So this is what happens in Aliso Viejo? Sure, it's South Orange County, California, squarely Republican but not as conservative as you may think, the city voted against Prop 8, the ban on Gay Marriage. And maybe Compass Bible Church isn't aware, but there is a growing LGBT community in Aliso Viejo, I am one of those residents who is quite glad to know of many same sex couples in our City, from parents to business owners, these are our neighbors, our neighbors children, OUR children.
I actually found out about this video because of my husband who sits on Capistrano Unified School Board (and by the way, this is MY opinion alone and does not have anything to do with him or his position on the board), the background of the video is Aliso Niguel High School and the topic is Homosexuality in High School.
As of this afternoon, the video has been taken down. Not sure why, but it doesn't really make it any better. It's an awful video. Queerty has a piece on it, it's how I found another copy of the original video that someone else had uploaded. It has been the talk of our City because, well, guess what, it offended people who just happened to have children who are gay or lesbian, it bothered them that something like this was made in our City with the backdrop of our local High School.
Will 'Pray The Gay Away' Preacher Bobby Blakey Pay For These Kids’ Therapy Bills?
Orange County pastor Bobby Blakey of Compass Bible Church has produced this joke of a testimonial that warns parents that even if their kids aren’t queer, they’ve likely “completely embraced the lifestyle as leigitimate for their friends.” “If you don’t accept homosexuality,” he explains, “you’re not in with what’s happening today.”
Oh yeah, Jamie Hubley and all those other kids killed themselves because they were so in.
To make matters worse, Blakey trots out Tyler and Patrick, two fresh-faced teens who have repented from their gay ways and gone totally gaga for Christ.
“Ive turned away from my sin of homosexuality and I strongly believe people can change. If you have God in your life you can change.,” says Patrick. “In high school people knew me as homosexual Patrick, the flamboyant gay guy. Now people know me as Patrick, the guy who became a Christian and is no longer a homosexual.”
Yes, Marcus Bachmann would be proud. But not only is this Pastor hurting these kids by attempting to make them be something they are not, they are exploiting them for their Church and the purpose of doing more harm to other young adults. It's wrong on so many levels and so damaging to these children.
You cannot "Pray the gay away" and that they made a video and are attempting to convince other kids that they too can pray away their natural inclination to be who they are is shameful.
And on top of it, as Towerload points out, they try to pass themselves off as compassionate, they are better than those homophobic churches.
Asserts Blakey: "If you don't accept homosexuality, you're not in with what's happening today....In high school classrooms homosexuality is being aggressively promoted."
He adds that he's one of those gay-loving Christians: "Fringe groups of Christianity are making us look bad by just bashing these people [homsexuals], going after them in a way that is not with gentleness and respect...Why can't we love the homosexual, and tell them the truth about their sin?"
This is not Christian behavior, gentleness nor respect. Unconditional love means embracing someone for who they are, completely and without question, respecting the person that God made them to be and that's it.
Blakely took down his video but I hope he knows that there is no curing the gay, there is no praying it away. God did not make a mistake with these young men. And I hope that they will learn to embrace who they are someday and not regret this video or what was done to them in the name of Christianity.