Amazon.com has removed from its sales site books featuring the testimonies of people who former identified as gay or lesbian.
Among the authors are Anne Paulk of the Restored Hope Network and pastoral counselor Joe Dallas, the Christian Post reported.
Dallas’ book “Desires in Conflict: Hope for Men Who Struggle with Sexual Identity” and Paulk’s book “Restoring Sexual Identity: Hope for Women Who Struggle with Same-Sex Attraction” were removed within the past few days.
Paulk, a former lesbian, said in an interview with WND in February that the affiliated groups in the Restored Hope Network have helped many people overcome same-sex attractions through the power of God.
Dallas, in an email to the Christian Post, said Amazon’s decision is “no surprise since today’s culture is caving to the goals of the LGBTQ political movement, which have always included the silencing [of] any disapproval of homosexuality.”
“It would be awfully naive to think it will stop here,” he said.
“First, the LGBTQ movement will convince the culture that telling homosexuals they can change is dangerous. Then they’ll convince the culture that calling homosexuality a sin is dangerous. Then the government will tell the pastors of America what they can or cannot say on this subject, and the culture will approve.”
Dallas said none of the authors whose books have been banned by Amazon “will stop communicating the grace of God evidenced in our lives, and in the lives of those we serve.”
The Christian Post reported Dallas’ other books are still available on Amazon.
A group representing former gays and lesbians, Voice of the Voiceless, launched a Change.org petition Monday in response to the Amazon ban.
“We are outraged that a smear campaign by one individual (who stated here that he never read these books) could convince Amazon to censor all books, audiobooks, and Kindle material related to our experiences and viewpoints,” states the petition.
“For every major issue there are two sides to each story. For one side to be bullied and censored on every platform is counter to the values we have long held in common with Amazon.”
The Christian Post noted Amazon also has pulled the works of the late Joseph Nicolosi, a founder and president of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality, NARTH. Nicolosi advocated the practice of reparative therapy to help people overcome homosexual desires.
His son, Joseph Nicolosi Jr. said in a statement to the Christian Post that Amazon’s ban “puts radical LGBT ideology ahead of established science about how people leave homosexuality.”
“It is anti-choice, anti-science, and anti-American.”
Activists winning
California has led the way in banning “conversion therapy” for minors, passing a law in 2012. Thirteen other states and the District of Columbia followed suit. A bill proposed in the California legislature last year went further. It would have designated paid “conversion therapy” services as a fraudulent business practice under the state’s consumer protection law.
The message, Paulk told WND in February, is that “anyone who helps somebody with their own stated goals in the area of sexual purity is a horrible person.”
She said activists already believe they’ve won the battle among professional counselors and now are focusing on the church.
Pastors should beware, she said, explaining that under the failed California bill, AB 2943, a pastor could have faced punishment for engaging in typical counseling.
“If somebody comes to the church, and they are tithing, and they want counseling to leave homosexuality, or say they do, they could come back to that church if the law had passed and say, ‘Well, I paid money, there was an exchange of money, and I expected for them to not do this so-called fraudulent practice of helping us align with our faith, and therefore I am going to sue them.'”
Amid strong opposition from churches and religious groups, the bill’s sponsor, Democratic state Rep. Evan Low, withdrew it last August.
But Low, who identifies as gay and leads the state Assembly’s LGBT caucus, is expected to reprise similar legislation.
“The church,” said Paulk, “must stand up for compassionate truth that the Gospel offers hope to everybody – including those who deal with same-sex attractions – or she gives way to the efforts of the gay community.”
