Ah, it's always exciting to be united in our seething hatred for Focus on the Family, isn't it? At least it's something that most of us can agree upon.
That, and Pat Robertson is a totally stupid, bigoted dumbfuck. But I digress.'
Anyway, Focus on the Family has been tapdancing on mah last nerve lately, y'all. Today, I read this:
A 12-part Christian education series authored and promoted by Colorado-based Focus on the Family has been circulating around Iowa for the past few years. The program has been screened and discussed in local churches and private homes, but starting Monday the series will have its first screening in the state Capitol.
Uhm. Excuse me? I have a slight problem with this.
Ya know, I don't begrudge anyone their religion. If someone is a devout Christian, far be it for me to criticize - you can't negotiate someone's values with them, and I'm all for practicing your stuff all day, everyday, as long as it doesn't interfere with anybody else.
That's the issue I see evangelical Christians having in today's America: they knowingly purport the lie that the United States was created as a "Christian" nation and, thusly, we must all follow suit.
Or something. I don't know, it gets confusing. But I do not like it when religious beliefs are worked into government law, on any level.
I just don't think it's right. Period.
So, I don't understand why this is even an issue in Iowa, but it is. And I'll bet I'm not the only one who has a problem with this. Heh.
Members of the Iowa legislature, according to a spokeswoman in the Iowa Senate Secretary’s office, can reserve rooms in the Capitol pretty much at any time and for any purpose. One of the benefits of being a legislator is the ability to bump other groups who have reserved space when a need arises. The spokeswoman, who was not the person who actually granted the request by Boettger, indicated that she was aware of Monday’s reservation but that she was not positive if the request for the 10 a.m. slot on every Monday for the remainder of the legislative session was something that was approved. At press time, The Iowa Independent had not yet received confirmation on whether the full series of reservations had been approved by the office.
OK, that's a little confusing. If this building regularly opens their conference rooms up for public usage, and religious-affiliated groups sometimes sign up, then I guess it's not that big of a deal, at least not for the room part. But I'd really rather that the Iowan folks who brought this to the fore maintain that "separation of church and state" thing.
Just a crazy thought.
Also, I wanted to find out if CBS is going to cave to women's rights groups on showing that sack of sanctimonious crap (aka "a Focus on the Family Super Bowl ad"). CBS really has a lot of nerve doing this, being that they've turned down PETA and other political organizations, on accounta they're, ya know, controversial.
I guess some dude named Tim Tebow is going to be in the ad, and that angers many folks. I don't even know who he is, but just because a future member of the NFL is stupid enough to get their social cues from Focus on the Family doesn't mean that I'm stupid enough to follow him.
The media center also noted that as recently as 2004, CBS had rejected an ad from the United Church of Christ, which wanted to use the Super Bowl as a chance to tell people it welcomes gay members. The center says CBS also has rejected ads in the past from MoveOn.org and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
The network says it changed its mind about advocacy ads a while back. "We have for some time moderated our approach to advocacy submissions after it became apparent that our stance did not reflect public sentiment or industry norms," spokesman Dana McClintock told the Associated Press. "In fact, most media outlets have accepted advocacy ads for some time."
That's convenient. Yet again, my gay friends, it's all your fault!
Speaking of which, I'd never been to the Focus on the Family website before tonight. It wasn't eye-opening, per se, but their FAQ did manage to piss me off something fierce.
Under the heading of "What should be the attitude of Christians toward those who are gay?", there is this carefully-worded, and condescending as all fuck, towards them gays:
That is a very important question considering the related turmoil going on around us. I feel strongly that Christians have a scriptural mandate to love and care for all the people of the world.
Everyone is entitled to be treated with respect and dignity, even those who are living in immoral circumstances. There is no place for hatred, hurtful jokes, or other forms of rejection toward those who are homosexual. We cannot hope to win others to Jesus Christ if we insult and wound them.
Remember, too, that Jesus was more compassionate toward the adulterous woman caught in the very act of intercourse — a capital offense in those days — than He was to hypocrites in the church. That is our model for how to respond to a person living in sin. Indeed, we should be trying to reach out to those who don't know Jesus Christ, which is impossible in an atmosphere of hostility and fear.
Also, it should be remembered that there are celibate homosexuals who are trying desperately to live godly lives. Many of them struggle every day to do what is right, fighting inner battles that rage like wildfires. These men and women need every ounce of compassion and support they can get from Christian people who know of their tendencies. Often, however, they are rejected and excluded from the church community because of fear and misunderstanding by those who find them repulsive. This is wrong! These individuals need the community of Christ and the fellowship it can provide. They must be embraced as fellow believers who are trying to please the Lord and conform to a standard of moral purity. How can we do less?
I bet the GLBTQ community is pleased as punch with a statement like this. I mean, who wouldn't be? Thinly-veiled hatred tied up in a stylish box with pretty bow?
Shit dressed up all nice is still shit.