
for only one
viewpoint - the more liberal one - while students who 
dare to express
more conservative leanings are shunned or ridiculed.

"The good news is, there are students who are bravely 
calling
attention to the double standard."

Catherine turned her journal into a report, earning 
extra credit.

- Jennifer Mesko

(A-P / JMM / 30 min.)

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Marriage Advocates Respond to Harassment, Intimidation

Ten days after a majority of California voters approved 
a
constitutional amendment to define marriage as between 
one man and one
woman, the "tolerance" is out in full force.

Those who supported Proposition 8 have been 
blacklisted, harassed and
intimidated. Churches have been defaced. Donors and 
volunteers for the
Yes on 8 campaign have been fired or forced to resign - 
just because
they exercised their constitutional right to 
participate in the
political process. And African-Americans have been 
accused of
abandoning civil rights.

"This is the kind of thing we need to bring to the 
attention of
the general population because by no means is the 
mantra of the gay
agenda tolerance; by every definition (it's) 
intolerance and
hate-filled bigotry," said Ron Prentice, chairman of 
Yes on 8 and
executive director of the California Family Council.

"We were attempting to be respectful, but the 
opposition is
actually increasing their rallies, their marches, their 
vandalism - to
the point of sending envelopes with white powder to the 
Mormon Temple
and to other major religious headquarters," he told 
Family News in
Focus before a Yes on 8 news conference. "So we've 
decided we
need to come out assertively against all of this 
activity and
respond."

- Jennifer Mesko

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ALSO OF NOTE
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Plugged In Movie Review: House

Frank Peretti and Ted Dekker open the door on another 
spiritually based
tale of terror.

http://capwiz.com/fof/utr/1/BSJTJLGJWJ/LTRIJLGKAA/2630265056

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Family News in Focus

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QUOTEWORTHY
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"Character, in the long run, is the decisive factor in 
the life of
an individual and of nations alike."

- Former President Theodore Roosevelt

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