In today’s Family News In Focus broadcast propaganda reader Steve Jordahl stated that the “Evangelical community” hasn’t said anything about gay people Jesus would want them to apologize for:
“I think there’s probably a feeling among AIDS activists that the evangelical community has not been a partner and certainly may have contributed to some of the sense of stigma and discrimination.”
“We have not been there. We should have been helping in this much, much, much sooner. And so if we’re going to have a Christ-like ministry we’re going to have to treat people the way Jesus did, and that means love them when they’re sick.”
But gay activists want more than just help for those with aids; Cloutier wants acceptance of his lifestyle.
[Mark Cloutier:] “Ideally I would like it if there was some recognition of what the role of past statements that have been homophobic, to acknowledge them.”
[Steve Jordahl:] That’s something Jesus would never do. [End of report]
Once again Focus pretends to have a monopoly on faith and claiming to speak for their God. Not only is Focus pretending they have never done/said anything sinful about gay people but as you can see from the context of the article, Steve “honorary member of the trinity” Jordahl, appears to be saying the whole of Evangelical America has never said anything sinful and deliberately untrue about gay people.
Well, they’re partly right. Jesus would never apologize for the homophobic hateful vicious lies they have been telling. Because, based on everything I’ve read about him, he wouldn’t have said them.
Oh, don’t get me wrong. Jesus was not soft spoken or always kind in his criticisms. However, his attacks were always against the powerful (usually religious leaders) who used their power against the weak (usually those considered “sinners”).
He turned over the tables of the religously sanctioned fund raisers. He criticized the church leaders for being all good and pretty on the outside yet filled with hate (he called them tombs – they look nice but they’re full of death). But no harsh words for gays or any other members of the religious outcasts.
So yeah, Jesus wouldn’t be appologizing to gays. He wouldn’t need to.
But I bet the current conservative religious leaders would be loudly demanding that he appologize to them.
How dare he criticize Dobson’s financial empire! How dare he suggest the FOTF take the mote out of their own eye! After all, these are the GOOD people, not like those nasty gays. How dare Jesus side with THOSE sinners. Why, something should be done to this blasphemer; I know, let’s crucify him.
My Dear Friends,
Andrew Sullivan has a link to a spoken word performance called “At 13”.
Kenneth Morrison, the composer of the piece, lost his young, gay, thirteen year old friend Devon, to suicide.
Now, all those I speak of who are ex gay, who have perused this site and criticized me, (if they respond at all) or have effectively treated me with silence…
or all the straight people that don’t want to know anyone gay-
Know this: Devon, and all the children like him never NEEDED you, benefitted from you or were obligated to BE you.
EVER!!!
The Bible, the Q’uran or any other holy writ used to abuse a young mind, is not your license to make trouble for gay people wherever and whoever they are.
That’s all that’s being done: destroying lives and doing collateral damage to straight people who care.
And then, you pat yourselves on the back for spreading the Gospel, but you won’t take responsibility for the Devons and Sakia Gunns of the world.
The Devons and the Sakia Gunns of this world BELONG to us all.
What they are is God given and bears no reason to change.
Heteros bear no substance to their existence that’s better or more ingenius or committed to social good, save for what is ALLOWED in them to grow.
Unlike what others do to socially stunt in gay kids.
I know a lot of kids like Devon. I meet them at church or temple, at the theater, at school functions featuring the scenes I write for young people to resolve conflicts.
There is nothing moral in lying to gay kids, the families who bear them, or the peers they share a school and community with.
There is nothing moral in using fear, insecurity and ignorance to further hurt a gay young person.
What’s SO wonderful about coercing a young gay person to change? What’s so worthy of self congratulation that one has changed from gay to straight?
Or used social stigma to persuade others to change?
What it took to get you there, completely agreed on by other ex gays is that it took some trauma, some kind of neglect or other negative influence to get you there.
And the only reason one could persuade another gay person to also desire heterosexuality, is to point to something negative, undesirable or traumatic to assure that those feelings are associated with being gay.
Anyone else less emotionally exhausted wouldn’t be vulnerable to anyone deciding for them that they shouldn’t be gay.
Indeed, the Bible is the last offered as license to interfere with gay children and their well being.
I’m not liked for making this statement.
I don’t care about that. I care about children like Devon.
His own friend Kenneth cares too.
Kenneth’s heart is broken. SO IS MINE!!!
That is the brokenness so often spoken of among ex gays.
But it is THEY and those who support anti gay sentiment who do the breaking. It is THEY who treat adult gays and lesbians like bad children requiring discipline or else isolation.
It is THEY who are driving the train, and when a wreck occurs, run away and point fingers at the tracks and the passengers unlucky enough to be on the train.
There are rabbis now trying to remind the nation about theocons and those breaking the wall between church and state and why secular thought is a virtue among a diverse society.
We ALL must get along.
And those that can’t get along with a young boy who is gay, driving him to kill himself, try to tell us that it’s God that moves them.
It’s not God, because they are ignoring God.
THEY want to dictate the terms of how gay people live and use God as an excuse.
Devon, baby boy…my heart is broken for you too.
And forgive my rant here. But this is one of the few places I have freedom to vent online.
Devon’s friend turned his grief into artistic action, not revengeful violence.
This is true of so many, if not nearly all, gays and lesbians and those who love them.
We turn our grief into artistic and political expression.
And hope for justice and understanding in the end.
I won’t apologize for loving gay folks and having them love me back.
I won’t apologize for that. I won’t apologize for conceited heterosexuals who refuse to at least understand what equality means.
I won’t thank ex gays for deepening the divide and the distrust.
Nor will I apologize for pointing an accusing finger at those collectively responsible for Devon.
Thank you Daniel.
And Merry Xmas.
That article is a bad joke. Only the “true believers” will fall for that. The man never said he wanted acceptance of any “lifestyle” – he was polite and courteous about the matter. Far more than I would have been with such bigots. FOTF may claim to care about helping people, but all they care about in that article is bragging about bigotry and narrow-mindedness.