The Catholic Church in Scotland is facing criticism and backlash after leaders promoted conversion therapy on their website despite all the evidence that proves you can’t just will someone from gay to straight. Not only does it not work, it can leave its victims permanently damaged.

The Catholic Diocese of Paisley, led by Bishop John Keenan, is facing criticism for including several resources developed by advocates for gay ‘cure’ therapy on its website. One pamphlet hosted on the church website, “Mom & Dad I’m Gay — How Should a Catholic Parents Respond,” encourages parents to pray for God to cure their children of homosexuality, and suggests they consider sending them for conversion therapy. The resources refer parents to disgraced US-based gay ‘cure’ advocate group National Association for Research & Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH), which claims that homosexuality is a disorder caused by childhood sexual abuse.

Raise your hand if you’re gay despite never having been abused in any way, shape, or form…

You can all put your hands down now. (So much for that theory.)

Whatever the line may be between religious freedom and outlawing religious practices that cause demonstrable harm, it’s clear to experts that your beliefs should not give you the right to foist a harmful discredited method on LGBTQ people. The UK has vowed to outlaw the practice, though time will tell when that actually occurs.

So why is the Scottish church promoting it?

According to them, they’re not. They’re just putting it out there. For whoever wants to read it. But they’re absolutely not endorsing the pamphlet. Even though it’s directly on their website…

The Scottish Catholic Church defended the resources, saying in a statement: “The diocese of Paisley carries links to Courage, which may signpost other links or resources. This does not represent an endorsement or recommendation.” The resources remain online on the Catholic Church website.

Given the Church’s recent history, they would be better off providing therapy for pedophiles and abusers, not gay people. It’s appalling how they’re so appalled by consensual relations between two men or two women while barely lifting a finger when it comes to justice for the countless number of children abused by priests.

All this pamphlet will do is encourage parents to pressure their gay children to repress their identities and return to the closet. We know conversion therapy has been linked to increases in depression and self-harm. The only way that homosexuality “damages” people is when they are surrounded by unaffirming family and community members.

