Posted on 04/26/2005 10:08:19 AM PDT by scripter
Colorado Springs - A national gay advocacy group plans to hold a picnic and rally outside Focus on the Family headquarters next week to protest what the group calls "hurtful rhetoric" from Focus and its founder, James Dobson.
Soulforce, headed by gay minister Mel White, expects 600 to 1,000 people from gay-friendly churches and advocacy groups in Denver and Colorado Springs to protest outside the ministry's north Colorado Springs campus.
Soulforce will have to share the streets with Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kan. That group, led by Fred Phelps, accuses Focus on the Family of being gay-friendly because the ministry hosts "Love Won Out" conferences, which tries to help gays return to heterosexual lifestyles.
"We're getting simultaneous picketing to balance things out," said Paul Hetrick, spokesman for Focus on the Family. "Fred thinks we're soft on homosexuality, and the other group thinks we're too hard on homosexuality. I guess we're sort of in the middle. I know now what it feels like to be moderate."
Soulforce plans to ignore Phelps, but it would like to meet with Dobson, whom White calls the "primary enemy" of gays.
"Dobson has become the primary source of misinformation about gay and lesbian people in the world," White said. "He is single-handedly doing more damage to truth than anyone else, in our opinion.
"I say he's the most dangerous man in America right now."
White said that in leading the crusade for a federal marriage amendment, Dobson has misused statistics and made assumptions portraying gays as a threat to "everything, including the universe, families, children, the church, the country, the nation, the world."
Dobson will be in Washington all week for National Day of Prayer events.
The picnic and rally starts at 12:30 p.m. May 1.
On May 2, the group plans to deliver thousands of letters from people "who have suffered from his rhetoric," White said.
White said the group plans to get the letters to Dobson or Focus even if it requires an act of civil disobedience.
Hetrick said Soulforce's two-day effort is a media stunt.
Though Soulforce has asked to meet with Dobson, Hetrick said: "I kind of wonder what purpose a meeting would have. We offered to meet with them in a debate format a week before they're coming."
Soulforce has declined the invitation.
On Monday, Focus representatives and members of gay advocacy groups will meet at 6:30 p.m. at Vanguard Church in Colorado Springs to debate the Bible and homosexuality.
Ping
What the heck is a "gay friendly" church?
he must write for Baghdad Bob
"Soulforce will have to share the streets with Westboro Baptist Church from Topeka, Kan. That group, led by Fred Phelps, accuses Focus on the Family of being gay-friendly because the ministry hosts "Love Won Out" conferences, which tries to help gays return to heterosexual lifestyles."
Yeah, this won't be a circus or anything.
Dobson, who appears to be as meek as a kitten, has more courage than congressional republicans combined
One thing I completely struggle with is how gays can think their lifestyle is completely AOK. I simply don't get it. There is nothing natural about it. Nothing.
it's perfect.
Lunatics like Phelps and White battle it out in the streets while Dobson comes off looking like the rational player in this controversy - which he is.
"I kind of wonder what purpose a meeting would have. We offered to meet with them in a debate format a week before they're coming."And Soulforce declined the invitation. So when Soulforce wanted to meet with Dobson, what type of meeting did they have in mind? One where they talk and Dobson listens?
Well, I'm guessing by "gay friendly" the homoactivists mean "completely accepting of our homosexual lifestyle," in which case I would not consider them churches at all.
BTW, I'm very glad to not be a part of any of those denominations you listed.
Something similar to the Metropolitan Community Church?
Probably one behind closed doors, so that the public isn't able to see Dobson cream them with logic and facts.
Now that made me laugh out loud. That guy was beyond ridiculous...
(If what I just wrote makes you sad or angry,
Just what "misinformation" is Dobson spreading? Seems to
me he IS telling the "truth" about homosexuality.
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