Monday, April 27, 2009

Why does Miss California’s church believe that homosexuality and pedophilia are linked?

Church cites discredited Paul Cameron data

When the Miss America controversy started, I defended Carrie Prejean, Miss California, for her answer to Perez Hilton’s question regarding same-sex marriage. I felt that it was her right to answer the question as she felt.

But now we are in totally different territory.

Someone has alerted me to the fact that her church, The Rock Church of San Diego, uses junk science in order to villify the lgbt community.

I looked at the church’s webpage and found there to be a lot of inaccurate information, particularly regarding gays and HIV:

male homosexuals are 430 times more likely to contract HIV than a heterosexual, while heterosexuals have a 1-in-750,000 chance of contracting the virus responsible for HIV, a male homosexual has a 1-in-165 chance of getting HIV. A 20 year old gay male has a 30% chance of either dying or contracting AIDS before the age of 30. They are also 23 times more likely to get other sexually transmitted diseases than a heterosexual.

But it’s the next section that caught my eye like a blinking light:

There are also moral repercussions stemming from homosexual behavior as evidenced by the fact that one third of all sexual crimes against children are committed by homosexuals even though they are representative of only one percent of the population. Pedophilia has even been called central to the gay lifestyle. The agenda of the North American Man Boy Love Association (NAMBLA) is to lower the age of consent so that sex with children will be legal.

The idea that homosexuality and pedophilia are linked is a lie that has been refuted continuously. The American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child Psychiatrists and the Child Welfare League of America all say that the homosexuality and pedophilia are not linked.

So where did that notion come from? The discredited researcher Paul Cameron:

In a 1985 article published in Psychological Reports, Cameron purported to review published data to answer the question, "Do those who commit homosexual acts disproportionately incorporate children into their sexual practices?" (p. 1227). He concluded that "at least one-third of the sexual attacks upon youth are homosexual" (p. 1228) and that "those who are bi- to homosexual are proportionately much more apt to molest youth" than are heterosexuals (p. 1231).

By the way, Cameron got into trouble with the Nebraska Psychological Association for that particular study regarding homosexuality and pedophilia. He distorted the work of one A. Nicholas Groth to make his claims. Groth complained, saying the following:

“(Cameron) misrepresents my findings and distorts them to advance his homophobic views. I make a very clear distinction in my writing between pedophilia and homosexuality, noting that adult males who sexually victimize young boys are either pedophilic or heterosexual, and that in my research I have not found homosexual men turning away from adult partners to children . . . I consider this totally unprofessional behavior on the part of Dr. Cameron and I want to bring this to your attention. He disgraces his profession.”

So apparently this Christian church has no problem with using data by a discredited researcher who has been kicked out of the American Psychological Association as well as rebuked and censured by organizations such as the American Sociological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association due to his tendency to distort credible research in order to stigmatize the lgbt community.

Cameron's organization, the Family Research Institute, is listed as an official hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, by the way.

As I said before, I respect Ms.Prejean’s religious beliefs. And I have rolled my eyes and turned the channel every time I heard about the controversy with a prayer on my lips that it would soon leave the news cycle.

But here is the thing that bothers me - if a racist were to use FBI crime statistics to infer inaccuracies about the African-American community, he would have no credibility.

How is it that a church can say some of the ugliest things about the gay community and use bad science to back it up without fear of reprisal?

You see this is the issue that doesn’t get talked about much.

There is a plethora of bad information out there which stigmatizes the lgbt community as disease ridden sexual deviants.

And the people who are pushing this bad information aren’t wearing hoods and sheets. They don’t burn crosses or use secret handshakes.

They are the people in America’s churches; in the pews and in the pulpits.

They are also the spokespeople of these so-called traditional values groups who get on television and take self-righteous stances knowing fully well that they are engaging in lies.

And why do they get away with it? Because no one seems to have caught on to their game.

When Tony Perkins, Matt Barber, Peter LaBarbera, Maggie Gallagher, and the rest go into their routine, we know they are lying. We know that behind their words are inaccuracies that would be called out for the bigoted lies they are if they were about groups other than the lgbt community.

The sad thing is that there are so many people like Prejean who don’t know; who fall for it with unsurprising ease.

Prejean is not the one who we should be fighting. She never was.

She is merely a symptom of the bigger problem.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had a co-worker who went to that church -- he was completely nuts. We'd see him out in the employee parking-lot doing "jumping-jacks for Jesus". And I mean that quite literally -- he was doing jumping jacks and yelling "Jesus! Jesus!" at the top of his lungs.

One day, I walked into the men's head to take a leak when he was sitting on the john in one of the stalls. While he was taking a dump, he was singing at the top of his lungs, "I love you Jesus -- you are my lord and savior... etc. etc.".

Like I said, he was completely nuts.

And to make things worse, I have to drive by that f*#!ing church every time I go to Trader Joe's. Just the thought of that place makes me want to chug a couple of bottles of Trader Joe's "two-buck chuck" wine, hangover be damned!

CW said...

This is nothing new and has always been the Republican/Right-Wing/Fundy view.

Dr. Laura (1999): ''[Responding to a fax, Schlessinger says:] "It goes on and says 'Pedophilia and child molestation have zero to do with being gay, homosexual orientation' and that’s not true. That is not true. How many letters have I read on the air from gay men who acknowledge that a huge portion of the male homosexual populace is predatory on young boys."

Talia Phillips said...

The whole thing, Miss Loser and her pitiful church, is ridiculous. It amazes me that in this day in age people are still so ignorant. Makes me ashamed to be a human.

Jumping jacks for Jesus, that is Hilarious! Sounds like quite the church lol!

Anonymous said...

If this is truly the land of the brave, home of the free, then why is bravery and freedom of speech ridiculed. If homosexuals are (and should be) allowed to freely stand for what they believe, then why can't someone else that has a different belief. I dare you to post this!

BlackTsunami said...

Anonymous,

of course I am going to post your rant. Now you have to remember freedom of speech does not mean no one is going to criticize you if they think your speech is wrong.

And a church who uses junk science to enhance Biblical ideals DESERVES as much criticism as possible. Not only is this church lying on lgbts but it's a disgrace to the very ideals of Christanity. Jesus never relied on junk science. And those who call themselves His followers SHOULD NOT use junk science.

Anonymous said...

Defending Hilton's behavior pretty much proves you have no moral compass.

Anonymous said...

If we would all do "jumping jacks for Jesus" I bet there'd be less obesity in this country. Plus, maybe then the wingnuts would be too winded to talk - I'm thinking we should definitely encourage this!

BlackTsunami said...

Anonymous, there is nothing in this entry that even talks about Hilton.

Unknown said...

I love your blog! As a citizen of San Diego, so the bigotry of The Rock is in our back yard. They were instrumental in rallying for Prop 8 in California. My friends and I are furious about Miss CA and this church and wanted to start a letter writing campaign about their assault on our lives. I am working on this but if you with your knowledge of this topic wanted to write it and we can distribute, please advice.
THANK YOU!

BlackTsunami said...

Hey Jeffrey - thank you for your kind words. I think it would be better for you as a resident of San Diego and California to undertake the campaign. But I would be glad to assist in any way that I can such as critiquing your letter and such. Let me know ;p

Anonymous said...

Stop the madness... Stop making the Church feel they need to accept your sin. You were born gay I was born a prostiute, liar cheat etc, etc, all the same thing.. Stop making your sin a civil rights issue, Gay, homosexuals, sodomites etc, etc is simply sin we all have a sin nature. just repent. you can change all the LAWS you want God will never accept this ABOMINATION . In God's Word there is very little talk of this sin becauase it simply as He says never entered his mind.. Be Free repent you are simply in sin, I could laugh at this but I can not.. God will have the Last laugh on jugement day, so keep on making excuses and keep persecuting the body of Christ we are designed for such conflict as Christ also endured the cross we shall endure this silly, silly criticism for something that is merely a sin....

BlackTsunami said...

Stop the madness?

You should have had that thought in mind before you wrote your rambling speech.

Michael David Barber said...

Hey Anonymous: Jesus is a mythological creature, there is no god, and you are a delusional ignoramous.

Tom Schott said...

@ anonymous ("stop the madness") ... What is your sin? What have you done? Who have you wronged? Were you really born a prostitute? And, why do you falsely equate sexual orientation to lying, stealing, etc. ... does your heterosexuality make you a liar, a cheat, a prostitute? What the hell kind of bent logic is that?

Sexual orientation is innate, whether attracted to the opposite sex or same, or both. It is innate, whether you believe it or not. There is no sin, except in the made up god fashioned just as you like him.

Christianists are some of the most morally bankrupt people I have known. You use your religion (superstition) to bash others instead of just living in peace with others.

You rant against people who you do not even know. And, nobody is persecuting you! YOU are not "enduring" ANYthing! ...except in the ramblings of your religious fantasy.

...the worst part of this is .... "anonymous" will never even read this ... :-L
Tom

Anonymous said...

Ms. Alvin:

I have no idea as to why you're trying to hide the fact that homosexuality and child molestation go hand and hand! There's no way that I would allow my child to hang around any "Booty Rooster" or "Dildo Eater".

It is a well documented fact that gay men have nearly 1,000 sexual partners in their short lifetime!

With the many STD's that they carry, not to mention their weekly Anal Fissures, it is no wonder that their life span is much shorter than the rest of society!

So I think you need to repent of your perverted industry and ask God to help you to overcome this wicked and vile behavior of Sodomy/Homosexuality. By the way, why does Columbia have so many gay men? I'm really loss for words as to how many gay Black lawyers, ministers, politicians, professors, and teachers that are in Columbia.

BlackTsunami said...

My friend,

you obviously need a psychiatrist. And more accurate source of reading material. My advice to you is to stop reading Paul Cameron.

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous:

The same first amendment that gives you the right to believe whatever you want also gives me the right to mock those beliefs. You don't have a right to make other people shut up. Nor do I have the right to silence you. Criticizing the government, institutions and other people's actions and ideas is exactly the kind of speech (some of the kinds anyway) that the 1st Amendment was created to protect.

Oh, and 1,000 sexual partners? Damn! I'd better get busy. I'm dragging down the average!

Reed Boyer said...

@ Ms. Anonymous # 2 (the judgmental one) -

Thank you for admitting that you are a prostitute.

I'm confused, however. Is homosexuality "simply sin . . . merely a sin" (one that "never entered [God's] mind" and about which he apparently does care much? Or is it "an ABOMINATION" [your caps, indicating particular emphasis - or perhaps obsession]?

If this never occurred to God (who is all-knowing), then why did he put it into your mind? You seem preoccupied with homoSEXuals and homo SEX and "sodomy" and "anal fissures" and how many sex partners homoSEXuals have and how often they have homoSEXual SEX and where they put their SEX parts, etc. [my caps, indicating your particular obsession with that SEX thing that those homoSEXuals do, with their SEX parts touching each other - if I'm understanding your fascination with homoSEXuals and "what they do"].

Seriously, stop speaking for God. It ticks off the Father, makes the baby Jesus cry, and utterly distracts the Holy Spirit from comforting the people.

Anonymous said...

Well drat. I am a trans woman, have been a prostitute and have done many things that if they aren't a sin should doggone well be.

But being saved by grace (thank you Jesus, I really do appreciate your sacrifice)I try and do better, unfortunately, I live in a wicked world, where really good God fearing fundamentalist hypocrites wont even hire me to flip burgers. So I have to resort to the oldest profession of all just to live. I ask them to give me money when they request a little tug-and-chug from the shemale prostitute. A little something different from their heterosexual lifestyle (choice ?)

What I do may be a sin, but I wonder what forcing someone into sex slavery is ? And yes, it is by force and it is slavery.