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Homosexuality is an issue in postmodern
America that will not go away anytime soon. The recent allegations of
noted conservative activist and evangelical pastor Ted Haggard are a
wake up call to believers that homosexual tendencies can affect even
those who may be ideologically opposed to the same-sex lifestyle.
In his book Can Homosexuality Be
Healed?, author and counselor Francis MacNutt not only explores
the negative consequences associated with the homosexual lifestyle but
shows how anyone caught up in such an activity can be transformed and
walk in sexual freedom. Dr. MacNutt's love for homosexuals is clearly
evident and he truly desires to see them abandon their self-destructive
lifestyle.
In making the case that homosexuality is morally wrong and perverted, MacNutt marshals an impressive array of scholarly research to support his conclusions.These data include statistics, research by clinical psychologists, and testimonies from former homosexuals who have left the gay lifestyle. Furthermore, his treatment of homosexuality traces its history in the United States where it has been gradually viewed as less of a disorder that needed to be cured and more as a reality that homosexuals simply need to cope with.
For those unfamiliar with the causes of
homosexuality, Dr. MacNutt outlines common life experiences that orient
a person to seek sexual gratification from a partner of the same
gender. MacNutt makes it clear that homosexuality, while wrong and
sinful, is usually not a willful choice on the part of the person but
is an emotional desire that grows out of a failed relationship with a
parent of the same sex. In seeking a healthy emotional bond with a
mother or father, the person often finds acceptance with someone of the
same gender who desires to gratify that need physically as well as
emotionally.
There is one disclaimer to Can
Homosexuality Be Healed?: because MacNutt argues that
homosexuality needs to be healed before he explains its causes and
effects,
the opening to the book may be offensive
to someone who does not believe that homosexuality needs to be healed
in the first place. However, on a positive note, Dr. MacNutt offers
practical steps for leading a homosexual to healing through prayer and
spiritual mentorship. He has also included a concise appendix detailing
the special challenges of ministering to lesbians and leading to
healing as well.
As homosexuality increasingly becomes an
issue in the foreground of American society, believers need books like
Can Homosexuality Be Healed? that offer hope to unsatisfied
homosexuals and that challenge the Christian community to minister to
them with the love and compassion of our Lord.
Review submitted by Shawn Cohen
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