An evangelical Christian megachurch in California is facing backlash after promoting “gay conversion” therapy on Instagram.
Bethel Church in Redding posted the question “Can a person leave homosexuality behind?” as if the answer might actually be yes. The post also suggested that some people might only think they’re LGBTQ:” “[Jesus] knows us better than we know ourselves and wants to lead us into His vision for humanity. Sometimes, that is countercultural.”
It’s also torture, if you listen to people who have gone through it.
Bethel Church also advocates for conversion therapy, the widely discredited practice of attempting to “cure” an LGBTQ+ person’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Although the treatment is loosely defined, it can range from everything to “praying the gay away” to shock treatment and water torture. Eighteen states have banned conversion therapy, while the American Medical Association, World Health Organization, and United Nations have all condemned the practice.
Although Bethel Church does not appear to directly offer conversion therapy on its grounds, its Instagram account has been promoting CHANGED, a project of the “freedom from homosexuality” ministry Equipped to Love.
This isn’t a fringe church, even if it promotes fringe beliefs. Bethel draws about 9,000 members per week. More than 686,000 people follow the church on Instagram.
The church has also posted interviews with people who claim to have been “cured” of their homosexuality — and are now married to opposite-sex partners. And they are 100% happy all the time. Always. No repression whatsoever. None.
The backlash on social media was swift:
Over these past few days, @BethelRedding has reopened some of the deepest wounds that some of my dearest friends have fought their hardest battles to heal.
Bethel Church is not simply harmful — their theologically and scientifically unexamined #oncegay stance is recklessly evil.
— Jamie Lee Finch (@jamieleefinch) August 22, 2019
This is another reminder for everyone that Bethel Church in Redding, CA, the church behind Bethel Music is currently doubling down on its #OnceGay and #ChangedMovement content which is just professionally branded, megachurch sponsored LGBTQ+ conversion therapy. This kills people.
— Jonah Ven 李明恩 (@jonah_ven) August 21, 2019
Hi ��.Just a reminder that there is an instagram account glamorizing conversion therapy. pic.twitter.com/ks4fVGnPIH
— JOHNNY SIBILLY (@JohnnySibilly) August 22, 2019
This is what happens when you care more about adhering to bad theology than listening to the people affected by your beliefs. Conversion therapy only achieves two things: it inflicts trauma and it keeps people out of church for the rest of their lives.
(Featured image via Shutterstock)
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