Australia’s Prayer Ban Exposes the Deadly Delusion of ‘Loving’ Conversion Therapy

New South Wales, Australia just reaffirmed something that should be obvious: you can’t pray someone’s sexual orientation away. But the evangelical response to this “prayer ban” reveals exactly why such legislation is desperately needed (and why similar protections are crucial worldwide). The attorney general confirmed that even when LGBTQ+ individuals “request” prayer for their sexuality, it’s still banned under the state’s conversion therapy prohibition. Cue the predictable evangelical outrage: “Religious freedom under attack!” “They’re banning prayer itself!” “What about people who want help changing?” Here’s what they’re really defending: a practice so harmful that survivors require years of therapy to undo the damage. Let’s be clear about what “pray the gay away” actually looks like in practice. It starts with the premise that LGBTQ+ identity is fundamentally broken—a “struggle” to overcome rather than an identity to embrace. Churches package this as compassionate pastoral care (“We love you, we just want to help you find freedom”). Youth pastors frame it as spiritual warfare against demonic influence. Christian counselors present it as psychological healing from childhood trauma. The results? A systematic review published in the Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy found that conversion therapy attempts—including “just prayer”—significantly increase rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation. The Trevor Project found that LGBTQ+ youth who experienced conversion therapy were more than twice as likely to attempt suicide. But evangelicals have perfected the art of making victims complicit in their own abuse. “We didn’t force anyone,” they insist. “They came to us asking for help.” Of course they did—after years of being told their fundamental identity was sinful, shameful, and needed fixing. This is gaslighting disguised as gospel truth. When you spend someone’s entire childhood teaching them that their deepest feelings are an abomination to God, their “voluntary” request for conversion isn’t consent—it’s internalized self-hatred. The “loving” facade makes it particularly insidious. Parents genuinely believe they’re saving their children’s souls (while driving them toward depression and suicide). Pastors frame destructive shame as spiritual conviction. Christian counselors repackage psychological abuse as discipleship. Most major medical and mental health organizations worldwide have condemned conversion therapy as ineffective and harmful. The American Psychological Association, World Health Organization, and dozens of other professional bodies recognize that sexual orientation and gender identity are not mental disorders requiring treatment. Yet evangelical institutions continue promoting these practices, often rebranding them as “sexual integrity ministry” or “pastoral care for unwanted same-sex attraction.” Same harmful ideology, friendlier marketing. Australia’s ban recognizes a crucial truth: there’s no safe version of telling LGBTQ+ people their identity is fundamentally wrong. Whether it’s intensive “therapy,” accountability groups, or “just prayer,” the underlying message—that you are broken and need fixing—causes demonstrable psychological harm. The fact that someone requests such treatment doesn’t make it ethical to provide. Medical professionals don’t perform unnecessary amputations just because patients ask. Therapists don’t reinforce delusions just because clients want them validated. Professional standards exist precisely to protect people from interventions that seem helpful but cause harm. Evangelicals want special exemptions from basic ethical standards because their harmful practices are religiously motivated. But sincere religious belief doesn’t justify psychological abuse, any more than it justified faith healing instead of insulin for diabetic children. This isn’t about religious freedom—it’s about protecting vulnerable people from practices that masquerade as care while causing documented harm. Australia got it right: love doesn’t require anyone to pray away who they are. Source: Christian Today