THE EDITOR, Sir:
ALL MAJOR American mental health associations have affirmed that homosexuality is not a mental illness. In 1975, the American Psychological Asso-ciation (APA) urged all psychologists to "take the lead in removing the stigma long associated with homosexual orientations" (Conger, 1975, p. 633). The literature that classifies homosexuality and bisexuality as mental illness has been found to be methodologically unsound.
There is no reason to doubt the generous impulse behind the work of professional psychologists and social scientists. Most of the experts who guide the psychological society have good intentions. But there may be reasons to doubt the competence of psychological helpers. The first indication that psychology might be ineffective came in 1952 when Hans Eysenck of the Institute of Psychiatry, University of London, discovered that neurotic people who do not receive therapy are as likely to recover as those who do. Psychotherapy, he found, was not any more effective than the simple passage of time. Additional studies by other researchers showed similar results.
Our transformation into a psychological society has brought with it a new set of values. They are shallow and selfish values for the most part, and they are the ruling values. But that is not the worst side of the situation. The disturbing thing is the very effective suppression of alternatives. It is difficult to remember what the old values are, let alone to pass them on. The manipulation of words, as Orwell realised, is also the manipulation of reality. If you call a certain deed 'murder', it summons up one reality to the mind. Call it 'pro-choice', and the reality seems different. This is often the effect of the social sciences on language. Meanings get turned on their heads. The man who assaults you is called a 'victim'. A woman who leaves her family is called 'courageous'. The point is, many of the attitudes you find in psychology are simply American attitudes.
I'm not condemning the poor boy who has some kind of satanic perversion or demonic impulse that drive them into that kind of a relationship. It's really sad and I feel sorry for them! But I know that if they will sincerely pray and ask the Lord to free them and deliver them from that spirit, He will!
I am etc.,
TED RUDOW III, MA
Tedr77@aol.com
PO Box 1222
Menlo Park, CA
Via Go-Jamaica
