'If we as a church continue to believe that deep spiritual maturity can only come about with a change in orientation, then we will be waiting forever for those people who are trying to change but can't. Either that or we will place great pressure on them to say that they have experienced dramatic change even when they have not.
What the church can help people with - regardless of whether orientation changes - is identity. We can recognize that a gay script is compelling to those who struggle with same-sex attraction, especially when they see few options emerging from their community of faith. Therefore we can help develop alternative scripts that are anchored in biblical truth and centred in the person and work of Christ. We can also look at our own lives and whether we are really prepared to live in a way that makes Christ our primary identity, whether we experience same-sex attraction or not.'
Mark A Yarhouse, Homosexuality and the Christian: A Guide for Parents, Pastors, and Friends, p.54.
