tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post5210483129788962908..comments2024-01-16T16:13:19.628-07:00Comments on Rising Up Whole: God's grace and Alan Chambers next doorChristine Bakkehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14262976600427879137noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-66719856492992390592007-07-13T17:20:00.000-06:002007-07-13T17:20:00.000-06:00I just got back from my trip, was reading about yo...I just got back from my trip, was reading about your conference and could NOT believe Alan made this comment. Does his belief in ministry really mean turning a blind eye to the honest stories of those his people have affected? Apparently so.Steve Schalchlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08151100118640317860noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-79478641422131175992007-07-10T21:17:00.000-06:002007-07-10T21:17:00.000-06:00Christine,First, I'm glad to see you being 'mama b...Christine,<BR/><BR/>First, I'm glad to see you being 'mama bear'ish! It's great to have such a strong advocate out there, and I find it extremely motivational. You so eloquently summed up my thoughts on Mr. Chambers comments. It's funny...I wouldn't have thought before that his comments, however indirect to me that they were, would have upset me as much as they did. The semantics game is full of hurtful words and 'politically correct' phrases. I used to consider myself an ex-ex-gay, but now that I have started to connect with the pain, shame, and loss that I experienced(Me personally!) I consider myself to be a survivor, very much so. I also respect you, Soulforce, BXG, etc. for acknowledging that our experiences are just that...OURS...saddly, "OUR EXPERIENCES" are becomming more and more common every day because, BEFORE, there were few people who would take a stand against "BIG RELIGION." At the conference, I felt so connected with everyone I heard and talked to, on such a deep and even spiritual level. This is my community, and I, for one, am proud to have an advocate who is not afraid to use her voice against the almight "Big Religion." Thanks for you're hard work and dedication to making the conference the success it was. I'm so excited to be back in the blogging world after a long break! Keep up the great work!Jacobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12161891868721330847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-89303951623423816872007-07-08T12:03:00.000-06:002007-07-08T12:03:00.000-06:00Hey Christine,Thanks for commenting on my site aga...Hey Christine,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for commenting on my site again. You've been missed!<BR/><BR/>Your courage and openness is an inspiration, and helps me to stand up for truth too. It's not easy being real, being true.<BR/><BR/>After seeing your bravery, I felt inspired to go public with my full name.<BR/><BR/>I hope you don't mind... I have links to your site and interviews prominently displayed on my site.<BR/><BR/>Thanks again for being you!<BR/><BR/>Blessings,<BR/>SuzanneAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-92638528575955672007-07-08T10:34:00.000-06:002007-07-08T10:34:00.000-06:00You all did a fantastic job on the Survivors confe...You all did a fantastic job on the Survivors conference! I was not able to attend, but I do felt my experiences we well represented. <BR/><BR/>For all the talk about dialogue and clarifying what "change" means, Exodus is still promoting changing homosexuality. Exodus just put up <A HREF="http://www.wweek.com/wwire/?p=8349" REL="nofollow">a billboard</A> in my neighborhood, "I Questioned Homosexuality. Thousands have Discovered Change is Possible." The billboard is within a few blocks of a homeless youth agency which offers services to LGBT youth. Exodus's message to queer youth is pretty obvious.Norm!https://www.blogger.com/profile/10925789885737585791noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-13244021562367042872007-07-07T13:06:00.000-06:002007-07-07T13:06:00.000-06:00Christine, this is so beautiful and so sad that yo...Christine, this is so beautiful and so sad that you even had to write it. I love the play on words, of course. Alan has only proved why your group is so desperately needed.<BR/><BR/>I submit that if he can go on and on (and on), to politicians even, about how harmful gayness is because of his own personal experiences, you, Shawn, and others can certainly share your own.CrackerLilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18176388186521154104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-13534962385243389862007-07-07T08:11:00.000-06:002007-07-07T08:11:00.000-06:00I echo Peterson's remarks. Plus I believe Alan's ...I echo Peterson's remarks. Plus I believe Alan's blanket statment about being harmed is so asinine It's my story. Only I can say what it has done and what it hasn't..I think its very iggnorant of him. I am truly sadend by his remarks.Ex-Ex gay Shawn O'Donnellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08280042664470523126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-58050626948305821022007-07-07T08:05:00.000-06:002007-07-07T08:05:00.000-06:00I'm crying as I write, Christine.I don't even know...I'm crying as I write, Christine.<BR/><BR/>I don't even know what I want to say.<BR/><BR/>I just wish that people like Alan would see that those of us who get caught up in their message are <I>real people</I>, not shells in some political or religious shell game. <BR/><BR/>To discount a person's feelings of hurt is to dehumanize that person. And I'm just exhausted from being dehumanized by those who share Alan's interpretation of Scripture and experience of God and the world.Allyson Dylan Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06889758824779463307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17347827.post-12880249976967303142007-07-07T06:59:00.000-06:002007-07-07T06:59:00.000-06:00And Christine, Alan could have experienced many of...And Christine, Alan could have experienced many of the things that you outlined in the end of your post, but sadly he was too busy to meet with ex-gay survivors even though he always had time to sit down with another film crew or reporter. <BR/><BR/>People get the message pretty quickly--the inaction and attitudes of Exodus senior leadership (as modeled by Alan) reveal that Exodus International is more concerned with politics than pastoral care. <BR/><BR/>They put more energy into defending themselves than into taking responsibility into seeing what happened to the people who once entrusted their lives to their care.<BR/><BR/>You and I got to see genuine leadership modeled by three Exodus leaders who were willing to listen. They didn't have to agree with us, but they did listen to messages that Alan has so far dismissed.Peterson Toscanohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18189029949905668568noreply@blogger.com