CBN.com –
Stephen Bennett is a former homosexual, who lived the "gay"
lifestyle for 11 years. Today he's married and has two young
children. He's also a born-again Christian who has a ministry to
men and women who want to be set free from homosexuality. Whenever
he's invited to appear on television news programs, though,
Stephen says most won't let him tell his story truthfully. And
they won't let him say that he's a
former homosexual.
He recently spoke with Lee Webb on The 700 Club.
Lee Webb: Stephen, I wanted to get into this interview
that you did with CBS. They interviewed you on tape for a segment
on same-sex marriage that appeared on one of their CBS Sunday
morning programs. And I want to show our viewers how they
identified you and your wife.
Let's look at that, it says that 'Stephen and Irene Bennett…say
they will never endorse same-sex marriage for religious reasons.'
Now they went on to say, they included a sound bite with you
saying that you could not…you said that homosexuality was wrong,
but that's all that they said. Why do you say that that was the
wrong way to identify you.
Stephen Bennett: Because the reason they brought me on
to the show was to share that I was gay. They were doing a piece
particularly on gay marriage and they wanted to understand our
perspective. And as a person who is a former homosexual I wanted
to tell the truth about the homosexual lifestyle.
I said to them specifically, 'I am living proof that there's no
basis whatsoever for any kind of legislation equating
homosexuality with heterosexuality.' For the fact that I was gay.
I lived the gay lifestyle until I was 28 years old, probably for
about 11 years. Well, with over 100 men sexually, many of whom are
dead today from AIDS. I've buried countless boyfriends in the
ground because of AIDS.
I was in love with another man who was going to be my partner
for life, until a Christian woman showed up at my door one day
with a Bible and said that I could be set free from my
homosexuality. That was back in 1990 and my life has never been
the same again.
Webb: And none of that was included in the CBS segment.
Bennett: None of it whatsoever. And I shared my
Christian testimony just for, maybe about two or three seconds,
because I know when dealing with the secular media most of the
media does not want to know about the Christian response. So we
were able to bring a powerful, powerful message of deliverance.
How no one is born gay, how people can completely change. But
again the media is the major conduit today of the gay agenda. They
are out there pushing their false agenda, that number one, a
person is born gay, and number two, that no one can change, for
example, just as a person cannot change their race or skin color.
But I said to the producer at CBS and the interview, 'you will
never have a former black man on your show, but today you have a
former homosexual.'
Webb: Now, later on CBS responded to this by saying,
'look we were just looking for someone to represent the religious
right.' Is that the way they portrayed themselves (to you).
Bennett: Not once, not once. They brought us on there
particularly to hear a person's view who was a former homosexual.
Again, I am living proof that homosexuals can change, that no one
is born gay. We need to equate homosexuality with that of drug
addiction or alcoholism. They are destructive behaviors that we
would never encourage people to continue a life in -- we need to
say the same exact thing about homosexuality.
Webb: Now unfortunately, this is not the first time this
had happened. You say it even happened at Fox, which typically is
considered a fairly conservative network.
Bennett: My friend Bill O'Reilly. I was brought on to
the show to talk about homosexuality, as well as its effects on
America's children, how it's being promoted. Unfortunately it
turned out to be a debate about Bill O'Reilly and his theology. He
did not receive me very well and unfortunately Bill O'Reilly is a
bit confused on this issue. He came out in full support of gay
rights last year.
All we want to get across to America is for people to
understand the mainstream media is not giving them the truth.
Thank God for people like CBN and other organizations who are out
there sharing that no one is born gay. And especially through the
power of Jesus Christ people can change completely. I am happily
married now today for over 10 years to a beautiful woman who knew
me when I was gay, who was praying for my salvation. I no longer
am living a lie. I was playing house with my boyfriend back then.
I have the real thing today. I may not be the mostly masculine
person in the world, but, you know what, I don't need to be. I'm a
man in God's eyes, in my wife's eyes, I'm the father of our two
little beautiful children today. Jesus Christ has changed my life
completely. He has taken a story that was a nightmare and turned
it into a fairy tale and I am just so grateful to Him for doing
that.
Webb: Stephen, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts is set
to rule on same-sex marriage. Tell us why you think it would be a
bad idea for America.
Bennett: You know, again, the only thing I can say is I
am living proof that there is no basis whatsoever for any type of
legislation equating homosexuality with heterosexuality. These
people need to realize that change is possible. Encouraging
someone to continue in a lifestyle that is false, that is a
deception, is not going to do them any good. Giving them every
right, it's not going to do anything. What they're looking for is
that acceptance inside. And they feel that by getting acceptance
from the states and government and everybody else, maybe
homosexual people can find that acceptance within themselves and I
tell you that will never, ever happen.
Webb: You have a ministry to homosexuals around the
country. You speak to churches. You know when we interview
homosexuals they appear to be happy, they say this is the
lifestyle they want to lead but you have noticed something under
the surface, haven't you?
Bennett: When I was living the gay lifestyle I portrayed
that I was happy. I was in love with my boyfriend, had great gay
and lesbian friends. But the problem with that was is that deep
down I knew something was wrong. Again I firmly believe that no
one is born gay, that homosexuality tragically happens early on in
the childhood. For me it was a broken relationship with my father
that was reconciled after I became a Christian. I love my father
dearly, he loves me and I was able to move on from homosexuality
to healthy heterosexuality. And what we want to share with men and
women is when we go out trying to reach the homosexual for Christ
-- is that God loves them. The Gospel is the most important thing
that we can reach these people with, so we need to let people know
that God loves the homosexual but he hates the sin. And
homosexuality is a sin in God's eyes. And that is my heart's
desire. And I'm sorry but I've got tunnel vision on this issue. We
want to reach the homosexual for Christ in America and make a
difference in this country.
Webb: Stephen, you mentioned earlier that you're now
married. Your wife Irene and your two beautiful children are in
the audience with us right now. Why don't you introduce your
children to us.
Bennett: That's my beautiful wife Irene, and I'm very
prejudiced, the most beautiful Christian woman in the world. And
these cute little cuties, my little girl Chloe, born four years
into our marriage, and my little boy Blakey. He was born on
Chloe's birthday, Jesus gave her a little brother for her
birthday. So this is what God's done for me. God has just turned
my story into a fairy tale and I'm just so grateful, I just want
to serve Jesus Christ all of my days now and share the truth that
no one is born gay and through the power of Jesus Christ
homosexuals can completely change.
Webb: Stephen Bennett, thank you for telling your story
today. We appreciate it.
Bennett: Thank you so much.
For more information on Stephen Bennett and Stephen Bennett
Ministries please visit his web site at
http://www.sbministries.org/.
Eleven Arguments
Against Same Sex Marriage
Dr. James
Dobson
(CLICK HERE)
