Seta

Letter to the representatives of Seta -organization

Letter to the representatives of Seta ry about human rights, God's love and where the model advocated by Seta ry leads

Below is a letter that I sent to to the representatives of Seta -organization (Kerttu Tarjamo and Eliisa Alatalo). It was related to a newspaper article, in which I had first written to the newspaper about my concerns about the so-called Conversion therapies- law and other such matters. Tarjamo and Alatalo responded to this article with the article “Conversion therapies is always harmful”. I responded to their article with the letter below, which also has many other things to say, including God’s love for sexual minorities. However, it also tells us that Seta’s actions are often harmful to people. It can lead to many destroying their physical health and not receiving the help that God could give. I am not saying this to accuse anyone, but everyone can consider whether the reasons I have presented are reasonable.

Hi Kerttu Tarjamo and Eliisa Alatalo from Seta ry! I had written an opinion piece for the Etelä-Suomen Sanomat newspaper titled “Worldview always comes into politics” (28.9): In it, I took a stance on, among other things, abortion and so-called conversion therapies (which I consider to be a term invented by the media or whoever invented it. I have not heard such a term used in congregations. It is just ordinary prayer and spiritual care for people who want it). You then responded to my own opinion piece titled “Conversion therapies are always harmful” (4.10.)

When I discuss these matters here, I will admit right from the start that I am an ordinary person who believes in Jesus, as you have probably already noticed from my opinion piece. I want to admit that we believers have often spoken in the wrong tone about these matters. I am no better than others, and I hope that you can forgive all of us who have behaved incorrectly in this matter. Instead, look beyond imperfect people to God and Jesus. The basic point of the gospel is that every person's sins have been atoned for through Jesus, and this is good news for everyone, including those with a homosexual background. However, I understand from the Bible that living in homosexuality is a sin (1 Cor 6:9,10. Rom 1:26,27, Lev 18:22, 1 Tim 1:9.10, Jude 7), as are all heterosexual relationships outside of marriage between a man and a woman (friendships without sex are of course okay). It also falls into the same category as a man looking at a woman lustfully or someone being unforgiving. Everyone is guilty in some area.

I know that, for example, the Come All-movement within the church teaches something else, but I think they have a god of imagination. Everyone can of course believe what they want, but if we follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles, we should stretch ourselves according to them, and not invent our own things.

I will highlight a few prophecies that speak of God's good will toward homosexuals and lesbians. One was spoken in a meeting setting and the other is through the wife of the founder of God TV, Wendy Alec:

“One weekend I went to visit some friends of mine who lived in a different town from me. I knew these people from years ago, when I was not yet openly gay… They were now Christians and active in the Charismatic Reformation movement. I had never told them about my new lifestyle.

… During this visit they asked me to go with them to a prayer meeting. I agreed, although in my mind I was preparing myself to endure the tedious journey for the next hour and a half. We drove to the meeting on a hot, humid summer evening. When we arrived, a large room was waiting for us, packed with people.

The meeting began with a short speech by the group leader, followed by a few songs. This was followed by a quiet murmur of conversation as people prayed aloud. It seemed as if the event had barely begun when the leader stood up again. He seemed a little nervous. I can still hear his voice as he said, ‘The Lord has revealed to me that one of these people here has practiced homosexuality. He wants you to know that He loves you and wants to forgive you.’

That gentle message struck me like a bolt of lightning. For years I had pushed the God of my childhood out of my mind. Now God spoke to me. He didn’t just ask me, ‘How are you?’ but asked me to give up my current attitude toward life.

For the rest of the meeting, I struggled with myself. Why would I need forgiveness, I thought. I hadn’t done anything wrong…

… After the meeting, I turned to my friends and said, ‘That message was for me. I want to do what God asks of me.’

In time, I felt ready to get married. I fell in love with a girl who later became my wife. The most lasting happiness I feel in my life comes from living it with my wife.”

Kevin Springer, who co-wrote this book, met the author of that article. Eight years have passed, and he is still a strong Christian. He has three lovely children. Looking back on his conversion, he says:

- For years before I became a Christian, I was always very nervous around my charismatic friends. I was afraid that God would reveal my homosexuality to them. At that point, when I went to that meeting, I was no longer on my guard. At that moment, when I laid down my own armor, the power of God came upon me. (1)

For those who are bound by homosexuality

My beloved, don't you know? Don't you notice? When you seek love, you are actually seeking Me.

My beloved, I tell you that while my church follows the principles of the Bible, it often fails to serve as a channel of my heart and grace. I stand before you with my hands outstretched to you, not in judgment but in mercy, my beloved sons and daughters. Right now I stand before you, not in condemnation but in mercy, loving and longing for your company without ceasing.

I was there when your body was first abused. I was there when you were mocked and rejected by your friends, when the mockery hurt your tender heart – the same heart that I have ordained to love and worship Me and reach out to Me. I was there when the father of lies came and whispered to your heart: You are not like other men, you are not like other women… you believed the lie. You found others tied to the same shackle and struggling with the same thing, and so the lie took root in your life and gave birth to a lifestyle.

I feel your broken soul. I was there when your heart was broken and scarred, when others did not understand. Truly, I am the one who sees and knows. Have I not also been misunderstood and rejected? Have I not also been despised and abandoned by men? Oh, my son, my daughter, forgive my church. Forgive those of my followers who judged you. They truly do not hear the voice of my Spirit, even though they know my Word. My voice is still, full of mercy and grace.

I reach out to you and draw you to Me as you seek fulfillment for your body and soul. I embrace you, I shed tears for you, My son and daughter. I weep for you, for I cannot help but shed tears. I weep as I see you inflicting something irreversible on yourself by breaking the eternal law of My Father, for the consequences of breaking the eternal law cannot be undone. My judgment is My mercy. Heed, my beloved, heed and listen to my voice.

Oh my beloved, do you think that I do not know and see you seeking the balm for the human heart, the balm that can only be found in Me? You will not find rest for your troubled soul in anyone else in heaven or on earth. (2)

So that's the prophecies on the subject. At the end, I'll take a little stance on the issue we wrote about in the magazine. I really have nothing against someone wanting to live in homosexuality and not wanting to follow the teachings of Jesus and the apostles. Let them be free to do so, although at the same time I think from my own worldview that why do people reject God's call to salvation and change of heart? I don't want to interfere with how each person wants to live.

Instead, the main point of my article was that there are many people with homosexual tendencies who don't want to live according to their tendencies, usually for moral or health reasons. Why don't you give these people the freedom of religion to decide for themselves how they want to live and what help they want? If they want psychiatric help or prayer in church, why would you deny them this right without fear that they or their helpers will be sued for it? Where are the human rights of these people? They do not support the coercive model promoted by Seta ry, which can be considered a totalitarian ideology just like communism and Nazism were in their time. You mention freedom of religion in your article, but your actions are the opposite.

Therefore, I see this bill (conversion therapies bill) as a serious threat to human rights and freedom of religion. I am sure that if it is implemented, it will soon lead to lawsuits. Priests and spiritual leaders will be sued if someone comes to them who wants to leave their homosexual lifestyle behind and seeks help. Informants will come to the congregations just like in communist countries in their time and people will be taken to court for wrong opinions or if they pray for these people. Of course, Jesus himself warned in advance that going to court could be one of the consequences of following him. Christians are the most persecuted minority in the world:

-(Matt 10:17-19): But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will whip you in their synagogues;

18 And you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what you shall speak.

- (John 15:20,21): Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21 But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

This area could be compared to someone wanting to get rid of excess weight, substance abuse or porn addiction, and they or their helpers are sued for it. If we were consistent, we should also intervene in the related conversion therapies and demand that they be illegal. After all, they are similar conversion therapies. Why don't you intervene in them? Well, that was speculation, but I think everyone should be able to decide this matter for themselves. If someone wants to live in a homosexual relationship, let them do so, but if someone else doesn't want to, they should have the right to do so and get the help they want.

Pastor Ari Puonti, who himself has a homosexual background, wrote years ago about the narrow-minded attitude that is manifested towards this issue. Free discussion on the subject is difficult, because the result is severe pressure and slander from the gay movement. (It is worth remembering the case of the bisexual Ann a few years ago. She was severely attacked and tried to be silenced because she wanted to give up her homosexual lifestyle. Why such a disproportionate noise about such a small matter? Such offensive action is repeated by the gay movement. They cannot accept opposing opinions, but immediately want to silence them with a storm of shouting. I do not see it as being because they are concerned about people's well-being, but because they are only pursuing their own lifestyle. Fortunately, most do not act like this, but a loud small group can easily turn everyone's thinking around.) So the following is Pastor Ari Puonti's comment on the subject. He is himself a former homosexual who has been a believer in Jesus for decades and who wrote in one of his books:

Ari Puonti: It is clear that not all homosexuals seek a change in their sexuality and they should not be forced to do so. The problem is rather different today: before the 1970s, gays were only offered conversion therapy, now it is not even offered to those who would like it themselves. The biggest opponent of conversion therapy and the oppressor of gays seeking integrity is the gay movement, which systematically tries to prevent the discussion of conversion therapy in academic and psychotherapeutic circles. The oppressed have become the oppressors.

The tactic has been to sabotage the lectures of conversion therapists and threaten them with foreign pressure. Free discussion of the issue is difficult because many fear pressure and slander from gay activists. (3)

Secondly, liberation from homosexuality. I see it as a person who fights this tendency, for example for moral reasons (or perhaps for health reasons), may still have temptations. But so does everyone else. We are not free from temptations during this life, even if we want to. As a normal heterosexual, I may be tempted to watch porn, but because I think it is wrong, I want to stay away from it. Moral reasons usually affect how each person wants to live. In other words, if someone wants to take the gospel and follow Jesus seriously, such a person does not want to intentionally sin. We can fall, but continuous intentional sin and unrepentance indicate that a person is not in the faith.

I will also take a position on abortion. In your article, you mentioned that the key to abortion is “self-determination over one’s own body”. That is a lie that repeatedly appears in connection with this issue. I believe the reason is that no abortion advocate wants to admit the truth about the matter. That is why people resort to such lies and talk about women's rights. (On the other hand, if someone is not ready to have children, they can resort to contraception. This avoids unwanted pregnancies. On the other hand, killing a child that has already been conceived through fertilization is always a sin.) After all, abortion kills the child in the mother's womb and interferes with the child's body. This is basic biology. It is pointless to argue that an aborted child is not a human being, because aborted children have the same body parts as us: hands, feet, eyes, mouth...

“You can’t have an abortion blindfolded. You have to make sure that everything comes out of the uterus and calculate that enough arms and legs, chest and brain come out. Then when the patient wakes up from anesthesia and asks if it was a girl or a boy, the limit of my endurance has been reached and that’s when I usually walk away. – If I perform a procedure that clearly kills a living being, I find it absurd to talk about destroying a budding life. It’s killing, and I experience it as killing.” (Suomen kuvalehti, no. 15, 10.4.1970)

As for the conversion therapy, which you claimed to be harmful, I will take a stand on it. First of all, this term is quite strange in churches. There you can pray for people and provide spiritual care, but that's it. Furthermore, the entire life of faith is based on voluntariness. If a person does not want to give up wrong lifestyles, such as extramarital sex, homosexuality, unforgiveness or other sins, why do such people even seek out a church? I do not believe that anyone can be freed if they are not ready for comprehensive repentance. I say this also based on my own experiences. (On the other hand, it is worth remembering that none of us will become completely sinless during this life. That is only possible with a new resurrection body.)

Secondly, I understand that sometimes the liberation from bonds is behind the struggles. I have noticed that someone may be freed from all bonds immediately after coming to faith, but for others it can be a long process. In general, false teaching of the law and a lack of understanding of God's grace and love can be an obstacle to liberation. When a person understands that he is always accepted and loved by God despite his imperfections, he is more easily liberated.

The following example from Alan Medinger tells us something about liberation. His liberation came suddenly, which does not always happen to everyone:

The next day and the days that followed, I found that a whole series of miracles had occurred. The homosexual fantasies that I had had every day for 25 years had disappeared. I experienced a love for Willa that I had never imagined possible. And perhaps even more important, God was no longer a distant judge to me, but had become my personal Savior. Jesus loved me, and I loved him very much. For the first time, I realized what it really means to love and be loved...

Because my healing from homosexuality happened so suddenly, I am often asked how complete my healing really is. In response, I can say that time will bear witness to its authenticity and that a blessed marriage is the fruit of this healing. I have not experienced a single homosexual temptation in the past ten years. By temptation, I mean a seriously considered or desired sexual act with a person of the same sex. However, after the fundamental reformation, I felt in a way that I missed having an older, stronger man by my side. This too is now a thing of the past, and I consider men to be brothers, not fathers or protectors. (4)

Another quote is related to the same topic, namely experiencing God's love. It tells of a transsexual woman who lived 37 years in the role of a man (The title of the article is: 37 years in the role of a man: God made my identity whole). She behaved like a man, dressed like a man and used a man's nickname. She suppressed everything feminine in herself and only few knew that she was actually a woman.

The reason for her behavior was mainly the circumstances of her childhood and life, as is usually the case with homosexuals and sexually disabled people. They wanted a boy for her instead of a girl and she found that she pleased her parents better in the role of a boy. However, liberation and wholeness began when she surrendered her life to God and understood God's love:

… - I’m from the Netherlands. My father was an Italian and my mother a Romany of the Netherlands. My family was very broken. I had to cope with the criminal world of Rotterdam already in youth. At the age of fourteen, I was sentenced to prison for three and half years, La Serpe tells.

Because of problems at home, the girl spent several years of her childhood with her grandmother in Italy. Her parents had hoped for their firstborn to be a boy. The girl noticed already at an early age that she pleased her parents and managed in streets better as a boy. The dresses, jewellery and make-up were not for her. Luisa suppressed all things feminine in herself and took as her name the masculine name Loid.

Only a few knew her right sex because she shaved her hair, used men’s clothes and behaved like other men.

(...) This is how Luisa’s change from a drug dealer to an evangelist began. Femininity began to be in proportion as she started to recover from her internal wounds, of which the rejection experiences of her childhood were biggest. It took, however, several years before she dared to give up her male identity wholly to God’s care.

(...) God assured that He knew how Luisa was doing. He promised to heal the wounds of her heart if Luisa only returned to Him.

- That night, the Holy Spirit came and took care of me. I got to be healed thoroughly from my internal wounds and to be in His arms like a child. I repented that I had lived in the role of a man up to the age of 37. Only then did I dare to give up my male identity wholly to God and accept my femininity.

The tall, beautiful woman breaks with emotion many times as she remembers the old days. The journey has not been easy but today she is happy. Luisa is full of joyful tension as she waits to see what God has planned for her next.

After her recovery, Luisa returned to slum work among the most miserable of Fortaleza in Brazil. She shows photographs in which she poses with a saved, former Macumba priest or prays with a crying woman whose lower extremities are gangrened because of untreated diabetes.

- Poverty, diseases, criminality and prostitution are the daily reality in slums. Sometimes I had to flee with my friends from gangsters armed with jungle knives. But still the work was worth the while, Luisa La Serpe rejoices. (5)

So these are examples of how God Himself can do His healing and wholesome work in a person. The same applies to many alcoholics, whose alcohol use is usually always based on traumatic experiences and emotional reasons (it is worth remembering that alcohol and drug use is clearly more common among homosexuals than in other population groups). When they have encountered God's love and accepted Jesus into their lives, they have immediately been freed from substance abuse. There are millions of such people who, with the help of God's grace, have been freed from substance abuse. That is why your claim that "conversion therapy is always harmful" seems contradictory. If a person encounters God's love, it always has a positive effect. Of this I am absolutely sure.

When you state that conversion therapies are always harmful, have you ever thought that it is precisely your own activities that are harmful? You are turning people away from eternal life and from God, who would be powerful to help people with their problems. You oppose God's love and do not want to let people experience it. The following words of Jesus are very relevant to this topic:

- (Matt 23:13) 13 But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for you neither go in yourselves, neither suffer you them that are entering to go in.

- (Matt 18:6,7) But whoever shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 Woe to the world because of offenses! for it must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!

I understand that you have good intentions to support people, but in practice you are leading people down a path that will destroy the physical health and lives of many. In other words, if a person remains in a homosexual lifestyle or adopts a trans ideology, it can be many times more dangerous for a person's health than if he frees himself from these things. The reasons are as follows:

• Sexually transmitted and other diseases (including corona) are spread through sexual relations, which homosexuals have more than average. For example, AIDS, the medical treatment of which costs about 20,000 euros per year per patient, is one such disease. It began in the United States in the 1980s, mainly among homosexuals. By changing lifestyles, this disease is easier to avoid and people themselves benefit from it. Professor David Deming has written on the subject:

The fact that two-thirds of syphilis and AIDS cases are among one percent of the population clearly shows that homosexuality is not a harmless choice... The hypocrisy bothers me. Many ardent supporters of the gay agenda condemn those who oppose mandatory vaccination. They remind us that vaccinations serve the common good by reducing disease. But they do not accept that a decrease in homosexual activity will achieve the same goal... We are constantly told about the costs of gun violence, smoking, and obesity. What are the costs of homosexuality? How much does it cost to treat syphilis, AIDS, and a host of other diseases? What price do we have to pay because syphilis, which was almost defeated, has now spread again? (6)

Another quote shows how sexually transmitted diseases are quite common among gays compared to the general population. The work of the SETA ry contributes to people accepting a homosexual lifestyle that destroys the physical health of many.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that one in six homosexual or bisexual men will be diagnosed with HIV during their lifetime. In contrast, the general American population has a one in 99 chance of getting HIV/AIDS, a one in 241 chance for heterosexual women, and a one in 473 chance for heterosexual men. 13% of men who have sex with men (MSM) die from HIV-related illnesses, which is 157 times more than heterosexual men… Half of HIV-positive young men (aged 13-24) do not know they are infected. HIV infections expose them to other sexually transmitted diseases, psychological distress and social isolation. (7)

• Mental health disorders are another matter. The activities of the SETA association suggest that so-called conversion therapies are harmful, but has it been taken into account that homosexuals and trans people have more mental health problems on average? This is not always due to society's homophobia or transphobia, as is easily explained, because these problems also occur in large cities and areas where homosexuality has been viewed positively. For example, the Netherlands is such a country, and an extensive study conducted there showed that mental health problems among homosexuals occur there more than average compared to the rest of the population (Sanfort, Theo G.M; de Graaf, Ron; Bijl, Rob V. ja Schnabel, Paul: ”Same-Sex Sexual Behavior and Psychiatric Disorders: Findings From the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study (NEMESIS)” Archives of General Psychiatry 2001, Vol.58,No.1, pp. 85-91).

Another extensive study points in the same direction. It tells how lesbians have had a lot of depression and mental health problems in their lives:

Judith Badford's (1994) research team recruited 1,925 lesbians through gay organizations, health centers, and lesbian magazines. According to the researchers, this was the most comprehensive study of lesbians ever conducted in the United States.

Almost three-quarters (73%) of lesbians were in therapy or had previously received help from a mental health professional at the time of the study. The most common reasons for seeking therapy were depression (50%), problems with a lover (44%) or family (34%), and being a lesbian (21%). 37% had experienced a long period of depression or grief at some point in their lives. 68% reported having had various mental health problems in the past, such as long-term depression or sadness, constant anxiety, or fear. The prevalence of depression is not explained solely by societal homophobia, as only 12% of lesbians expressed concern about whether people knew they were lesbian. (8)

• What about alcohol and drugs? Millions and millions who have turned to God and Jesus have been freed from these substances and from crime. They have also begun to heal from the wounds of the past, which are often the reason for their substance use.

Many homosexuals have the same problem. Many of them have alcohol or drug addictions, for which God’s transforming power would be a good help. However, when people do not believe in God’s transforming power in the area of sexuality or in other areas of life, these people are driven deeper into substance use and wrong lifestyles. For example: In his 1998 book Textbook of Homosexuality and Mental Health, Robert P. Capaj describes how substance abuse is common among gay men and lesbians:

Most studies…, reports…, research reviews…, and health professionals who have worked with gay men and lesbians estimate the prevalence of substance abuse to be around 30%, with a range of 28-35%. In the general population, the prevalence is 10-12%… whether the sample is urban or rural, across socioeconomic groups, in the United States or other countries, the rates are remarkably consistent—although there are some differences in substance use. (9)

• What about life expectancy? It is a fact that it is greatly influenced by lifestyle: smoking, alcohol, drugs, overeating, mental health problems, etc. If a person can get rid of these addictions and problems, their life expectancy will probably be longer. In addition, there are many associations (AA movement…), courses and advice on how to get rid of these things. Some can succeed in their goals, and it increases their life expectancy.

The same problem is faced by many homosexuals and bisexuals. Their life expectancy is also shorter than normal. Part of the reason for this is AIDS and other diseases that are spread through sexual intercourse. (Fortunately, the situation has improved due to AIDS drugs). The following quote tells more about the subject. The authors of the so-called conversion therapies bill claim to be worried about these people, but it does not seem so, because they push people further and further into a lifestyle that is harmful to health and can shorten people's lifespan.

Bisexual and gay men had a 32-59 percent chance of living from age 20 to age 65. These figures are significantly lower than the 78 percent chance of living from age 20 to age 65 for men in general. Conclusion: In a large Canadian city, gay and bisexual men in their 20s have a life expectancy that is 8-20 years less than other men. If current mortality trends continue, we estimate that nearly half of gay and bisexual men in their 20s will not reach their 65th birthday. Even by the most liberal expectations, gay and bisexual men in this urban center currently have a life expectancy comparable to that of all men in Canada in 1871. (International Journal of Epidemiology Modeling the Impact of HIV Disease on Mortality in Gay and Bisexual men; International Journal of Epidemiology; Vol 26, No 3, p. 657)

• The bill was mentioned above regarding the so-called conversion therapies and their prohibition. It also involves the idea of gender identity; that is, it wants to prohibit all kinds of spiritual care and therapy in which a person seeks help themselves when they strive for a normal heterosexual identity. The drafters of the bill do not want such people to receive help, but want to deny it to them, citing, among other things, that it causes psychological harm.

But what are the consequences of trans ideology and of a person not accepting their own gender assigned at birth? The drafters of the bill do not take into account the health harms of this ideology at all. Often the result is so-called gender reassignment surgery, in which healthy body parts are amputated and hormones are used for the rest of their lives. (It is strange that many criticize the circumcision of girls for good reason, but at the same time support trans ideology, which leads to the same type of outcome. This is an obvious contradiction). These people become lifelong users of hormones, which can lead to serious physical ailments such as bone loss, cancer, infertility, heart disease, venous thrombosis, blood clots, liver damage, etc. In addition, mental health problems and the risk of suicide are many times higher in those who have undergone these surgeries. The risk of suicide in adulthood is almost 20 times higher than in the rest of the population. This has also been found in Sweden, where gender ideology has been taken to the furthest extent (10).

The following quote points in the same direction. I understand that people have these problems, and they should not be underestimated. Often the background to them is that the parents have hoped for a child of the opposite sex. However, when SETA in schools and elsewhere speaks in favor of their ideology, it leads children and young people in a direction that destroys their lives. When I was young, these issues were not discussed in schools or in society. As a result, such thoughts did not even occur to young people. Now this has become more common because it is constantly being talked about in the media. I believe that the harmful actions of SETA ry are clearly to blame for the fact that many people are destroying their physical health and lives:

An increasing number of patients are deeply traumatized by inappropriate gender reassignment surgery. They suffer from irreversible physical changes, such as changes in their genitals and sexual functioning, infertility, painful vaginal atrophy, breast scarring, deepening of the voice, unwanted permanent changes in facial hair, male pattern baldness, urinary incontinence, and other permanent changes. In addition to the distress directly caused by these changes, the changes also affect other areas of life, such as the person’s ability to create a stable identity (many feel trapped in a gender “no man’s land”), find romantic partners and supportive social networks, have children, or find permanent employment. Adjusting to these consequences of gender reassignment surgery is also psychologically difficult and can be deeply painful. (11)

Another quote tells a sad story of where this ideology leads. It's a blogger called Musta orkidea. She sees that transgenderism is a psychological, not a physical problem. She compares it to anorexia, in which a person's image of themselves is distorted:

“I have had body parts cut off. I have no breasts because they were cut off, and there are scars on my lower abdomen that were wounds through which other parts of my body that are natural to me have been cut off. My facial features have changed. Hair is growing on my face. My voice has become completely unrecognizable… I cannot have children and I am sterile even as a woman… My current name is not my real name. My identity is a made-up identity and I have false papers. I am not a man, but a mutilated woman… I have lived a lie for years and convinced myself that I am something that I am not… I have crossed the line of no return. I can never get back something that has been cut off. Sex reassignment surgery is irreversible. Once a body is broken, it can never be made whole again. I am completely beyond repair. There is nothing that can be done… It is not possible to be born into the wrong body. The human body has existed long before consciousness or identity has taken shape. The body and mind are not separate from each other or exist separately or individually. They are always one. The very idea that someone could be internally of the opposite sex is absolutely ridiculous. Transgenderism is an identity disorder and this disorder is between the ears, not in the body. Gender is a physical characteristic of the body in the same way as height, shoe size or hair color. Gender cannot be changed any more than race or height can be changed… Transgenderism is very similar to anorexia in every way. It is a different manifestation of a similar symptomatology” (Musta Orkidea: “Behind the Last Wall is the Truth.”)

What can be concluded from the above? It seems that Seta ry and the international gay movement are not interested in individual people and their well-being, but mainly in power. Or if it were the other way around, they would take into account the consequences of a homosexual lifestyle and how it destroys people: AIDS and other diseases, shortened lifespan, mental health problems, heavy alcohol and drug use, and lifelong hormone use (trans ideology). This movement is not interested in these at all, otherwise it would not oppose so strongly the help that God's love and an encounter with Jesus can do in the lives of individual homosexuals (Jesus said, John 10:10: 10 The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.)

Why then do many ordinary heterosexuals defend homosexual behavior, even though it is a sin? Could it be because it is considered an innate characteristic, just like skin color. We think that this is a characteristic acquired at birth, and we do not take into account that it is a question of the person's own reaction to certain circumstances in childhood. Perhaps a boy has had a bad relationship with his father and a difficult relationship with his peers. Similarly, a girl may have had a difficult relationship with her mother, or her mother has been absent (One study found that 27% of lesbians had experienced the loss of their mother before the age of 10. The corresponding figure for heterosexual women was 2%. These figures show well the importance of circumstances and the reaction to them). As a result of these experiences, they have a natural need to receive approval from the same sex, and I think there is nothing wrong with this. However, lust can come along and then a person begins to drift into sexual relations with the same sex. That is understandable, but as a Christian I see this as a sin. However, everyone should decide how they want to live.

In any case, here are a few quotes on the subject. They show that most homosexuals do not believe that their inclinations are innate. Rather, many of them think that same-sex sexual seduction and circumstances have played a role in the development of their tendencies. These were also common beliefs in psychology a few decades ago. I personally see that the issue is similar to alcoholism or drug addiction. No one is born an alcoholic or a drug addict, but a person can be drawn to these substances, for example, because of difficult traumatic experiences that they want to forget.

I read an interesting study by an expert: it was a survey to find out how many actively homosexual people believed they were born that way. Eighty-five percent of the interviewees were of the opinion that their homosexuality was a learned way of behaving caused by destructive influence early on in their home and enticement by another person.

Nowadays, my first question when meeting with a homosexual is usually, “Who gave you the inspiration for it?” All of them can answer me. I will ask then, “What would have happened to you and your sexuality if you hadn’t met your uncle, or if your cousin had not come into your life? Or without your stepfather? What do you think would have happened?” This is when the bells start to toll. They say, “Maybe, maybe, maybe.” (12)

Ole does not believe, however, that there is some kind of a "homosexual gene". He believes that the causes of homosexual feelings are more complex, and he mentions, for instance, that he knows many pairs of identical twins of which only one of the pair is homosexual.

Ole believes that many factors contributed to his behaviour, such as his complex and poor relationship with his father when he was a child.

Ole does not hold back when telling about his relationship with his father as a child. He felt that his father was never there and he feared his father. The father sometimes had a raging fit, and Ole felt a few times that his father intentionally humiliated him in public. Ole says bluntly that he hated his father. (13)

Harri is interested in the discussion about homosexuality in the media and studies about homosexuality. He is convinced that homosexuality has very little to do with congenital factors. He bases this view on, for instance, the fact that it is often easy to find out why people have homosexual inclinations. They have usually been subjected to sexual violence or have a difficult relationship with their parents or peers.

"This has convinced me that it is not first and foremost about genes. However, I don't think that it is impossible for some people to have some genes that make them more susceptible to homosexual inclinations," Harri says. (14)

In her case, Tepi believes that homosexuality is due to the fact that she has some kind of emotional deficit that she is trying to fill. Tepi says she was afraid of her father as a child and still has "such a fear of men". Tepi says she is looking for a mother among women. Although Tepi thinks about the reasons for her lesbianism, she also says about her crush on women: "As it has gone kind of shockingly naturally, I've sometimes really wondered how it can go that way." On the other hand, she believes that there is a reason for this, too.

Tepi does not believe that homosexuality is due to genes or that a person can be gay or lesbian from birth. In her opinion, a person grows up gay or lesbian, even without any special disorders. (15)

Of course, I, like many gay people, wonder where homosexuality comes from. I believe that a child's personality is formed during the first three years of life, including sexually. This is influenced by both the environment and human biology. I do not believe at all that homosexuality is hereditary. For some of my relatives, my homosexuality is hard precisely because they fear its heritability. (16)

The following news story is related to the same topic. It told about sex offenders who had been guilty of child abuse. The news story said that a large number of sex offenders had themselves been victims of sexual crimes as children. This shows that homosexual behavior can often originate from adult abuse of a child. The cycle continues when those who were abused as children commit the same:

Even a hardened criminal cannot be forced into treatment

…On Thursday, in the dock at the courthouse,… a man sat who pulled his prison shirt over his head to hide from the cameras at the beginning of the hearing.

The man in his fifties is accused of abusing almost thirty children, and this is not the first time. He has been convicted of abusing dozens of boys at least three times before. The last time was in 2012.

… Lauerma does not comment on individual cases, not even this one. He says in general terms that one factor that predisposes a person to sexual crimes against children is being a victim of a sexual crime.

- A fairly large proportion have been victims of sexual crime themselves as children. Estimates vary from 30 percent to 80 percent, meaning it is a very contagious behavior. That is why influencing it would be important, because the cumulative effects are intergenerational. (Etelä-Suomen sanomat, 12.10.2018)

What can be concluded from the above? If homosexual tendencies are not innate, but have been influenced by other people in the child's and young person's past, then Seta ry and many others support, for example, through pride marches, the wrong behavior of adults towards children. Or is this not the correct conclusion if sexual abuse and traumatic experiences are the background to homosexuality? This is a reasonable conclusion if it is not an innate thing, but rather a developmental disorder of the child and young person that has arisen due to traumatic experiences.

Let's also bring up human rights. Seta ry has repeatedly appeared as a defender of human rights and an advocate for equality. However, Seta ry has advocated gender-neutral marriage, which often deprives children of the right to a father or mother. This is what happens if children are obtained through sperm banks, surrogacy or temporary heterosexual relationships. In all these cases, the child lacks either a father or a mother at home, which can be seen as the selfishness of these people. So when we always talk about human rights, we should ask what is meant by that. If it means the right to kill children in the womb or that they do not have the right to a father or mother, we are actually acting against human rights, even if we claim otherwise.

In other words, if a child is born and remains alive, one of the most fundamental human rights is that the child should have the right to know their biological parents and live in contact with them. For example: Article 7 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child states: “The child shall be registered immediately after birth and shall have the right from birth to a name and a nationality and, as far as possible, the right to know and be cared for by his or her parents.” Seta ry’s activities are against this.

Many people who grew up in rainbow families have themselves criticized this practice. Robert Oscar Lopez, who grew up in a lesbian home, has drawn attention to the rhetoric that talks about love but does not take into account the children’s right to both a father and a mother:

We often hear that same-sex couples have loving homes and that they love their children. I am not convinced by this, because love means making sacrifices for the other person rather than expecting others to make sacrifices for you. If you are gay and love a child, you either sacrifice your homosexuality and raise the child in a home with a mother and father, or you give up the dream of parenthood and accept that adopted children are given a home with both a mother and a father. If the child is an orphan, a special child, or a resident of a government institution, such a child needs a mother and a father more than anyone else, because he needs stability and normality because of his own trauma. You cannot ask a child to sacrifice something as universal as a mother and a father for you. (17)

When it comes to gender-neutral marriage and children, it is characteristic that for adults gender is considered an important factor, but for children it is not considered important. It is not considered important that a child has parents of a different gender. Anthony Esolen has drawn attention to this inconsistency, where the feelings and desires of adults are more important than those of children:

We cannot say at the same time: ‘The gender of the child’s parents does not matter’ and immediately say that the gender of the adult’s bed partner matters so much that he cannot possibly adapt his lifestyle to nature. The boy does not need a father because gender does not matter. But his mother needs a ‘wife’ and she cannot possibly be expected to take a husband, because in this case gender matters more than anything else in the world. (18)

In France, many homosexuals themselves have taken a stand on the issue. They see that the gender-neutral marriage law violates the child’s right to a father and a mother. That is why they reject gender-neutral marriage:

Jean-Pierre Delaume-Myard: Am I a homosexual homophobe… I oppose gender-neutral marriage because I defend the child’s right to a father and a mother. (19)

Jean-Marc Veyron la Croix: Everyone has their limitations: the fact that I lack a child and that I miss a child does not give me the right to deprive the child of its mother’s love. (20)

Hervé Jourdan: A child is the fruit of love and a child must remain the fruit of love. (21)

What are the consequences of adults' freedom and sexual preferences taking precedence over children's fundamental right to know their biological parents and grow up in their care?

There is sufficient information on this issue, as many abandoned children have openly expressed their longing for their missing parent, father or mother. Television programs, for example, have often told of how children want to find their biological parent, whom they have not met and who has disappeared from their lives. They have a longing to find their own roots and meet their biological father or mother, who is missing from them.

The following quote refers to the topic. It shows what kind of identity problems children can have as a result of fertility treatments, which are used by both lesbian couples and single mothers. Many children born through this have openly spoken of their identity problems and their longing to meet their biological father (sperm donor), whom they have never seen.

Violation of the rights of origin produces serious identity problems, as Narelle Grech, a 22-year-old who conceived with the help of an outside donor, states: “I think it shows ignorance and cruelty that adults create children with the help of outside donors, even though they know that these children cannot trace their biological mothers. - - How can anyone take away the freedom to know themselves from another person. This has been one of the most dehumanizing experiences of my life. One of the worst feelings is to look in the mirror every day and have to question many things. - - One day the world will look at these human experiments with disgust.” (Grech; cited in Somerville 2007:184.)

Heather Barwick writes that her father’s absence created a huge hole in her: “Every day I was touched by the loss of my father. I loved my mother’s partner, but the other mother could not replace the loss of my father.” (22)

The following example further illustrates the importance of the father - in addition to the mother - in the home. Modern "human rights activists" and lesbian couples want to deny the importance of the father, but both parents are important for the development of the child. These people clearly reject the best interests of children and human rights.

While speaking at a men's camp in Hume Lake, California, I mentioned that the average father spends only three minutes of quality time with his child each day. After the meeting, a man questioned my data.

"You preachers are just saying things," he scolded. "According to the latest study, the average father spends not even three minutes a day with his child, but 35 seconds."

I believe him because he was the inspector of schools in Central California. In fact, he gave me another startling statistic.

In one California school district, 483 students were in special education. Not one of those students had a father at home.

In one area on the outskirts of Seattle, 61% of children are fatherless.

The absent father is the curse of the modern age. (23)

Finally, a word about our relationship with God. As I stated above, each of us has been guilty in some area before God. I am no exception to this, and neither are the employees of Seta ry. People's sins are different, but everyone has committed sins.

Does God want us to die in our sins and go to hell? No, but His will is that we be saved and go to heaven. That is why Jesus came into the world:

- (Joh 3:16,17) For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

- (Luke 19:9,10) And Jesus said to him, This day is salvation come to this house, as much as he also is a son of Abraham.

10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

What then is man's part in salvation? The matter is simple. We must turn to God and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, because only he is the way to God. Jesus himself said the following:

- (John 5:39,40) Search the scriptures; for in them you think you have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

40 And you will not come to me, that you might have life.

- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

The prayer of salvation: Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn away from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been forgiven through Your atonement and I have received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation that You have given me. Amen.

Best regards: Jari Iivanainen

REFERENCES:

1. John Wimber / Kevin Springer: Ihmeet ja merkit, p. 45,46

2. Wendy Alec: Tuntemattoman profeetan päiväkirja, p. 48,49 (Journal of the Unknown Prophet)

3. Ari Puonti: Homoseksuaalisuus – hämmennyksestä selkeyteen, p. 130

4. Roland Werner: Toisenlainen rakkaus, p.50,51

5. Näky-lehti 4 / 2008, p. 10-12

6. David Deming: The Gay Agenda and the Real World, American Thinker, December 19, 2015.

7. Tapio Puolimatka: Laittomuuden salainen vaikutus, p. 161,162

8. Ari Puonti: Homoseksuaalisuus – hämmennyksestä selkeyteen, p. 121,122

9. Robert P. Capaj: ”Substance Abuse in Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals” teoksessa Textbook of Homosexuality and Mental Health, toim. Robert P. Capaj ja Terry P. Stein. 1998, 783-784. Washington, London: American Psychiatric Press Inc

10. Tapio Puolimatka: Seksuaalivallankumouksen uskonnolliset juuret, p. 231

11. D’Angelo, Roberto & Syrulnuk, Ema & Avad, Sasha & Marchiano, Lisa & Kenny, Dianna Theadora & Clarke, Patrick (2020b) ”Jack Turban’s Dangerous Campaign to Smear Ethical Psychotrerapy as Anti-Trans ’Conversion Theraphy’” Quillette, November 1, 2020, https://quillette.com/2020/11/01/jack-turbans-dangerous-campaign-to-smear-ethical-psychotherapy-as-anti-trans-conversion-therapy/

12. Bill Hybels: Kristityt seksihullussa kulttuurissa (Christians in a Sex Crazed Culture), p. 132

13. Espen Ottosen: Minun homoseksuaalit ystäväni (”Mine homofile venner”), p. 104

14. Espen Ottosen: Minun homoseksuaalit ystäväni (”Mine homofile venner”), p. 131

15. Lesboidentiteetti ja kristillisyys, p. 87, Seta julkaisut

16. Sinikka Pellinen: Homoseksuaalinen identiteetti ja kristillinen usko, p. 77, Teron kertomus

17. Robert Oscar Lopez, p. 114

18. Anthony Esolen: Defending Marriage: Twelve Arguments for Sanity (2014), Charlotte, NC: Saint Benedict Press, p. 149

19. Jean-Pierre Delaume-Myard: Homosexuel contre le marriage pour tous (2013), Deboiris, p. 94

20. Jean-Pierre Delaume-Myard: Homosexuel contre le marriage pour tous (2013), Deboiris, p. 210

21. Jean-Pierre Delaume-Myard: Homosexuel contre le marriage pour tous (2013), Deboiris, p. 212

22 Tapio Puolimatka: Jälkikristillisen maailman kauhut, p. 95

23. Edwin Louis Cole: Miehuuden haaste, p. 104