OR. COLL.
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Surviving the
ex-gay movement
How one m an made
it out alive—and gay
by
P eter Z uckerman
1. No masturbation.
2. No homosexual contact.
3. No physical expression of
homosexuality.
4- You must give two public confessions.
5. You must join Sexaholics
Anonymous.
6. You must join Portland Fellowship, a
religious group that will make you straight.
7. You must get counseling from a
conservative Baptist criminal psychologist
who specializes in sex offenders.
8. You must make a weekly confession
to two Baptist church staff members.
Refusal to obey these orders will result in
the following:
1. You will be excommunicated from
the Baptist General Conference.
Interaction with the church that has domi
nated your whole life will be forbidden.
2. You must relinquish most of your
friends.
3. Your spouse and children—
if you have them— will be humiliated.
4. God will punish you in hell.
egomans
make it big in linseltown
of Oregon
•
by Jim Radosta
Page 24
111 '
A - . .
T
(
L ib r ar y
Ihis was the
plan laid out
for Jim
Strouse, the
40-year-old pastor
of First Baptist
Church in Ephrata,
Wash., the hus
band of Donna, the
father of Rebecca,
Michael and Sam— and a gay man.
W hen the deacons of his church learned
their spiritual leader was not straight, they
confronted him and compelled him to
answer these questions: Are you going to be
true to your church? Do you strive to be a
God-fearing Baptist who will “move heaven
and earth” to change your sexual behavior?
W hat’s more important to you: your soul
and your eternal afterlife or your heinous
sexual behavior— a sexual behavior that,
with G ods help, you can change? Will you
choose your family and your holy communi
ty or your homosexuality?
W hat do you want to do? T h e deacons
pressed him further. Choose now: heaven
or hell?
Continued on Page 16