We cheer every time a state or city comes to its senses and bans conversion therapy. We were born this way, we are fluid creatures, we believe what is in our core, and people should not fight that. When municipalities and governments realize that conversion therapy is just as wrong as mandating everyone living within their borders need to be male and southern baptist, we know they are trying to protect our LGBTQ community.
Instead of pushing for a ban with defiance, one man has volunteered to "drink the kool-aid" and give in to prove his point.
A gay man has challenged a controversial pastor who claims God can cure homosexuality to try and make him straight.
Model, nurse and former Mr Ireland contender Emmette Dillon (29) has laid down a challenge to Pastor Mark Bradfield from Derry's Bethel Baptist Church. He said: "If you think your treatment will work, sign me up and we will document the process".
[Pastor Bradfield] claims gay people's lifestyle is "physically, mentally and spiritually harmful". – independent.ie
Dillon has his arguments with the pastor and stated that coming out and accepting who you are is mentally and emotionally challenging and now, instead of someone supporting that transformation and acceptance, someone wants to reverse everything with a so called cure?
Emmette Dillon also supports the right of the pastor to express his religious views, but feels that it is repulsive to endorse a falsehood, a cure for homosexuality that does not exist.
"So I say to the pastor, I will take great pleasure in meeting you face to face and proving you wrong. If you honestly believe this treatment will work, sign me up and we will document the process and give you the soap box you so obviously desire." – independent.ie
Will the Pastor Bradfield meet with Dillon to "discuss how he can help?" He has said yes.
"I can't cure homosexuality," he said. "But I know a man who can. The Lord can, if someone really wants to be cured. It's like every bad habit that we would want to change or anything that is ingrained in our psyche; it can take work to change it. But the Lord can help a person do that. – independent.ie
Pastor Bradfield realizes that you cannot change people against their will. Like we cannot change his view that his religious cure is more harmful than helpful, but there is always hope.
Do you think that Emmette Dillon is wasting his time? Or do you think his attempt to bring Pastor Bradfield's conversion therapy and cure into the light and show it for what it truly is will help our fight?
h/t: Belfast Telegraph, independent.ie