[Dialogue] {Spam?} Spong 12/12

[KroegerD at aol.com]

December 12, 2007  
Dear Friends,  
>From time to time a report comes across my desk that is so important that I  
want to share it with my readers. That is the case with this report from the  
Royal College of Psychiatrists in the United Kingdom. It is not that their  
thought is new, it is that they have undertaken to report it systematically and  
with the full scholarship and authority of their offices. They have also  
included a bibliography, which is attached.  
When a prejudice is being debated there is a necessity for both sides of the  
debate to possess facts not just opinions. That is what is so often missing 
when  religious people debate homosexuality. This report was issued because of 
the  raging argument and dislocation going on in my church and in many others 
about  homosexuality. The time has come for people to realize that pious 
homophobia is  not a substitute for truth. The time has also come for Church 
leaders at every  level to be confronted by competent scholarship, and for weak and 
fearful  bishops, who believe that unity in ignorance is a legitimate goal for 
the  Christian Church, to be told that it is not.  
I commend this report to your study and hope that you will help to distribute 
 it widely. For any part of the Christian Church to break apart over the use 
of  outdated and thoroughly discredited ideas about homosexuality is a 
tragedy. For  any part of the Christian Church to be as woefully uninformed on this 
subject as  so many ecclesiastical leaders seem to be is a sign of incompetent 
leadership.  John Shelby Spong   
____________________________________
  
Royal College of Psychiatrists  
Submission to the Church of  England's Listening Exercise on Human Sexuality
This report is prepared by a Special Interest Group in the Royal College of  
Psychiatrists. We have limited our comments to areas that pertain to the 
origins  of sexuality and the psychological and social well being of lesbian, gay 
and  bisexual people (LGB), which we believe will inform the Church of 
England's  listening exercise.  
Introduction  
The Royal College of Psychiatrists holds the view that LGB people should be  
regarded as valued members of society who have exactly similar rights and  
responsibilities as all other citizens. This includes equal access to health  
care, the rights and responsibilities involved in a civil partnership, the  
rights and responsibilities involved in procreating and bringing up children,  
freedom to practice a religion as a lay person or religious leader, freedom from  
harassment or discrimination in any sphere and a right to protection from  
therapies that are potentially damaging, particularly those that purport to  
change sexual orientation.  
We shall address a number of issues that arise from our expertise in this  
area with the aim of informing the debate within the Church of England about  
homosexual people. These concern the history of the relationship between  
psychiatry and LGB people, determinants of sexual orientation, the mental health  
and well being of LGB people, their access to psychotherapy and the kinds of  
psychotherapy that can be harmful.  
1. The history of psychiatry with LGB people. 
Opposition to  homosexuality in Europe reached a peak in the nineteenth 
century. What had  earlier been regarded as a vice, evolved into a perversion or 
psychological  illness. Official sanction of homosexuality both as illness and 
(for men) a  crime led to discrimination, inhumane treatments and shame, guilt 
and fear for  gay men and lesbians (1). However, things began to change for 
the better some 30  years ago when in 1973 the American Psychiatric Association 
concluded there was  no scientific evidence that homosexuality was a disorder 
and removed it from its  diagnostic glossary of mental disorders. The 
International Classification of  Diseases of the World Health Organization followed 
suit in 1992. This  unfortunate history demonstrates how marginalization of a 
group of people who  have a particular personality feature (in this case 
homosexuality) can lead to  harmful medical practice and a basis for discrimination 
in society.  
2. The origins of homosexuality 
Despite almost a century of  psychoanalytic and psychological speculation, 
there is no substantive evidence  to support the suggestion that the nature of 
parenting or early childhood  experiences play any role in the formation of a 
person's fundamental  heterosexual or homosexual orientation (2). It would 
appear that sexual  orientation is biological in nature, determined by a complex 
interplay of  genetic factors (3) and the early uterine environment (4). Sexual 
orientation is  therefore not a choice, though sexual behavior clearly is. 
Thus LGB people have  exactly the same rights and responsibilities concerning 
the expression of their  sexuality as heterosexual people. However, until the 
beginning of more liberal  social attitudes to homosexuality in the past two 
decades, prejudice and  discrimination against homosexuality induced considerable 
embarrassment and  shame in many LGB people and did little to encourage them 
to lead sex lives that  are respectful of themselves and others. We return to 
the stability of LGB  partnerships below.  
3. Psychological and social well being of LGB people 
There is now  a large body of research evidence that indicates that being 
gay, lesbian or  bisexual is compatible with normal mental health and social 
adjustment. However,  the experiences of discrimination in society and possible 
rejection by friends,  families and others, such as employers, means that some 
LGB people experience a  greater than expected prevalence of mental health and 
substance misuse problems  (5, 6). Although there have been claims by 
conservative political groups in the  USA that this higher prevalence of mental health 
difficulties is confirmation  that homosexuality is itself a mental disorder, 
there is no evidence whatever to  substantiate such a claim (7).  
4. Stability of gay and lesbian relationships 
There appears to be  considerable variability in the quality and durability 
of same-sex, cohabiting  relationships (8, 9). A large part of the instability 
in gay and lesbian  partnerships arises from lack of support within society, 
the church or the  family for such relationships. Since the introduction of the 
first civil  partnership law in 1989 in Denmark, legal recognition of 
same-sex relationships  has been debated around the world. Civil partnership 
agreements were conceived  out of a concern that same-sex couples have no protection 
in law in  circumstances of death or break-up of the relationship. There is 
already good  evidence that marriage confers health benefits on heterosexual men 
and women  (10, 11) and similar benefits could accrue from same-sex civil 
unions. Legal and  social recognition of same-sex relationships is likely to 
reduce discrimination,  increase the stability of same sex relationships and lead 
to better physical and  mental health for gay and lesbian people. It is 
difficult to understand  opposition to civil partnerships for a group of socially 
marginalized people who  cannot marry and who as a consequence may experience 
more unstable partnerships.  It cannot offer a threat to the stability of 
heterosexual marriage. Legal  recognition of civil partnerships seems likely to 
stabilize same-sex  relationships, create a focus for celebration with families and 
friends and  provide vital protection at time of dissolution (12). Gay men 
and lesbians'  vulnerability to mental disorders may diminish in societies that 
recognize their  relationships as valuable and become more accepting of them 
as respected members  of society who might meet prospective partners at places 
of work and in other  such settings that are taken for granted by heterosexual 
people.  
5. Psychotherapy and reparative therapy for LGB people 
The British  Association for Counseling and Psychotherapy recently 
commissioned a systematic  review of the world's literature on LGB people's experiences 
with psychotherapy  (13). This evidence shows that LGB people are open to 
seeking help for mental  health problems. However, they may be misunderstood by 
therapists who regard  their homosexuality as the root cause of any presenting 
problem such as  depression or anxiety. Unfortunately, therapists who behave in 
this way are  likely to cause considerable distress. A small minority of 
therapists will even  go so far as to attempt to change their client's sexual 
orientation (14). This  can be deeply damaging. Although there is now a number of 
therapists and  organization in the USA and in the UK that claim that therapy 
can help  homosexuals to become heterosexual, there is no evidence that such 
change is  possible. The best evidence for efficacy of any treatment comes from 
randomized  clinical trials and no such trial has been carried out in this 
field. There are  however at least two studies that have followed up LGB people 
who have undergone  therapy with the aim of becoming heterosexual. Neither 
attempted to assess the  patients before receiving therapy and both relied on the 
subjective accounts of  people, who were asked to volunteer by the therapy 
organizations themselves (15)  or who were recruited via the Internet (16). The 
first study claimed that change  was possible for a small minority (13%) of 
LGB people, most of whom could be  regarded as bisexual at the outset of therapy 
(15). The second showed little  effect as well as considerable harm (16). 
Meanwhile, we know from historical  evidence that treatments to change sexual 
orientation that were common in the  1960s and 1970s were very damaging to those 
patients who underwent them and  affected no change in their sexual 
orientation (1, 17, 18).  
Conclusions 
In conclusion the evidence would suggest that there is  no scientific or 
rational reason for treating LGB people any differently to  their heterosexual 
counterparts. People are happiest and are likely to reach  their potential when 
they are able to integrate the various aspects of the self  as fully as 
possible (19). Socially inclusive, non-judgmental attitudes to LGB  people who attend 
places of worship or who are religious leaders themselves will  have positive 
consequences for LGB people as well as for the wider society in  which they 
live. 
Professor Michael King 
Report prepared by the Special  Interest Group in Gay and Lesbian Mental 
Health of the Royal College of  
Psychiatrists. 
31st October 2007
Reference List  
(1) King M, Bartlett A. British psychiatry and homosexuality. Br J Psychiatry 
 1999 August;175:106-13. 
(2) Bell AP, Weinberg MS. Homosexualities : a study  of diversity among men 
and women. New York: Simon and Schuster; 1978. 
(3)  Mustanski BS, DuPree MG, Nievergelt CM, Bocklandt S, Schork NJ, Hamer 
DH. A  genomewide scan of male sexual orientation. Human Genetics 2005 March  
17;116(4):272-8. 
(4) Blanchard R, Cantor JM, Bogaert AF, Breedlove SM, Ellis  L. Interaction 
of fraternal birth order and handedness in the development of  male 
homosexuality. Hormones and Behavior 2006 March;49(3):405-14. 
(5) King  M, McKeown E, Warner J et al. Mental health and quality of life of 
gay men and  lesbians in England and Wales: controlled, cross-sectional study. 
Br J  Psychiatry 2003 December;183:552-8. 
(6) Gilman SE, Cochran SD, Mays VM,  Hughes M, Ostrow D, Kessler RC. Risk of 
psychiatric disorders among individuals  reporting same-sex sexual partners in 
the National Comorbidity Survey. Am J  Public Health 2001 June;91(6):933-9. 
(7) Bailey JM. Homosexuality and mental  illness. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1999 
October;56(10):883-4. 
(8) Mays VM, Cochran  SD. Mental health correlates of perceived 
discrimination among lesbian, gay, and  bisexual adults in the United States. Am J Public 
Health 2001  November;91(11):1869-76. 
(9) McWhirter DP, Mattison AM. Male couples. In:  Cabaj R, Stein TS, editors. 
Textbook of Homosexuality and Mental  Health.Washington: American Psychiatric 
Press; 1996. 
(10) Kiecolt-Glaser JK,  Newton TL. Marriage and health: his and hers. 
Psychol Bull 2001  July;127(4):472-503. 
(11) Johnson NJ, Backlund E, Sorlie PD, Loveless CA.  Marital status and 
mortality: the national longitudinal mortality study. Ann  Epidemiol 2000 
May;10(4):224-38. 
(12) King M, Bartlett A. What same sex  civil partnerships may mean for 
health. J Epidemiol Community Health 2006 March  1;60(3):188-91. 
(13) King M, Semlyen J, Killaspy H, Nazareth I, Osborn DP. A  systematic 
review of research on counseling and psychotherapy for lesbian, gay,  bisexual & 
transgender people. Lutterworth: BACP; 2007. 
(14) Bartlett A,  King M, Phillips P. Straight talking: an investigation of 
the attitudes and  practice of psychoanalysts and psychotherapists in relation 
to gays and  lesbians. Br J Psychiatry 2001 December;179:545-9. 
(15) Spitzer RL. Can some  gay men and lesbians change their sexual 
orientation? 200 participants reporting  a change from homosexual to heterosexual 
orientation. Arch Sex Behav 2003  October;32(5):403-17. 
(16) Shidlo A, Schroeder M. Changing sexual  orientation: A consumers' 
report. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice  2002;33:249-59. 
(17) King M, Smith G, Bartlett A. Treatments of  homosexuality in Britain 
since the 1950s--an oral history: the experience of  professionals. BMJ 2004 
February 21;328(7437):429. 
(18) Smith G, Bartlett A,  King M. Treatments of homosexuality in Britain 
since the 1950s--an oral history:  the experience of patients. BMJ 2004 February 
21;328(7437):427. 
(19)  Haldeman DC. Gay Rights, Patient Rights: The Implications of Sexual 
Orientation  Conversion Therapy. Professional Psychology - Research & Practice  
2002;33(3):260-4.  
Question and Answer
With John  Shelby Spong 
Robert Daley, via the Internet, writes:  
I call your attention to the biblical story of Jesus saving the adulterous  
woman from death by stoning, when he allowed that the stoning could proceed if  
only the "sinless" man cast the first stone - knowing full well there was no  
such sinless person present. And the clincher was that he proceeded to write  
something in the sand for all to read. For most of my life I firmly believed  
that the story said Jesus went before each man present and wrote his personal 
 sin in the sand. In later life, when I was challenged to show that 
conclusion to  the story in the Bible, I couldn't find it. Can you tell me if such a 
version  exists or where I might have been misled?  
Dear Robert,  
Thank you for your letter. There is nothing in John's gospel, which is the  
only gospel containing this particular story, more than the note that "Jesus  
stooped down and with his finger wrote on the ground as though he heard them  
not" (KJV). What you have done is to take an interpretation developed in Cecil  
B. DeMille's epic motion picture The King of Kings as if it is biblical.  In 
that motion picture DeMille interprets Jesus' writing in the sand to be his  
prophetic insight into the sinfulness of each of this woman's accusers. DeMille 
 has Jesus write in Aramaic and then the film shifts his letters into English 
 words like cheater, adulterer, thief, murderer, etc. That scene entered  the 
minds of those who saw it and then people began to read that scene back into  
the gospel text. After this version had been passed on a few times people  
assumed that it is in the Bible itself. It isn't.  
Later, when DeMille produced another blockbuster biblical movie, The Ten  
Commandments, he depicted the crossing of the Red Sea so dramatically that  
people have also read that scene back into the Bible itself. What Moses crossed  in 
the Hebrew text was the Yom Suph, which got mistakenly translated in the  
Bible as "the Red Sea." In fact it means the Sea of Reeds, a swampy marshy piece  
of land near the present day Suez Canal. It is of interest to note that if 
Moses  had actually crossed the Red Sea, he went hundreds of miles out of his 
way and  the Israelites would have had to average five-minute miles to have 
gotten  through that body of water in the time the Book of Exodus says it took for 
its  navigation.  
>From time to time it is good to check what the Bible really says instead of  
depending on what we once heard.  
John Shelby Spong 



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