OVER 2,500 UK ministers and pastoral workers, including 20 from Cardiff, have signed an open letter<\/a> against the proposed banning of conversion therapy<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n The practice is used to try to change someone\u2019s sexual orientation, gender identity or reduce their attraction to others of the same sex.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Methods include counselling sessions and being prayed over as a form of healing. More extreme forms include threatening a person with homelessness, food deprivation and exorcisms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Equalities Minister, Liz Truss, wants the UK Government to introduce draft legislation in the spring to ban the practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But 11 church ministers co-wrote a letter to her saying they wished to continue the practice and that banning it would breach their legal rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The letter claims it is \u201cmorally wrong\u201d to go against God\u2019s design for society and those who commit the \u201csin\u201d have put themselves, family, and society at risk of \u201ctragic consequences\u201d\u00a0.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of those 11 co-writers was the Rev Dave Gobbett, lead pastor from Highfields Church Cardiff.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe are ultimately ministers of the Gospel and serve the Lord Jesus Christ, not the local state. We are not at liberty to change what we practise, in terms of what the government says, and we will be criminalised if need be,” he said.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe want to be law-abiding citizens, and Christians should be, but we\u2019re prepared to be criminalised for the sake of this important matter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n In contrast, Church in Wales bishops are in favour of a ban. They say human sexuality is an expression of God\u2019s glorious diversity in creation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n