Why Conversion Therapy Hurts All Of Us

Across the country, there are doctors working to convince people to change their sexual orientation or gender identity. It's known as "conversion therapy," but it could also be called brainwashing, or reprogramming.

Loving and compassionate parents and ministers who are trying to do the right thing are doing just the opposite. They are influenced by bad science, not grounded in fact. This so-called "conversion therapy" is harmful.

A couple of days ago, the White House came out in support of efforts to ban the use of conversion therapy. And as a transgender woman, this is especially personal to me.

No one should be forced to be someone they're not. Everyone should be valued for their authentic, true self -- who they are -- regardless of the gender with which they identify, or who they love.

I recently talked with a few other people in the Administration about why conversion therapy is so dangerous, and why it was so important for the White House to take a strong stance against the practice.

Here's what we have to say:

This isn't just a transgender issue or an LGBT issue -- it’s an American issue. Our nation was founded on the ideals of equality and acceptance for everyone, and forcing an individual to be someone they aren't goes directly against what this country stands for.

If we're going to grow as a society, we must move beyond the way things are, to the way things should be.

That's why I'm glad our Administration is standing up and making it clear that conversion therapy is unacceptable. Our society should allow every child and every person the freedom to be whoever they aspire to be.

And we've already seen the tragic effects of this therapy. Countless people have taken their own lives because they feel they can't fit into the standards that society demands. Others, although they haven't lost their lives, have been forced to live unfulfilled lives and to repress their feelings in the process -- feelings that come out in other ways that we can't always anticipate.

We can be better than this. We are better than this. We owe it to ourselves, and to all of the children growing up in this country, to work toward a society where everyone is accepted and treated equally.

I hope you'll take the time to listen to what we said, and learn more about why the White House came out in support of banning conversion therapy.

Amanda Simpson
Executive Director
U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives

 

EXPOSED: SDF Senior Official Brokered SCNC-Gov’t Secret Talks

Amadou Ali, then Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals fronted for the gov’t and authorized millions for the talks.

By Mbom Sixtus, April 09, 2015

Cameroon Journal, Yaoundé – It has now emerged that the Biya regime had in a bid to proffer some solutions to the Anglophone crisis, held nighttime meetings with some officials of the movement who, however, turned out to be fake leaders of the group.

Theodore Leke, SCNC 2^nd Vice National Chairman under the late Chief Ayamba, confirmed the secret talks in an exclusive revelation to The Cameroon Journal.  Leke disclosed that the dialogue was brokered by a top SDF national executive member living in Yaounde. He, however, refused to name the official whom he said linked them up with Amadou Ali who at the time was Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals.

Leke related that at the initial meeting, they met the minister in the presence of an interpreter. He said after a brief chat with the minister, he and other SCNC top officials were asked to return to the South West and come back with a representative delegation on an agreed date.

Leke said when they returned from Yaoundé where they were lodged at government’s expense, they briefed other SCNC officials about the meeting. On the basis of the briefing, then SCNC Executive Secretary General, Thomas Nwacham wrote to the minister: “We have been informed by one of the leaders of the SCNC, Mr. Leke Theodore that your government is inviting us through your good offices for contact discussions. We appreciate the long-awaited invitation and hope our exploratory talks shall be frank and sincere. We propose that this initial meeting be held on January 20, 2004 at a venue decided by you and look forward to your confirmation.”

The Cameroon Journal gathered that when the government confirmed the rendezvous, a quarrel later broke out within the ranks of the SCNC officials with accusations that millions that were initially made available by the Yaounde authorities were swindled.

Theodore Leke, he led the talks with Ahmadou Ali

Theodore Leke, he led the talks with Ahmadou Ali

Our sources said some SCNC officials wanted to know why the government had by-passed then National Chairman, Chief Ayamba and his immediate assistant, Nfor Ngalla Nfor and settled on Theodore Leke, third person on the SCNC leadership rank. Leke could not give any explanation since as he told The Journal, it was an SDF official who proposed him to the regime as the one to head the SCNC delegation.

Confirmed sources say Leke took a slim delegation of four to Yaoundé and after the meeting there, they were given an assignment to tour the North West and South West regions to compile the grievances of Anglophones and report back to Yaoundé.

In a summary of one of the reports to Amadou Ali, a copy of which we stumbled upon, Leke wrote: “We did not come across any group, fons, chiefs or leaders who rejected the dialogue to solve the Anglophone problem. Their utmost wish was that the talks should be frank and sincere between the two groups involved in the dialogue.”

In a latter report signed by Leke as “leader of the delegation” and Chief Enow Oben as one of the members, they said several meetings were held with traditional rulers in the two Anglophone regions. They equally claimed: “…open meetings were held with SCNC activists in Kembong, Mamfe, Menji and Bamenda.”

Their communication with Amadou Ali, we gathered, was done through an encrypted email address.  Amadou Ali himself confirmed the dialogue when at a question and answer session of the National Assembly in November 2009 he said “government was consulting with the SCNC.”

Leke admitted that government paid for his delegation’s assignment for the contact tours which was part of the “negotiations” but would not disclose the amount. It was on the basis of the continuing dialogue, Cameroon Journal learnt, that the government sponsored an SCNC delegation to the African Commission on four occasions to Banjul and one to Dakar, Senegal.

The objective of the government bench to the Commission led by Dion Ngute, Minister Delegate at the Ministry of External Relations in Charge of Relations with the Commonwealth was to have Leke and other SCNC members testify that the movement was in ongoing dialogue with the Biya regime and as such the SCNC/SCAPO complaint be delayed pending the outcome of the SCNC/government talks.

Leke also admitted that their air tickets and allowances were paid by Yaoundé on a total of five trips for the case at the African Commission. But he again refused to say the amount which speculators within the SCNC had said was in tens of millions.

It was at the Commission, we gathered from other SCNC officials, that the government knew belatedly it had all along been dealing with the “wrong people”. Dion Ngute then said the SCNC was in factions and that government did not know who to dialogue with. At this point the whole deal collapsed

Leke and Enow in another letter to the minister recalled: “We regret that the minister informed us during our last meeting that he has come to the end of his own part and that politicians should take over and complete the rest. Politicians especially those from the English-speaking zone cannot do it for obvious reasons,” they stated.

 In the meantime, government insiders say dialogue with the SCNC can only be possible when a credible leader emerges at the helm of the movement.

PEATTU, CEWOTU & TAC Calls For Cancellation Of Police Entrance Examination

The Teachers Association of Cameroon (TAC), The Presbyterian Education Authority Teachers Trade Union (PEATTU) and The Catholic Education Workers Trade Union are calling for a cancellation of the Police Entrance Examinations

Here are their reasons:

• The examination lacked instructions that usually guard candidates to answer examination questions with accuracy, and the absence of weighting for all the questions further degraded the endeavour.

• The title, "Sujet en frangais", which did not convey any meaning in French, was shoddily translated into English to give the howling, meaningless "Subject in English".

• The questions were very poorly translated into English and this was compounded by a stilted, generally incomprehensible phraseology.

• For the level of student-inspectors,  we judged that the examination was sub-standard  and lacked reproducibility;  by this is meant  that  if candidates were subjected  to the same examination  over and over, the results would not be reliable especially  as the questions

See Memo on link below addressed to H.E. President Paul BIYA

http://www.tobbyvision.blogspot.com/2015/04/police-concour-anglophones-programmed.html

Signed

Afuh Stephen Akwa

PEATTU President

Kimfor Michael Y.

CEWOTU President

Tameh Valentine Nfon

TAC President

Police Concour: Anglophones Programmed To Fail

Read Below Memo To HE Paul BIYA, President of the Republic of Cameroon

Believers Living Church Nkwen Bamenda Fastest Growing Pentecostal Church in Bamenda Prophet DD ALLO with Signs and Wonders from Heaven: Voted Accredited Winner of World Echoes Newspaper 2015 Trinity Press Icons Award

1. CONQUER EVIL WITH GOOD

When we look critically at the main theme of Jesus’ teaching – it was all about Love – which cannot go without forgiveness. If you love, you must forgive. If you forgive – you will conquer Evil with Good in all situations in life. And the moment you begin to conquer evil with good in all situations in life – you will see that you are a completely changed person – a born again.

Look back at the society today. When many people are praying, the bulk of their prayers is not pleasing in the eyes of God – and the holy word of God emphasises that God only answers prayers that are according to his will.

People are fond of praying and firing back to sender. Some will curse their brothers and sisters in the process of praying to a God who is all loving, all forgiving and forgetting to know that whenever a bad or trying situation comes their way it is either to strengthen you or to take you to another level physically and/or spiritually.

As children of God, we should not allow evil to conquer evil, or evil to conquer good. The acceptable norm is for Good to conquer evil no matter the situation on the ground. It is very certain that the kingdom of darkness cannot, shall not and will never ever succeed to fight itself. Light can fight darkness but darkness cannot fight light.

As children of God we should give evil no chance in our life and give good a chance. If we take time to read carefully through the lines of Romans chapter 12 from verses 1 -21, it talks mainly of how life in God’s serve ought to be and if you take note of verse 21 of that same chapter 12 verses 21you see it say “do not let evil defeat you, instead, Conquer Evil With Good”. Pay attention of verses 13 – 21 where it is repeated that only people whose sins are forgiven can conquer evil with good because they have been transformed. See the importance of living a sin-free life. You have the conducive habitat for Gods Holy Spirit living in you – which will direct you to all good things which ordinarily you will find difficulties to implement.

Matthew chapter 5 verses 43 – 46 instruct us all to LOVE our ENEMIES and pray constantly for those who hate and persecute us. In this case, the prayers for our enemies and for those who hate and persecute us are supposed to be prayers for good and not for evil. Even go back to read what Matthew chapter 5 verses 38 – 42 says about revenge. Jesus’ words were all correct, alive – and are spirit – so we must take them all seriously.

Bible examples for us like Brother Stephen teach us a good example at his stoning. On dying - Stephen cried out in a loud voice “Father do not remember this sin against these people”. He said this because he wanted to conquer evil with good. What did our lard Jesus Christ say himself while dying? Father forgives them for they do not know what they are doing.

These and many other portions in the bible only compelled us to know that we must Conquer Evil with Good.

GOD BLESSES YOU IN YOUR DECISION.

2. BE CONCERN ABOUT THE INNER BEAUTY THAN THE OUTER BEAUTY

 My brothers and sisters, I invite you to relax, be in a meditation mood and carefully read the whole of 1 Peter chapter 3. It is necessary, please read all of chapter 3 of 1 Peter.

Trusting you have read that chapter 3, I will now like to draw you attention to the following points, with reference to chapter 3.

Note 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 1 which says “in the same way you wives must submit to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God’s word, your conduct will win them over to believe”. How happy we should be to know that our holy creator assures us that we can win and save our marital partners both to mutual love and everlasting life simply by our conduct. Verse 2 says “because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is. Don’t minimize this instruction.

Don’t be deceived – and most of us are seriously mistaken. Verse 3 of 1 Peter chapter 3 says “you should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you do your hair, or the jewelries you put on, or the dresses you wear”. This does not mean that we should not dress up. Rather – we should not try to win our partners by the dress or outward aids – but follow what a verse 4 instructs– instead your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in Gods’ sight”. See you, God loves us and is advising us for our good.

On the other side verse 7 advises husbands to live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are weaker than you. Treat them with respect because they also will receive, together with you, God’s gift of life. This is very wonderful. If husbands and wives apply this advice from our loving father – where will trouble ever come from in our marital homes?

The last part of verse 7 says “do these so that nothing will interfere with your prayers”. God is saying this – and we all need prayers – wanting to be heard and answered. If you refuse applying these recommendations in your life, it means you do not want your prayers heard and answered. 1 Peter chapter 3 verse 7 say so. Not me.

I ask you to critically look at 1 Peter chapter 3 from verse 8. Verse 9 says. Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.

1 Peter chapter 3 verse 10 re-affirms, who ever wants to enjoy life and wishes to see good times, must keep from speaking evil and stop telling lies. They must turn away from evil and do good; they must strive for peace with their heart – for the lord watches over the righteous and listens to their prayers – but he opposes those who do evil”. In this situation – it is left for us to decide where we belong.

See the question our loving God asks us in verse 13 “who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?” 

If we have to have reverence for Christ in our hearts, we must as verse 16 says, “keep a clear conscience so that when we are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will be ashamed of what they say – if and only if we are living as God directs – remember Jesus Christ was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually – so we must care more for our inner – spiritual beauty and not for our outer physical beauty”.

As you begin to make adjustments in your priorities of beauty, may God bless you in that effort.

GOD BLESSES YOU

3. “YOU HAVE RECEIVED WITHOUT PAYING, SO GIVE OUT WITHOUT BEING PAID”Matthew 10 v 5 – 15; Mark 6 v 7 – 13; Luke 9 v 1 – 6

Our lord Jesus Christ the all wise foresaw pitfalls that may meet his followers in their wining soul for Christ – and in each occasion he gave specific instructions to be followed.

According to the account of Matthew chapter 10 verses 5 – 15, our lord Jesus was sending out twelve men with the following instructions: verse 6 – instead you are to go to the lost sheep of the people of Israel. Go and preach, “THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS NEAR!” VERSE 8 – HEAL THE SICK, BRING THE DEAD BACK TO LIFE; HEAL THOSE WHO SUFFER FROM DREADED SKIN DISEASES, AND DRIVE OUT DEMONS. What a wonderful assignment Jesus was giving to his followers – men of God of old – and men of God of today. That command is still applicable up till today, and that is why genuine men of God today are still backed by holy spirit even today to preach the kingdom, heal the sick, bring the dead to life, heal those with dreaded skin diseases, and are very easily driving out demons – to confirm that since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow – his instructions – with his words – which is spirit – remains active yesterday, today and tomorrow.

Examine carefully the words of Matthew 10 verses 7, 8, 9, and 10. When he called the twelve, he gave them the special grace with authority to do what he said – without their asking, and strangely without their having to undergo special tutorials or even paying for that kind of Grace. And to prove that they did not pay for this sort of grace or were kind of being exceptionally qualified for the assignment – he Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10 verses 8b – YOU HAVE RECEIVED WITHOUT PAYING, SO GIVE WITHOUT BEING PAID!! Ask yourselves, received what or give what? – Of course, THE SPECIAL GRACE TO CARRY OUT THIS ASSIGNMENT. NO EXCUSE NEEDED. STOP!!!

The very fact that Jesus Christ ordered them not to take anything with them, like, money, food etc. – even though being human beings who needed to eat means HEAVENS was going to provide for their needs – and that is why they – men of God did not have to charge any form of fees before executing this noble divine assignment with FREE SPECIAL GRACE to do so. IT MUST BE FREE

Apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy gave a warning in 1^st Timothy chapter 6 verses 3 – 12. In verses 3 and 4, he warns whoever teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the true words of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the teachings of our religion is swollen with pride, and knows nothing. Verse 5, they think religion is a way to become rich. Verse 7 – what did we bring into the world? Nothing! Verse 9 -  but those who want to get rich fall into temptations and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.

1 Timothy 6 verse 11 concludes it all “But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Verse 12 – run your best in the race of faith and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witness ………. Read up to 1 Timothy 6 verse 21.

May we all reform our thoughts, doings and actions so we may gain favour with God and our Lord Jesus Christ – the giver of FREE GRACE.

GOD BLESSES YOU

4. IT IS DANGEROUS TO SIN AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

  My brothers and sisters, many so called Christians today are freely committing sin to the extent that they even sin against the Holy Spirit – which is very dangerous.

Create time to read the very important story of Ananias and Sapphira in the book of Acts chapter 5. Going through the story, you will see personal voluntary details like when they decided on their own to sell their land and unanimously will give the entire proceeds or money resulting from the sale to God. Nobody told them, suggested to them or forced them. They decided to.

Unfortunately, when they sold this piece of land, they both decided to break the promise to the Holy Spirit, not fearing the outcome of this sudden change of heart. They decided to lie against the Holy Spirit – not thinking of the power of the Holy Spirit.

When Ananias decided to put the Holy Spirit to the test, he fell down and died. He was carried out to be buried. Ananias made the common mistake most of us today make – when he made a promise to Peter – he thought it was to Peter as a person – forgetting that Peter was standing as a vessel for the Holy Spirit.

It is the same common mistake we make today – taking the men of God we see daily to be himself not knowing we are interacting with the Holy Spirit using a human vessel.

In Acts chapter 2 verses 17 – 18, God says “this is what I will do in the last days, God says, I will pour out my spirit on everyone. Your sons and daughters will proclaim my message – your young men will see visions and your old men will have dreams, yes, even on my servants both men and women I will pour out my spirit in those days, and they will proclaim my message’. God said all these – and remember the bible says Gods word is spirit – and ALIVE. God’s spirit is his active force which he can put into anybody or use it in any way he wants to.

Let us not behave like Ananias and Sapphira. They both died simply because they failed to honour their vow to the Holy Spirit which means they lied against the Holy Spirit.

Make up your mind never to put the Holy Spirit again to the test – in any way – take time to read – Matthew chapter 12 verses 31 – 32; Mark chapter 3 verses 28 – 30; Hebrews chapter 9 verses 22. 

GOD BLESSES YOU AS YOU FEAR HIS SPIRIT

5. YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN

In the society today, many people are living and only doing or thinking sinful things like fornication, committing adultery, telling lies, killing, visiting witch doctors for protection. Some just refuse to see their neighbors as human beings worth living; they even fill their prayers with back-to-sender phrases even though the supposed senders could be their parents, brothers, neighbors etc. Can you imagine that some people find it difficult to carry people in their cars when driving in the same direction; some people find it very difficult to give any form of assistance to their neighbors even though they may be in a very comfortable position to render such help without any inconveniences to themselves. There are people who cannot allow their neighbors to carry clean drinking water from their taps, even though they have pipe borne water and their neighbors are drinking from unclean well sources. There are situations where we have food wasting in our parking stores, while our neighbors are scratching to make ends meet.

You could be free from any of the above points, but the fact that you dress poorly-half - naked with tattoo marks on your body just seduces the opposite sex. Many of us move on the way “drunk with this world” or gossip about others instead of being drunk with the Kingdom of God or talk of the goodness of God’s grace.

WARNING: The book of Revelation 20 verse 15 states that all these people will not see God’s kingdom. We are told that “unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”. John chapter 3 verse 3 makes us to understand that the only way we can see God’s kingdom is to be born again. When a man is born again, his life automatically changes from physical or fleshly to the spiritual, i.e. he will no longer be controlled by the desires of the flesh. His thoughts and goal will be to see God’s kingdom. A born again will put Mathew chapter 5 verses 43-48 into practice and he/she will live according to Romans chapter 8 which assures and encourages us of life in the spirit and will make us see the danger involved in our judgments and decisions on worldly issues.

It is very necessary to make the goal of God’s kingdom be a guide to all your decisions – in which case even telling small or big lies will not and should not be our portion – including all the things mentioned in Revelation 20 verse 15 should not be our portion in Jesus’ name.

ACTION NOW: - Being born again is the only way to see God’s kingdom today.

Brothers and Sisters, if anybody tells you that it will be possible to enter heaven without accepting Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, then you are being deceived to go on and die hopelessly. Simply repent now and be saved.

Salvation is now – and its decision can only be now that you are still living and able to decide for yourself. Open your hearts to God’s word and you will see God’s kingdom. Remember the warning given us in the book of Revelation chapter 20 verses 11 – 15: how books shall be opened for the big and small – and all shall be judged. Imagine what shall happen to you when you shall, and it is very certain, stand in front of these books. Remember – books for righteousness and unrighteousness are going to be opened on judgment day – so don’t say “had I known”, which will be too late at that time to talk of; because the lake of fire will be waiting for people with regrets which will be the second death. I trust you know that in God’s case, there has never been and will never be room for appeal.

I believe after reading this short message and patiently going over all the quoted Bible scriptures, you will be able to take a personal voluntary decision to re-adjust your life and choose life – then being born again should be your portion in Jesus’ name. Do all within your power to be born again, loosing nothing in life, but gaining entry to God’s kingdom.

Be informed that heaven is only for God’s children and hell fire is for the devils and his angels, Mathew 25 verse 41. May God bless you in your decision to gain life?

GOD BLESSES YOU