An event that aimed to help gay people “Overcome” Their Sexuality by the Seventh Day Adventist Church has been cancelled after 40,000 people signed a petition to stop it.
The Seventh Day Adventist Church had planned to bring a seminar to London that was aimed at people who have “struggled” with same-sex attraction. The petition against the move was signed by over 40,000 people.
According to the advert, three people Mike Carducci, Wayne Blakely and Danielle Harrison have found “redemption, victory, healing and freedom from their lifestyle.” and want to talk to members of the public about their “struggles” with homosexuality.
Kirsten Lundqvist the communications and media director of South England Conference of Seventh-day Adventist said, “A decision was taken on Monday, 13 April to cancel the ‘Holy Sexuality’ Conference originally planned for London, 21-25 April 2015.
“Seventh-day Adventists are a people of peace who believe in hope and dialogue. However, it appeared that rather than drawing people together the conference had the potential to divide. The Adventist Church recognises that the individuals invited to speak at the Holy Sexuality Conference have compelling life stories to share but equally appreciate that there are those who take a different point of view.”
“We are disappointed that in a society that values freedom of speech and divergence of opinion that there are those whose wish it is to silence individuals who hold a different point of view to their own.”
Speaking to GSN one of organisers of the event Anamaria, had said, “These three people have overcome what many people are still struggling with, the people who felt so unloved. For them, they have moved out of this lifestyle and embraced Christianity,’ she said.
“It’s like committing adultery. This conference will teach homosexuals how to overcome similar habits.”
