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November 22, 2007

A landmark new book titled Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of Religiously
Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation by Stanton L. Jones and Mark A.
Yarhouse present social science research on homosexuals designed to answer
the questions "Can persons who participate in focused religious ministries
experience a change in their sexual orientation?" and "Is it harmful for
anyone to participate in such programs?"

The results show that outcomes for this kind of religious program are
similar to outcomes of therapy for other psychological problems. Such
programs do not appear to be harmful on average to individuals.

This research will be of interest to all those who want to know the latest
research on sexual orientation change and the effects of religiously based
programs on those who utilize them.

If you're interested, you can read reviews and order the book from
InterVarsity Press at http://www.ivpress.com/cgi-ivpress/book.pl/code=2846
or you can order the book at a discount from Amazon.com at
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/083082846X/centurpublis-20

The following is a news article about it:

>>>>>>>>>> New Study Finds Christian Counseling Effectively Assists
Leaving Homosexual Life-Style: Study also finds leaving the
lifestyle not psychologically harmful

By Meg Jalsevac

NASHVILLE, September 17, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) - A new study, entitled
the Exodus Project and conducted by two psychologists, has determined
that, through "religiously mediated means", it is possible for homosexual
individuals to leave their old lifestyle and embrace the heterosexual
lifestyle. The study also determined that, contrary to mainstream
scientific thought, the effort to change one's inclinations away from
homosexuality does not appear to be psychologically problematic.

In the words of the authors themselves, "The study is the first on the
subject of sexual orientation change to be done in accordance with
rigorous scientific and ethical standards, and it is the first to produce
reliable hard data on whether it is possible to change sexual orientation
through the interventions delivered by religious
ministry organizations."

The study authors are Mark A. Yarhouse, a professor of psychology at
Regent University in Virginia! and St anton L. Jones, professor of
psychology at Wheaton College in Illinois

All participants of the study received counseling through Exodus
International, a Christian organization focused on ministering to
individuals who want to or have left the homosexual lifestyle.

The final results of the study show that, by the study's conclusion, 38%
of the participants had successfully left the homosexual lifestyle (either
changed to a heterosexual lifestyle or embraced chastity despite their
homosexual inclinations). Another 29 percent demonstrated only partial
success in departing from the homosexual way of life but vowed to keep up
their efforts. Of the remaining numbers, only 8 percent reverted to an
active homosexual life.

The timing of this study's release is especially poignant as the American
Psychological Association (APA) continues to appoint largely
'gay-affirmative' individuals to the newly formed Task Force on
Appropriate Responses to Sexual Orientation. ! Accordi ng to the APA
website, the official position of the APA is that homosexuality is neither
a choice nor a changeable characteristic.

Dr. Jones expressed hope that the results of the new study could at least
spark scientific discussion on the matter. "We hope our research will say
to people, 'Slow down. Let's have a civil dialogue. Let's talk about
people who are making autonomous adult choices about what they do....
Let's give people the opportunity to exercise their religious freedom."

While the authors are adamant that no one can be forced to change their
orientation, they claim that their study offers hope to those who do want
to leave the active homosexual life.

"The study goes to the heart of a debate that is raging today and that is
not being investigated fairly. Is sexual orientation utterly fixed and
unchanging for all persons, or is change possible for some? The strident
argument that change is impossible seemed to us driven more by ideology
tha! n by sc ience. As scientists, we were excited to tackle such a big,
important question."

According to the InterVarsity Press website, Dr. A.D. Byrd of the
University of Utah School of Medicine commented on the work saying, "With
this landmark study, Drs. Jones and Yarhouse have made a major
contribution to a controversial area. The findings from their study
support the importance of client autonomy and client self-determination as
therapists provide a range of options to those who seek help for unwanted
same-sex attraction. The book is required reading for those interested in
the best practices and evidence-based care for this clinical population."

Some critics have expressed doubt about possible bias in the study results
since both authors are Christians themselves - possibly leading them to
highlight only the positive results of their study. Similarly, the website
of the APA has previously dismissed all comparable studies that claim
success in assisting homosexuals t! o leave the lifestyle for the reason,
among others, that the results "come from organizations with an
ideological perspective which condemns homosexuality[...]"

The authors of the Exodus study dispel such accusations by painstakingly
explaining their research process and analysis within the book. "We
pledged from the beginning to publish the true findings of the study
regardless of how positive or negative (for Exodus) the findings might be,
and the written report is scrupulously honest about positive and negative
findings, as well as about the strengths and limitations of the study."

"This study is the most scientifically rigorous to date, focusing on
ninety-eight subjects thought to be representative of those seeking change
through Exodus, following them prospectively (from early in the process)
and longitudinally (over multiple assessments), using multiple measures
regarded as "industry standards," and reporting explicitly on all aspects
of the findings. Previous ! studies have suffered from using idiosyncratic
measures of change, from looking at selective samples and from looking at
subjects only at one moment in time (a cross-sectional "snapshot"). No
scientific study is perfect, but this study uses the most rigorous methods
to date."

Former APA President and current President of the Cummings Foundation for
Behavioral Health, Nicholas Cummings said, "This study has broken new
ground in its adherence to objectivity and a scientific precision that can
be replicated and expanded, and it opens new horizons for investigation."

The full results of the study will be published in the coming months by
InterVarsity Press in a book entitled 'Ex-Gays? A Longitudinal Study of
Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation.' According to the
publisher's website, the professors "sought publication of their
manuscript by nonreligious publishers, but found that those publishers
would not consider the project due to ideological sympathies w! ith the
GLBT community and fear of negative repercussions of publishing a study
that would likely be spun as 'anti-gay.'"

Jones and Yarhouse have indicated that they will follow the subjects of
their studies to determine the long term outcome of their study. They have
expressed the hope that the scientific community will pay heed to their
study results as authentic, verifiable data.

"The present study produces significant scientific evidence that sexual
orientation is in fact changeable for some, and this should trigger a
considerable reexamination of many of the presuppositions about sexual
orientation and sexual identity that hold sway in contemporary Western
culture."

On the InterVarsity website, Associate Professor of Psychology and Fellow
for Psychology and Public Policy, Dr. Warren Throckmorton affirmed the
significance of this new study. "While the authors fully acknowledge that
change in sexual attractions did not occur for some individuals, they
offe! r cogen t and compelling reasons to believe that participation in
religious ministry resulted in durable changes for others. The Jones and
Yarhouse study will set the standard for all future work in this field and
demands a serious reading from social scientists. For anyone interested in
the study of sexuality, values and human change, this book is a
must-read."