Conversion Therapy Defined In Under 602 Words

Current ex-gay leaders scoff at the idea they are facilitating conversion therapy, yet it is very simple to prove that conversion therapy is precisely what they are doing.

In general, Occam’s Razor means that the simplest answer is typically the right and best answer.

Telling simple truths should, you know, be simple. Right?

Trying to explain away two words like “conversion therapy” with over 2,300+ other words in a blog post makes me think current ex-gay leaders protest too much. The seeming desperation to escape the correct description of “conversion therapy” reveals, to me at least, that current ex-gay leaders, in their heart of hearts, know that what they are doing is wrong and easily defined as such.

Conversion

The meaning of conversion therapy is completely accurate and simple to understand:

The definition of conversion is to change from one form into another, like Fahrenheit to Celsius, miles to kilometers, the sun’s energy into electricity, and, like the cornerstone of evangelical theology, convert from sinner to saint.

Christianity has only existed for over 2,000 years because of the belief the world needs to be converted from darkness and sin to light and biblical righteousness.

From dark to light, sin to forgiveness, not knowing God (or worshipping a ‘false’ god) to following Jesus…? Sounds like a complete conversion of identity, relational approach, self-definition, and worldview to me.

Conversion therapy, in some cases, does offer the hope of “complete change” from gay to straight. But conversion therapy is just as horrible when it says that if you can’t “grow” (convert) into your heterosexual potential and marry the opposite sex, you must convert your way of thinking about being an LGBTQ+ person. By doing that, they offer the false promise of transformation (changing) into a sexually “redeemed” ex-gay saint.

The Evangelical mindset involves conversion at its very core.

Therapy

Therapy is “treatment intended to relieve or heal a disorder.” Ex-gay conversion therapy groups believe that being gay, non-binary, or trans is a sin. Sin is considered by them to be a disorder from God’s intent for human sexuality, marriage, and identity.

Almost every ex-gay conversion group out there scoffs at the word conversion being an accurate description but they regularly talk about being transformed or allowing God’s “transformative” work to happen. Did you know that transformation is a direct synonym to conversion? Yep.

Transformation is “a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance.” To be considered transformed in the ex-gay cult, one must convert one's thinking, behavior, and worldview.

Accurate

So, there it is, “conversion therapy” is completely accurate:

Ex-gay conversion ministries create resources and groups intended to relieve or heal what they believe is a disorder within God’s “natural order” so a person can transform away from who they are to who these folks think they should be. Ex-gay conversion ministries do conversion therapy by trying to turn who they believe is the LGBTQ+ sinner into a saint as defined by stigmatized religious beliefs, to grow or transform into their heterosexual potential, OR live as a lifelong celibate person.

If someone can call me a depraved sinner (a subjective opinion) because they think that description is correct (it is not), I can call them an ex-gay conversion therapist/counselor, which is, technically, by definition, completely accurate.

Look at that; conversion therapy can be easily defined and accurately applied to ex-gay ideology in under 602 words.

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