Posted on 01/22/2005 10:37:46 AM PST by Pikamax
On the heels of electoral victories to bar same-sex marriage, some influential conservative Christian groups are turning their attention to a new target: SpongeBob SquarePants.
"Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, asked the guests Tuesday night at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress and political allies to celebrate the election results.
In many circles, SpongeBob needs no introduction. He is popular among children and grownups as well who watch him cavorting under the sea on the Nickelodeon cartoon program that bears his name. In addition, he has become a camp figure among adult gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick Patrick.
Now, Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside other children's television characters such as Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others.
Christian Conservative groups have issued a gay alert warning over a children's video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon favorites.
The wacky square yellow SpongeBob is one of the stars of a music video due to be sent to 61,000 U.S. schools in March. The makers -- the nonprofit We Are Family Foundation -- say the video is designed to encourage tolerance and diversity.
But at least two Christian activist groups say the innocent cartoon characters are being exploited to promote the acceptance of homosexuality.
It is certainly clear from this data that an anti-homosexual bent is certainly not the prevailing norm for conservatives. This can also be evidenced from the Alan Keyes election where he captured only 27% of the popular vote in a state where Bush captured 45%.
This data shows that virtually half of the republican VOTING base shares the same view toward homosexuality as you do - basically a live and let live philosophy.
The formatting of the table isn't that great, but I hope it is comprehendable.
|
Overall |
Bush |
% To Total |
Kerry |
% To Total |
Legally Marry |
25% |
22% |
6% |
78% |
20% |
Civil Unions |
35% |
52% |
18% |
47% |
16% |
No Legal Recognition |
37% |
70% |
26% |
29% |
11% |
|
|
|
50% |
|
47% |
-convince me --Take a critical objective look at post #57 and offer your opinion regarding this issue.
Thanks for the table, Jeff. I appreciate it.
Yeah, I thought that I wasn't quite the anomaly that I feel like when talking about this issue on the FR boards. It's just that being behind a computer brings out the extremes in people's thoughts that they may not choose to express in a more civil, face-to-face discussion of the same matters. Many of that 22 % of all Bush voters who believe in legal marriage for homosexuals choose to keep that to themselves for fear of being branded as some kind of leftist/radical by more the more fundamentalist Republicans who populate the majority of the President's fanbase.
With Bush, as any politician, I tend to take the full package into consideration before I make my vote. Pres. Bush and the Republican party share probably 75-80% of the same values and political beliefs as I do, wheras I adamantly oppose John Kerry on probably 90% of every position that he takes (whenever he has the guts to take a position at all, that is).
Not every Republican is a radical theocratic like Jerry Falwell and James Dobsen, and not every Democrat is...well...actually most elected Democrats are leftist/socialist opportunists with no faith in personal liberty or the Constitution. The latter is why I post on FR, and I spit on the lunatics at DU.
Suggest you take a look again because IT IS the one promoting the video. Note their website commentary about the video they are promoting and their logo both on their site and on the video.
If you'd read the rest of the thread before responding, I already knew that.
Quite a few reasons, and lj summarized them quite well.
A discussion works both ways, and when somebody blows off time tested facts as propaganda, that's not having a civil discussion. Calling time tested facts propaganda is an argument we hear from the left and often the young.
Brother, how could you be so wrong."
Hey bro -- those are the cards you tossed on the table. Read it and weep.
Look, I'm not a Bible Belt conservative, and I don't live in an area where real men wear cowboy boots.
Go on...you're pulling my leg ain't ya?
P.S. Why has your account been banned or suspended?
Indeed. If there are any posts here that refer to religion and homosexuality, they are few and far between. One of the reasons the categorical index was created was because folks were saying we only had religious arguments against homosexuality. Talk about ignorance...
The end of my FR profile contains information everybody should read. BTW, my net connect is up and down - mostly down, until they can figure out what the problem is.
Homosexuals know lots and lots of homosexuals. Does that make them experts on the dangers of the "gay" life, experts on what's best for children, experts on how to stop AIDS, experts on how homosexuals can change, etc?
Whether I personally know any homosexuals or not has absolutely zero to do with the discussion at hand. I'm really surprised that you think it's even relevant.
I know a former homosexual or two, BTW.
And all the homosexuals I have known personally have had at least a few of the factors mentioned above in their background.
But the whole argument that "if you don't personally know any homosexuals you can't have an informed viewpoint" is so irrational that I must conclude that you are very, very young. Or singularly ill-informed and not practiced in logical and independent thought.
I've got an idea.
Post some articles, studies, and research that backs up your viewpoint.
For instance, refute some of the facts about homosexuality that have been presented here.
Saying that you believe something not to be true doesn't count.
Calling those who consider homosexual behavior unhealthy, unnatural and immoral bigots is not a valid argument, BTW.
There are certain issues that some conservatives "take the bait" on and run with. This is one of them. What happens? Conservatives look like the big bad guys who want to ban some stupid cartoon and a new popular cult mascot becomes even bigger during pride weekend and late night tv.
Oh, you're taking all the fun out of this, making folks actually support what they say. You know what's coming next, right?
[We are ] concerned that these popular animated personalities are being exploited by an organization that's determined to promote the acceptance of homosexuality among our nation's youth...That's why. That's the homosexual agenda trying yet again to desensitize children. 'nuff said.... What we vehemently object to is using these beloved characters to help advance an agenda that's beyond the comprehension of 6 and 7 year-old children, not to mention morally offensive to millions of moms and dads...
...While some of the goals associated with this organization are noble in nature, their inclusion of the reference to "sexual identity" within their "tolerance pledge" is not only unnecessary, but it crosses a moral line.
If this were in fact a bannable offense then almost every creationist in the evolution threads would be banned by now. If you want some examples I'll be glad to provide some.
I just read your profile. . I'd go back and do some heavy editing before you become too condescending.
LOL -preemptive reply...
Happens to the best of us.
I'm quite familiar with the crevo debates and your comparison is way off base. The rules enforced at pro-family sites like FR preclude pro-homosexual talking points disguised as civil discourse.
Post 57 will give you much of the information on the curriculum.
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