RYAN PEARSON and HILLARY RHODES find Christians who are trying to change from gay to straight, and a church leader who thinks that's not such a good idea.
From perennial discourse about gay marriage to the Ted Haggard incident last year to the never-ending issue of gay bishops in the Episcopal church, sexual orientation plays a central role in the world of Christianity today.
The Orlando-based group Exodus International recently attracted more than 800 people to its Freedom Conference in Irvine, Calif., to "provide help to those who personally struggle with homosexuality and to those affected by a loved one who does," according to its Web site, http://exodus.to.
Exodus tries not to send a hate-based message, but encourages people to live the way they think God prefers: pursuing heterosexual partnerships.
"I don't believe that being in a gay or lesbian relationship is what God has intended. But that does not mean that God doesn't love that person," said Mindy Boyd, a singer-songwriter at the conference who used to be in a lesbian relationship.
However, not all Christians think it's important for the faithful to be straight.
"I believe passionately in a God who made us as we are and who loves us deeply," says Rev. Pat Bumgardner, of the Metropolitan Community Church of New York, which specifically bills itself as a Christian ministry dedicated to welcoming gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender congregants.
There are Metropolitan Community Churches all over the world (http://www.mccchurch.org) working to dissuade others from the common Christian notion that being gay is a sin.
Watch the asap video report from the Exodus Conference here.
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Previous installments of Everything Sacred:
A Christian fantasy fiction tour.
The Gospel According to The Simpsons.
Buddhists and Christians.
Prayer Day and GodTube.
Religion IQ Test.
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e-mail Everything Sacred at everythingsacred@ap.org.
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Hillary Rhodes and Ryan Pearson are asap reporters based in New York and Los Angeles, respectively.
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