In which Marvin responds to Willie Hewes' recent comments concerning Marvin and Soon's impending entanglement. 
John Smid and me-Graduation 1998 (above) & John Smid today (left) By now many have heard that Tennessee's Department of Mental Health & Developmental Disabilities determined that the "ex-gay" program, Love in Action, is operating two “unlicensed mental health supportive living facilities”. LIA has until Friday, September 23 to respond. If LIA statements in Eartha Jane Melzer's article are indicative to how the "change" program might respond, we may see LIA change right before our eyes from a clinical mental health compound into a house of praise and worship. Gerard Wellman, business administrator for Love in Action, and a former Love in Action client, said Sept. 13 that the organization has been in contact with the state but would not comment further. “As a church, we operate under a different set of rules,” Wellman said. Curious, and what rules might these be? What is even more curious is that according to LIA's site only one staff member ...
Comments
I know I was challenging you, but I guess you rose to that challenge. You stuck to your faith and you're following the path, and you know, I respect that. I'm not sure about me being anointed or a man of God, but they're nice things to say I guess, so, thanks.
Yeah, I guess you could call me "unsaved", in the same way that I could call you "closeted". It's all about different points of view.
From my point of view, people live, and then they die, and one of the saddest things is all the anger suffering and loneliness that they have to deal with in between. I believe in being happy, and striving to be happy, and helping other people be happier.
Perhaps Soon and you would be happy together, I certainly think that *in general* *on average* people tend to be happier when they have some kind of companionship then when they are alone. That doesn't have to be based on a romantic and sexual mutual attraction, I think. To be honest, I think romance is overrated as a basis for long term relationships.
(As an aside, yes, sex is difficult for most people I know. It touches on so much; who you are, how you relate to each other, who's in charge... But that's also why it's so rewarding and self-affirming when it does work out. I love good sex. But heaven knows it's not always easy getting there.)
This comment is already really long, but I have another point to make; one you're probably familiar with, and that you'll probably just blank, but I feel the need to make it.
You don't have to be ex-gay to be a Christian. You and Soon are clearly church people, and that's good, but the church you attend condemns something that you'll probably never be free from; your same sex attractions. This means that if you stay where you are, you will be fighting a struggle for the rest of your life, which may not be necessary.
Maybe it's worth just exploring the other option, and trying to find a church that teaches the word of God as you understand it, but does not judge people on this point. I know from the little research I've done on this issue that there are different ways of reading the "gay" passages in the bible, and plenty of groups (even evangelical ones) that do not teach all kinds of homosexuality are necessarily sinful.
I think, if you could reconcile your relationship with God and the bible with your natural predisposition towards men, maybe you'd be even happier than married to Soon.
OK, that was all I had to say, thank you for your indulgence.
All the best Marvin, and thank you for praying for me. :)