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British ex-gay ministry gives up, saying conversion therapy efforts don't work
Jeremy Marks, director of the United Kingdom organization Courage, is taking "sabbatical leave" from parent organization Exodus International because Courage founder Jeremy Marks says Exodus's mission to help people out of homosexuality doesn't work. "We are definitely wanting to be separated from the 'ex-gay' label and be more focused on supporting Christians who are gay," Marks told Gay.com. "None of the people we've counseled have converted no matter how much effort and prayer they've put into it. There is much more benefit to the more honest view." Marks has been involved in conversion therapy for more than 14 years—and says it hasn't worked in his own life either. But he's not going to leave his wife of nine years. "This is because I believe in keeping the vows I made before God, and my wife deserves to be loved, not deserted," Marks says. "Having said that, in truth my orientation has not changed."

National Prayer Breakfast:

• Hailing faith's influence | Bush urges end to bias against the religious (The Washington Post)
• Transcript of Bush's remarks
• Bush presents faith as driving force behind his presidency (CNN)
• Bush: Religion can't replace government (Charles Babington, The Washington Post)

Left Behind: The Movie:

• Entertainment that evangelizes | Churches join to promote big-screen action film (The Washington Post)
• Christian movie gains a firm toehold on mainstream circuit | That the film is booked in more than 900 theaters testifies to a growing demand for evangelical fare (Los Angeles Times)
• Winning with LeftBehind | The Left Behind series is, in many ways, nothing more than a gussied-up version of an old, old evangelistic strategy: swinging your arm around your friend's shoulders, looking earnestly into his eyes, and asking, "If you were hit by a bus tomorrow, would you go to heaven?" (Lauren F. Winner, The Hartford Courant)
• Hark! A Christian thriller about the Last Days that doesn't (totally) suck. That's got to be a sign of the times. (Cody Clark, Mr. Showbiz)
• Heaven Help Us | Immediate Disclaimer: This is not to denigrate the religious beliefs that inform Left Behind, an adaptation of the best-selling Christian thriller of the same name. This is simply to address the hilariously bad manner in which those beliefs are expressed. (The Washington Post)
• Christian film hopes to hit No. 1 at box offices (Reuters/CNN)
• Couple stars in Left Behind film | Kirk Cameron and Chelsea Noble met on the set of "Growing Pains" and have worked together on and off screen ever since (Associated Press)

British priest forced to leave parish to flee lovesick parishoner:

• Priest flees from love-sick cleaner (The Times, London)
• Obsessed woman showered priest with love letters (The Daily Telegraph, London)

Gluten-intolerant girl denied special communion wafer:

• Unbending church forces family to rethink its faith | Family switches to Lutheranism from Catholicism over communion wafer (Joe Fitzgerald | Boston Herald)
• No rice first communion for girl (Associated Press)
• Defining news grows tricky | A bad ruling by the church? Definitely. An unnecessary hurt to a family? Yes. A public relations disaster? Absolutely. But was this news? (Beverly Beckham, Boston Herald)

Archbishop of Canterbury visits Nigeria:

• Shari'ah could divide Nigeria, says Archbishop (BBC)
• Archbishop Carey has bag stolen in Nigeria touchdown (The Times, London)
• Archbishop of Canterbury visits Nigeria (Panafrican News Agency)
• Court dismisses suit against Zamfara on Shari'ah adoption (The Nigerian Guardian, Lagos)

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January (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45