Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Ex-gay course

On-line students are against a course that purports to teach people how to become ex-gay, In defense statements such as:

Responding to criticism of the course, a spokesman from the Universities and
Colleges Christian Fellowship said: "Surely it’s completely reasonable for a
Christian to believe what he or she believes and to say what he or she believes.
I am perfectly happy for LGBT members and the gay community at large to be gay –
I don’t agree with it but I will defend their right to be gay. "Remember that you choose your partner, it is a choice, and Christians should have a right to voice their beliefs and not be labelled homophobic."

were made. I certainly agree that each of us should be able to state our beliefs without being labeled as homophobic. But teaching a course means that we should make statements that are factually correct. To say that a course helps to cure something which is not considered a disease by any major medical or psychological body is to try to cure something which is not a disease. That means that the whole premise is factually incorrect and should not be taught as such. This isn't a matter of defending your right to believe as you wish, it is a matter of whether the coursework rests on facts and science or ritual and belief.

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