Pastoral Counseling Association Initiative Calls for the Blessing of Gay Relationships

A pastoral counselor recently received an internal initiative from members of his professional group, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors. This petition calls for a reversal of the longtime scriptural perspective on the design and purpose of human sexuality, asking that pastoral counselors bless same-sex relationships.
Dr. Russell Waldrop wrote to express his concern about the initiative, and at the same time, to join NARTH as a member.

His letter is as follows:

I recently learned about the existence of your website from a local newspaper column, which was highly critical of NARTH's views. But I decided to examine the website for myself, and found it to be highly professional and research-oriented about a wide variety of issues involving homosexuality and its impact upon society.

For three reasons, I then decided to join NARTH.

First, what I read on your website is a balance to the "gay is good" message which labels people as "homophobic" just because they express honest doubts about such a claim.

Surely no open-minded person would fault others for including in their studies the contributions being made by the physicians, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers and other professionals whose work is reported by NARTH.

Second, as a minister I find that Scripture is more often abused than appropriately used by several different sides in this debate about homosexuality. One extreme ridicules it; another ignores it; still another shoots from behind it. Too few study it for reasonable theological and practical solutions. I do find that NARTH contributors have enough respect for Scripture and tradition to engage my trust. So many others, from all sides, have failed to do that.

Third, one of my own professional groups, the American Association of Pastoral Counselors, is in the process of responding to attempts by its Eastern region to secure the signatures of two-thirds of its national members to a statement that says, among other things, "We have come to appreciate that sexuality in all forms comes to us as a gift of God."

When I read on--that this includes "Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender persons"--I knew that I had been caught off-guard and was unable to articulate much of a response to express my disagreement. I know that I cannot sign such a statement for theological and clinical reasons, but those reasons have long been abandoned, if not trashed, by the recent "gay liberation" movement.

I recognize my need for better understanding of these issues, and this includes both study of and prayer over a massive amount of literature. I certainly welcome NARTH into my library for this purpose. It won't be my only resource, but it will certainly be a well utilized one.

Sincerely,

Rev. Dr. Russell G. Waldrop,
Chaplain/Pastoral Counselor,
Licensed Professional Counselor