Palin's Church Promotes Converting Gays

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Gov. Sarah Palin's church is promoting a conference that promises to convert gays into heterosexuals through the power of prayer.

"You'll be encouraged by the power of God's love and His desire to transform the lives of those impacted by homosexuality," according to the insert in the bulletin of the Wasilla Bible Church, where Palin has prayed for about six years.

Palin's conservative Christian views have energized that part of the GOP electorate, which was lukewarm to John McCain's candidacy before he named her as his vice presidential choice. She is staunchly anti-abortion, opposing exceptions for rape and incest, and opposes gay marriage and spousal rights for gay couples.

Focus on the Family, a national Christian fundamentalist organization, is conducting the "Love Won Out" Conference in Anchorage, about 30 miles from Wasilla.

Palin, campaigning with McCain in the Midwest on Friday, has not publicly expressed a view on the so-called "pray away the gay" movement. Larry Kroon, senior pastor at Palin's church, was not available to discuss the matter Friday, said a church worker who declined to give her name.

Gay activists in Alaska said Palin has not worked actively against their interests, but early in her administration she supported a bill to overrule a court decision to block state benefits for gay partners of public employees. At the time, less than one-half of 1 percent of state employees had applied for the benefits, which were ordered by a 2005 ruling by the Alaska Supreme Court.

Palin reversed her position and vetoed the bill after the state attorney general said it was unconstitutional. But her reluctant support didn't win fans among Alaska's gay population, said Scott Turner, a gay activist in Anchorage.

"Less than 1 percent of state employees would even apply for benefits, so why make a big deal out of such a small number?" he said.

"I think gay Republicans are going to run away" if Palin supports efforts like the prayers to convert gays, said Wayne Besen, founder of the New York-based Truth Wins Out, a gay rights advocacy group. Besen called on Palin to publicly express her views now that she's a vice presidential nominee.

"People are looking at Sarah Palin as someone who might feasibly be in the White House," he said.

Comments

[jesuswazasocialist]

Gay and Republican nope I still don't get it.

[racetoinfinity]

Welcome to the 19th century.

[NYC07]

Will Larry Craig and Lindsey Graham be in attendance ?????

[dben]

Hmmm. You think they'd be "promoting a conference" for a cure for cancer or a solution to global warming instead.

[LintLass]

Yep, that's all we need. Gay women aren't good enough to adopt their unwanted children, but we're supposed to pretend we're straight and not use birth control.

What a world.

[MichB1]

Reading this post, all I can say is, yes, Palin's religion is a bad sign, but it's no worse for its intolerance, ignorance and bigotry than the Radical Atheist Religion. You people shoot yourself in the foot so constantly, it really makes me wonder why you bother.

[postman606]

We saw Rev. Wright, over and over again. When we didn't see him in the pulpit, one of his primary opponents, or some Repulican was talking about him months later. Michelle makes a comment regarding her pride and months later we've even got Cindy "I I only had a Brain" McCain, chiming in.
The point, is in this vacuum of information from The McCainPalin camp to clarify this kind of info. along with that scary Alaskan Independence Party affiliation, where is the MSM. We are in the era of 24/7 cable news and this is important, not the constant fawning comparisons to Norma Ray. Come on fourth estate, you dropped the ball on the run up to the war, reach down and grab a pair.

[Cup of Merc]

Beings I didn't hold Obama responsible, or be guilty by association, of his reverend's comments then I must do the same with Palin's church's actions as well. If the Obama supporters want to say that it didn't matter in the case of Obama then they need to act the same way with Palin and the actions of her church. And if the McCain/Palin supporters said that in the case of Obama that it did matter then they should hold Palin to the same scrutiny.

[cruisepuppy7452a]

Where to start with this woman and her bible thumping idiots? Do they realize this is America they are living in? You can't pray away anyone or anything you disagree with. Does not work that way. As a straight woman I am offended by thier ignorance and stupidity as a whole, never mind the comments made about gays. OY they need to get a life. We dont have to agree with thier life style, but we have to remember they were born that way, its not thier fault, and nobody has a right to dictate how they choose to live. If its not hurting anyone, whose business is it but thier own? People, you can't pray away thier genetics. I am tired of the religious right dictating thier beliefs and forcing them on the rest of us. This is AMERICA, free speech, ect. Hello. They want to live in a constipated life, that is up to them, but please, don't force your agenda on me. I don't need it.

[montemalone]

When are these religious freaks ever going to realize that they've been the vicitms of the worlds longest running scam?
It's beyond me that these hateful hypocrites can spout things like god made man is his image, and then criticize the results.
I'd like to know when they're going to give all their worldly possessions to those less fortunate. I'd like to see just one of them turn the other cheek. (no pun intended).
The bible is law, so long as they get to pick and choose what suits 'em.

[Serfie]

Funny how just a few months ago the Huffington hypocrites were crying about how Obama shouldn't be linked to Reverend Wright and his church's views.

God damning America is far worse than praying away homosexuality.

[MartyGee]

How come this God can't even fix a microwave oven. How about we take a microwave oven with a defective magnetron and have billions of people pray and pray and pray going without food and water until the microwave turns on first displaying the correct Greenwich time then switch to Jerusalem time and perfectly cook a breast of chicken (without using some sleazy browning setting). For vegans God could repair a leaking Rheem hot water heater (they all leak weeks after the warranty runs out millions and millions of them).

[cloudmaker]

I hope all supposedly good Republicans realize that a vote for Sarah Palin is a vote
against anyone among your family or friends who is gay. And don't kid yourself. We
all know lots of gay people whether they have told you so or not. So you have to
decide whether you're really a good person who beleives in the sanctity of life
(among those already born) or whether you're basically a hypocrite who only wants
happiness for those of whom you approve. And if you think you are a good person,
take a much closer look at Sarah Palin who ridicules community service, disdains
gays and seems to have a lot of hate and anger in her.

[CJ1]

Support the rights of moose to bear arms...and shoot back.

[CJ1]

Pray away Sarah Palin.