While Spitzer has noted cases where people have had bad experiences with "reorientation" approaches, he acknowledged that in other cases, individuals have "felt they were helped by having therapy available that took their religious values seriously."
The American public remains divided on the issue but is showing growing tolerance for the homosexual lifestyle. A recent CNN poll revealed that for the first time in its polling, the majority of Americans (56 percent) said they do not believe sexual orientation can be changed.
Results of the milestone research by Stanton and Yarhouse will not be released until Thursday at the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) World Conference and will be published this month by InterVarsity Press, the publishing company linked to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.
Knowing the results of the study will generate controversy, Jones and Yarhouse have thoroughly described the rationale for their procedures, according to a released statement.
George A. Rekers, professor of Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Science Emeritus at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, states that the study "meets the high research standards set by the American Psychological Association that individuals be validly assessed, followed and reported over time with a prospective, longitudinal outcome research design."
Endorsing the upcoming book, Dr. Warren Throckmorton, a noted expert in sexuality counseling, stated, "While the authors fully acknowledge that change in sexual attractions did not occur for some individuals, they offer cogent and compelling reasons to believe that participation in religious ministry resulted in durable changes for others. The Jones and Yarhouse study will set the standard for all future work in this field and demands a serious reading from social scientists."
Publisher Bob Fryling commented, "In a highly politicized environment, this book is another 'inconvenient truth' of scientific research data countering prejudice and ignorance."
"Ex-Gays?: A Longitudinal Study of Religiously Mediated Change in Sexual Orientation" will be available to the public in October.
