Pat Robertson is disturbed that people, for whatever reason, might believe that he is somehow anti-gay. After all, how could blaming gays for 9/11, warning that gay rights will destroy America, using anti-gay slurs, linking homosexuality to pedophilia and disease and saying that Facebook should create a ‘vomit’ button specifically for pictures of gay couples possibly make someone seem anti-gay?
Well, following a story on the Exodus International head Alan Chambers’ decision to shut down the ex-gay ministry, Robertson insisted that “we are not anti-gay.”
“I am very pleased that we have many, many, many homosexuals watching this program and many of them are looking for love and acceptance and help,” Robertson said, “and I’m glad to report that we have thousands of these people who are saying, ‘yes we want to follow Jesus, we’re not happy with the lifestyle we’re in and we want to have a better way,’ I think it’s wonderful that that’s happening.”
He claimed that people are gay “because they have forsaken God, it’s not something that is natural and when people reunite with the Lord, the Lord will get their priorities the way it is supposed to be…. You work through it and if you meet the Lord it should be, it can be instant.”
The televangelist has frequently endorsed ex-gay therapy, so Robertson’s criticism of Chambers’ apology came as no surprise.
He argued that many gay people are simply straight but are confused due to child abuse: “A lot of people are into this homosexual thing because they’ve been abused by a parent, abused by a coach, abused by a sibling, abused by a friend, they’re little boys and little girls and they don’t know any better and then they somehow think, ‘well I must be gay,’ they aren’t they are heterosexual and they just need to come out of that.”
Robertson maintained it may be possible the some gay people “maybe got some chromosomal damage that’s different from heterosexuals,” and concluded by calling for another ex-gay ministry to emerge “to help people who want out.”
