On this past June 10 former Canadian Prime Minister Joe Clark was marshal for the “gay pride” parade in Calgary, Alberta. On being contacted by the organizers he doubtless consulted his agenda, discovered that his “dance card” was open on that date and the rest is history.
As to why Mr. Clark was there is anybody’s guess, but my best guess is that it was pure politics. It was, after all, payback time. It is highly unlikely that he would have won his seat in last year’s federal election without the help of the many gay activists in his area. According to news reports, many in the gay community campaigned on his behalf, helping defeat Eric Lowther, the sitting Alliance MP in that riding.
The more profound question is this: Should Joe Clark have been at any gay parade in any capacity? His presence implicitly endorses and encourages homosexual activity and the homosexual lifestyle
Many people believe that the homosexual political agenda merits support because the sexual inclinations of homosexuals are viewed as irreversible. But is homosexuality an incurable condition?
Dr. Robert Spitzer is a professor of psychiatry at Columbia University. In 1973 he was the individual chiefly responsible for removing homosexuality from the American Psychiatric Association’s manual of mental disorders. Just recently this same professor completed a fascinating study in which he conclusively demonstrates that some people whose orientation was homosexual have successfully changed those inclinations and have arrived at “good heterosexual functioning.”
This of course comes as no surprise to Christians who have believed and taught for 2,000 years that God routinely changes all kinds of inclinations and behaviours in all kinds of people and helps them to overcome brokenness and dysfunctionality. Some time ago I attended a conference sponsored by Exodus International. I worshipped and studied with upwards of 150 people from various parts of the world. Many were former gays and lesbians who had overcome their homosexual inclinations. The common slogan, “Born gay, can’t change, shouldn’t have to,” was clearly exposed as a myth.
This ability to overcome or change homosexual inclination is no small thing. It certainly should give governments pause before they rush into legalizing same-sex marriage. Imagine the unbridled confusion when a man locked into a marriage contract with a fellow male changes his inclination and decides that he should in fact have married a woman. The folly of granting marriage on the basis of reversible behaviour should be obvious to all.
Because of political correctness my words will be skewed and twisted by some as “hateful.” I trust that fair-minded readers will see through the illogical slander; after all, I don’t always approve of my children’s behaviour, but it would be ludicrous to charge me with hating them.
At “gay pride day” in Calgary Mr. Clark joined in the celebration of a lifestyle and inclination that, far from being cast in concrete, are reversible. By acting as marshal in the parade he endorsed and supported practices that have been morally condemned by all the major religions for hundreds and in some cases thousands of years.
Certainly politics is all about mutual back scratching – and there seems little doubt Mr. Clark had to do some scratching. He will certainly get kudos from some Canadians because he has championed a controversial cause. But I suspect that many more Canadians are quietly enraged by his open endorsement of questionable moral practices. Many of us want politicians of stature who have sterling moral character. We have endured more than enough moral pygmies in positions of leadership.
Tragically in the eyes of many Canadians the former Prime Minister has permanently shrunk in stature. Simply put, Mr. Clark was at the wrong party. Alas, what a difference a fuller “dance card” might have made!
