Co-host Terry Meeuwsen shared the following question by somebody named Ian: "I am really in deep confusion and I really need answers. Can God take away this same-sex attraction? Can God change a homosexual to straight?"
Here is Pat's response:
Pat Robertson: We have had people on this program. There was this one guy. I’ll never forget him. We show him as a woman and as a woman he was absolutely gorgeous! I mean, gorgeous! But he was a man! And the Lord touched him, changed him, and now he is married and has some children and has a very happy life.The emboldened parts was what you too can expect if you ever seek spiritual counseling by Pat Robertson about personal issues of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Yes, God can. It’s a miracle, but God can do it. It is a tendency in your life.
Somebody was asking me for counsel the other day and said, “I’ve got this son and he was effeminate from the time he was young and now he says he’s gay.” And I said to her, “Does he want to be a girl?” And she said, “No.” And I said, “Well, if he doesn’t want to be a girl, basically he wants to be a man. And if he wants to be a man, there’s no reason he can’t start acting like one.”
God can take care of this. I know that this used to be considered psychologically… that this was an aberration and so forth. But now, as a matter of fact, if someone counsels this… The school comes against you. You’re violating someone’s civil rights. But the truth is – you’ve asked me a question. Can God do it? The answer is, not only can he do it. He will.
Here's the deal. I'm not a strong opponent of LGBT people wasting their time and money trying to change from gay to straight. I know lots of people who've spent thousands of dollars in these programs. I know lots of people who've married heterosexually because they believed this necessary to achieve transformation and salvation. I know lots of ex-gays who've crashed, burned, and completely lost their faith as a result of these ministries. And I know lots of ex-gay ministries that have shuttered their programs after admitting that they don't work.
But who am I to tell someone that they can't waste their time and money and kill their faith in a fruitless desire to become heterosexual? And, to be fair, there is always the chance that God will eventually transform somebody or that some of these folks will discover their inner bisexual.
But what is Pat smoking??
Gay men don't want to be women. We are sexually and emotionally attracted to other men. Some of us are effeminate and others aren't. But either way, we are acting like men. We are men.
Of course, why wouldn't one expect Pat or Terry or the "700 Club" in general to believe that gay men want to be women or that we are running from our adult responsibilities? God forbid that they lack the ability to recognize the nuances within the LGBT communities or observe the diversity that exists here.
Note to Ian: It's possible that you can change. But most likely you won't. Stop turning to people like Pat Robertson for a sense of security. He won't offer it to you. He will only promote misinformation and doubt. You don't have to become heterosexual to be saved. I pray that you eventually find your own personal peace.
You can watch the whole segment here.