In my article “Gays don’t become straight. So what now?” I proposed that Christians ought to set aside the pursuit and promise of deliverance ministries for those who are homosexual. Instead, they ought to refocus on exploring the following two alternatives: abstinence or acceptance. In other words, they can retain the traditional ethical prohibition on homosexuality in which case abstinence is the only option for homosexuals. Or they can choose to accept homosexuality, believing it is not in fact contrary to biblical Christianity. What they shouldn’t keep doing is holding out the promise that deliverance ministries can heal homosexuals of same-sex attraction.
In response, one of my readers, FroKid, posted the following comment:
“Some people who once identified as gay do now identify as straight, like popular songwriter Dennis Jernigan. So what now?”
FroKid then provided a link to a new documentary titled “Sing Over Me”:
I’m not familiar with Dennis Jernigan or his story, so I’m definitely interested in viewing this documentary. Presently it is playing the film festival circuit (though don’t expect to see it at Cannes or Tiff any time soon). You can learn more about it here: http://www.singovermemovie.com/
So what’s my own response to Jernigan’s story, at least based on a two-minute trailer?
Think about it like this: I don’t doubt for one moment that God can heal people. But I do doubt unilaterally that God regularly heals people through the ministries of faith healers in white suits. Similarly, I don’t doubt for one moment that God could have turned a one-time homosexual Dennis Jernigan into a heterosexual. But I do doubt unilaterally any attempt to associate such an event (or process) with the programmatic endeavors of evangelical deliverance ministries.
