Santa Rosa CA Ex-Gay Pastor Not So Ex-Gay

[FreeState]

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/2009/06/23/12415

Pastor Matthew C. Manning heads an outfit in Santa Rosa, California known as Lighthouse World Evangelism, which promises to deliver people from alcohol and drugs, mental struggles, homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. The last two are core to Manning’s own story. He claims to have been “delivered” from homosexuality in 1989, and miraculously healed from full-blown AIDS in 1994. Pat Robertson was impressed enough with that claim to feature Manning on an episode of the 700 Club in 2002. Mike Airhart, then writing for Ex-Gay Watch, tried to get to the bottom of those claims, but Manning refused to provide documentation from his doctors.

That was six years ago. Mike moved on to Truth Wins Out, and David Roberts picked up the thread. He recently re-opened the investigation and tried to find proof — any proof — that Manning had once tested positive for HIV for nine years and was then cured more than a decade ago. Unsurprisingly, Roberts was unable to find any evidence for a Manning’s cure, miraculous or otherwise.

But in looking around, he managed to find something else entirely different. Turns out that Manning has been charged in 1998, 2000, and in 2005 with complaints of soliciting other males for sexual encounters in public parks and other venues. The 2005 episode includes an order to stay away from 24 Hour Fitness locations in Santa Rosa for one year.

There are many more details, including source documentation in PDF form, in David Robert’s outstanding investigative report. He promises to have more information in the next few days.

[joeybee12]

1. Does this Manning play football also?

What a surprise...NOT!

[meegbear]

2. Jeez ... you'd think someone 100% cured of AIDS would be recorded by the CDC or AMA ...

DUH!!!!

[imdjh]

4. or Ringling Brothers

[imdjh]

3. I can't figure out why anyone would buy this exgay bullshit. nt

[FreeState]

5. Mostly because it gives them a false sense of reality were their choice of authority is not

questioned IMO. I know several people who are "ex-gay" (all of them admit to still being gay 100%) and all of them also are attempting this because of their religion.

[Bluenorthwest]

6. The promoters of this horror

are given high places of honor by people who should know better. That is part of the reason.

[NMMNG]

8. Because they stop getting harassed and abused by the

"Christians" who insist they're doing so out of "love". They instead get the phony, very conditional, "love" that's heaped on so long as they live a lie, and have a life devoid of intimacy and romance . Thanks, but no thanks. I'll live a genuine, honest life with real love instead of that phony crap and slavery to bigots like that.

[NMMNG]

7. The problem with "ex-gays"

is they're inevitably compulsive liars and virulent homophobes. That, in addition to being Repressed Homosexuals for Jesus.

[VaYallaDawg]

9. To say nothing of self-haters.

But ... the usual self-hater is one thing, as hellish as that life can be. To use it as a revenue stream defies description!

[NMMNG]

10. The fundies are nothing

if not predators.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

15. to say nothing of the type of damage they wreck on our community

both my convincing young gay men to hate themselves and by providing an example to straight homophobes that gays can magically become straight

[NMMNG]

16. They couldn't care less about how much damage they do--to anybody

Just so long as they achieve total control.

[mrbarber]

11. Ah, good old religion.

If there are any Gods/Goddess out there, there either laughing uncontrollably, or crying.

[LooseWilly]

12. I love the smell of religious hypocrisy in the morning...

... what I still can't get my head around, however, is how people keep... not only swallowing the line of "ex-gay because of Jesus"... but almost seem to push the line.

I guess it gives the Christian Families of Homosexuals hope of redemption?... (not being from a Christian Family.... I'm just taking a guess here.)

I can't shrug a confused shrug shruggy enough...

[RetiredTrotskyite]

13. Why Am I Not Surprised?

These people are so predictable. They lie to eeryone around them, they lie to the God they believe in, but most of all, they lie to themselves. Sooner or later, most "ex-gays" discover that they are anything BUT "ex". I just sit back and let them have at it.

:popcorn:

[La Lioness Priyanka]

14. color me NOT shocked

[xchrom]

17. kick

[HillWilliam]

18. The only thing that ex-gay ministries prove for 100% certain

is that P T Barnum was right.