Love Won Out

Love Won Out is an ex-gay ministry launched by Focus on the Family in 1998. It was founded by John Paulk. Its stated purpose is "to exhort and equip Christian churches to respond in a Christ-like way to the issue of homosexuality." Love Won Out was sold to a former affiliate Exodus International as a downsizing measure in Focus on the Family, which had a record profit loss of $6 million by August 2009.

Views

Love Won Out's stated objective is to help men and women "who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions", believing that "same-sex attractions can be overcome", and asserting that "there are no conclusive studies supporting any specific biological or genetic cause for homosexuality". It is the opinion of Love Won Out that "the foundation of society for the family is marriage of a man and a woman for life... Scripture is very clear in its condemnation of homosexual conduct, for such sin is a deviation from God's creation and design." Dr. James Dobson adds that God loves the homosexual as much as any other person.

Love Won Out believes that the Bible regards homosexual conduct as sin.

Love Won Out says that "The media and others have misrepresented male homosexuality as a pre-determined, biological condition", and that "Contrary to the popular myth that homosexuality is genetic, same-sex attraction is a preventable and treatable condition" The conferences focus on what it terms "the family dynamics that can lead to the development of same-sex desires", stressing that homosexuality is abnormal, claiming, "The goal of gay activists is to "overhaul" America with the message that homosexuality is normal and healthy."

Love Won Out wants to help people who want to understand factors that lead to homosexuality and assist those who struggle with unwanted same-sex attractions. They teach that the root cause of homosexuality is a gender-identity problem. According to their belief, homosexuality in males is caused by a "dominant mother with a quiet, withdrawn, non expressive and/or hostile father, and an introverted, artistic, imaginative son." They also believe that this is accompanied by poor communication between the mother and the father, and the son having a closer relationship with the mother and an antagonistic relationship with the father.

Love Won Out concurs with one position of the American Psychiatric Association when it states “some people believe that sexual orientation is innate and fixed; however, sexual orientation develops across a person’s lifetime,”.

Homosexuality and politics

Love Won Out claims that the goal of the "gay agenda" is "Normalization through desensitization, Undermining parental moral authority, and equating homosexuality to heterosexuality."

Love Won Out states that "marriage will continue to be 'redefined'" and that Same-Sex Marriage may mean for our society: "possible threats to freedom of speech and religious liberty." The conference makes a point to "effectively argue for the benefits of traditional marriage to their friends, co-workers and legislators," and says that gay marriage is not in the best interest of families and children. The organization states that same-sex marriage places adult desires above the best interest of our children, "same-sex marriage intentionally creates motherless or fatherless families."

Conferences

Love Won Out holds conferences multiple times a year throughout the United States; as of October 2008, 52 conferences had been held. The conferences "exist to help men and women dissatisfied with living homosexually understand that same-sex attractions can be overcome." Conferences have counseling sessions, seminars on homosexuality and advice for families with gay or lesbian relatives. There are also group lectures, where participants hear "powerful stories of ex-gay men and women." In addition, conferences challenge Christian churches to reach out to the gay community.

Affiliation with NARTH

Main article: National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality

Love Won Out collaborates with NARTH. On November 4, 2006, Joseph Nicolosi represented NARTH at the Love Won Out Conference speaking on "Prevention of Male Homosexuality" and on "The Condition of Male Homosexuality". Dr. Nicolosi is the president and principal research investigator for NARTH, Nicolosi is also the clinical director of the Thomas Aquinas Psychological Clinic in Encino, Calif., where he works with persons suffering undesired same-sex attraction.

Sale to Exodus International

Main article: Exodus International

Exodus International bought the Love Won Out conference in 2009. Gary Schneeberger, Focus on the Family's vice president of media and public relations issued a statement stating "...the conferences rarely have recouped the financial investment made in them...Our financial challenges (at Focus on the Family) have led us to recognize a strategic opportunity that makes sense..." Exodus International is another ex-gay group. Exodus-affiliated groups work with homosexual persons, seeking to achieve "freedom from homosexuality" which Exodus believes include abstinence, lessening of same-sex attraction, and change of inappropriate gender roles. Mike Haley speaks in the Love Won Out conference and is chairman of the board of Exodus International.

Criticism

Other criticism

In October 2008, a "Love Came Out" conference was organized to coincide with a Love Won Out conference in Colorado Springs, featuring "gay speakers who participated in so-called reparative programs and now question such faith-based attempts to change one's sexual orientation." James Dobson responded "Regardless of what the media might say, Focus on the Family has no interest in promoting hatred toward homosexuals or anyone else. We also don't wish to deprive them of their basic constitutional rights. The Constitution applies to all of us."

See also

• Conversion therapy
• Homosexuality and Christianity
• Watchmen on the Walls

External links

• Love Won Out, official website
• MSNBC weighs in on the Love Won Out debate