'Re-orientation' or child abuse?

The Blog of the Moderate Left pointed to a disturbing piece at Andrew Sullivan's blog.

Sullivan's quote of the week:

"I would rather you commit suicide than have you leave Love In Action wanting to return to the gay lifestyle. In a physical death you could still have a spiritual resurrection; whereas, returning to homosexuality you are yielding yourself to a spiritual death from which there is no recovery." - John Smid, Director, Love In Action (LIA), San Rafael's "ex-gay" organization.

Sullivan adds:

The quote is denied by Smid, but asserted by a former inmate of the "Straight Camp" run by Smid who said Smid told him exactly that. Smid runs "camps" where gay kids and teens are sent by their parents for compulsory "re-orientation" toward heterosexuality.

Here's the most disturbing part. Sullivan quotes a note from one of the children abused in the camp, abused by the mere fact of being forcibly subjected to such despicable garbage:

I haven't been on a computer, phone, nor have I seen any friends in a week almost-- Soon. Soon, this will be all over. My mother has said the worst things to me for three days straight... three days. I went numb. That's the only way I can get through this. I agree, if you're thinking that these posts might be dramatized.. but the proof of the program's ideas are sitting in the rules. I pray this blows over. I can't take this... noone can... not really, this kind of thing tears you apart emotionally. To introduce THIS subject... I'm not a suicidal person... really I'm not.. I think it's stupid - really. But.. I can't help it, no im not going to commit suicide, all I can think about is killing my mother and myself. It's so horrible. This is what it's doing to me... I have this horrible feeling all of the time... I wish this on no person...

Just more proof that Muslim extremists are the only dangerous nut cases that can target innocent people and ruin their lives.

So if two parents are not allowed to expose their kids to "non-mainstream religious beliefs and rituals," how can such disgusting camps be anything other than child abuse?

I can only hope the lunatics fail in their attempt to break the spirit of these poor kids, who are guilty only of being born a certain way. Because of such crap, many gay youth DO follow Smid's suggestion and attempt suicide rather than deal on a daily basis with the venom (or worse) spewed by Smid and millions of others.

While Smid and his ilk may think homosexuals don't deserve to live, one can only hope that the tide in America is changing, however slowly, toward civilized treatment of gays.