Conversion Therapy Ban: A Response to Calls to Outlaw 'Hate Prayer' | thebereancall.org

TBC Staff

In an interview with Premier Christianity, Jayne Ozanne has called for the government to ban prayer for same-sex attracted Christians to live celibate lives.

The question and answer come near the end of the article: "But you have people saying: 'my deep religious conviction, as a same-sex attracted Christian, is to live...' (what they would call) "a celibate life." And you're saying prayers in that regard are to be made illegal?

"Yes, because it is damaging and lives are at stake."

We have here the totalitarian aims of those wanting a ban on 'conversion therapy' – or in Ozanne's words, 'conversion practices'. They want to ban the most basic, pressure-free sort of pastoral help for people who want to honour God with their sexuality. 

As far as the world is concerned, this is not an extremist talking. This is Jayne Ozanne, leading campaigner, member of the Church of England's General Synod, who bravely left the Government's LGBT Advisory Panel because of its inaction on conversion therapy.

This is someone with the privileged access to politicians and media. Christians and particularly Church leaders had better wake up to this threat before it is too late.

'Conversion therapy' – itself an inaccurate and unhelpful phrase invented by LGBT activists – is now being broadened and redefined in the UK debate as 'conversion practices'. This term covers everything from 'corrective rape' to consensual prayer for sexual faithfulness.

There is no good evidence for Ozanne's claims that talking therapies aimed at sexual orientation change efforts are harmful. There is no good evidence that prayer for a change in sexual attraction is harmful.

However, Ozanne goes to even further extremes in this interview. She claims that abstinence is 'damaging' for same-sex-attracted Christians and prayers with that goal should be banned in law.

Amongst Christians who value the Bible's teaching on sexuality, there are different views on how to understand same-sex attraction. Some believe these attractions are morally neutral, can never change or are external temptations that aren't in themselves sinful as long as they aren't acted upon. Others consider these attractions in themselves as lusts that ought to be fought against.

It is impossible to believe that this is unconnected to Ozanne's attempt to change Church of England teaching on sexuality.

She claims in the interview: "No it's nothing to do with theology. Again, one of the pieces of fake news that's being put out is that I'm trying to ban preaching or ban people's beliefs."

Yet in the same interview, she said: "Christians are told by their leaders that what they are is sinful and their desires, which are innate, are ungodly – that level of internalised pressure is huge."

She clearly believes, but won't yet admit, that the historic Christian teaching about sexuality itself is hateful and harmful. She believes that the law's role is always to intervene where harm is happening, and she gives no clue as to why the government should intervene in prayer but not teaching.

Her kind of 'conversion practices' ban would completely paralyse faithful church leaders. Consider a simple prayer at the end of a sermon outlining Biblical teaching on sex and marriage like:

"Help us all to live sexually faithful lives."

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/conversion.therapy.ban.a.response.to.calls.to.outlaw.hate.prayer/137835.htm