Fundamentalists Losing Favor with Public <barf alert>

The Data Lounge ^ | Friday, 6 December 2002 | -- C. Barillas, Editor

[doc30]

Fundamentalists Losing Favor with Public
Friday, 6 December 2002

WASHINGTON -- The American Family Association, a far right lobbying group in Washington, released results from a recent survey that shows mainstream Americans see evangelical Christians as one of the least likeable groups in the country.

Small wonder

Researchers from the Barna survey asked respondents how they felt about evangelicals, born-again Christians, ministers, and other groups of people in society. According to the survey, evangelicals came in tenth out of eleven, narrowly beating out prostitutes.

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Below lawyers and just above prostitutes.

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Fellow evangelical George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group, said religious conservatives "have a lot of work to do" in combating the general public's negative views.

Speaking to distressed members of the AFA, he said, "We may not be 'evil' people, we may not be 'bad' people -- we may be completely loving and wonderful. But somehow we are being perceived by non-Christians in America as a group of people who are not particularly loving [and] not particularly generous, kind, or understanding."

Particularly galling to the AFA constituency was the country's more open embrace of gay men and lesbians. Gay people, a group conservatives frequently slander and oppose politically, ranked significantly higher in the survey than evangelicals.

"Whether that's because the media portray evangelicals in a negative light or because [religious conservatives have] earned that 'badge of dishonor,' if you will, we've got to figure that out," said Barna, "we have to address that."

Affirming results from other studies, the Barna survey also found the more highly educated non-evangelicals are, the less likely they are to have a positive view of fundamentalist Christians.

-- C. Barillas, Editor

[RAT Patrol]

Okay. That's pretty damning. I stand corrected. Too bad because I enjoy most of his posts.

[Phantom Lord]

Here are just 2 quick ones to satisfy your demands. The volumn available is massive. I have provided a link to his posts in the forum below. Enjoy.

"I already said that I believe the Death Penalty should apply to sodomy." Can be found here

"I agree the death penalty should apply." Can be found here

For your reading pleasure, here is a link to FF578's posts. His is a sick and twisted mind.

[RAT Patrol]

Click on the link in post 54.

[glory]

Phantom is unfairly bringing another thread to this one and mincing the words of ONE person over on that thread and his comments are much to simple of what the thread was about and I suspect some things were said to either get the goat of another or to make a point. However, when you are looking for things about a group to dislike, you will no doubt herald one small thing you have found as the end all of proof of why you dislike the group. I believe this is what Phantom has done. Found a few things said by ONE person from what I can recall and is now using as a basis to justify the views of NON Christians in this poll(not mainstream Americans, but Non Christians). Shame on Phantom, take your debate with FF578 privately please and stop taking it to other threads. You are the one sounding like an extremist if you continue this vendetta.

[RAT Patrol]

Okay, PL, you win. Thanks for taking the time to prove it.

I do not think sodomy should be a Constitutional right. It should stay a state issue. But death? No way.

[Phantom Lord]

I fight the control freak, big government loving leftist as much as I do those of the 'religious right' who are as wrong as those on the left.

[logos]

I read your link, general_re, and while the FReeper in question offers an opinion concerning the death penalty, it is clearly an opinion concerning what was at one time codified law. Do I agree with his opinion? No, I do not. However, I don't think that's the issue here.

We've not had many exchanges, you and I, but I've read a lot of what you've had to say, much of which I disagree with, and I've always been impressed by your sense of fair play and honest debate.

What we have here is an attack on someone who has not even appeared on this thread. That's childish, may even be stupid, and is certainly against the rules of this forum.

The one who brings accusations is (or certainly should be) required to prove those accusations; the accused is not required to prove his innocence.

I, for one, have had my fill of "flame wars" being drug from thread to thread, and it's way past time this despicable practice stops. I would have thought you would be in agreement on that point.

Phantom Lord needs to put up, or shut up.

[RAT Patrol]

Glory, I think Phantom is not against us in this case. I've had good experiences with FF578, but I do not believe death is an appropriate punishment for sodomy.

[Phantom Lord]

I will battle FF578 everywhere and anywhere. And as an LEO in my state, FF578 has made it clear to me on this forum that I should hope he doesnt find out who I am.

Guess he wants to hunt me down for getting a Hummer.

And I am NOT bringing his argument from ONE thread to this one, he promots his nonsense on many many threads.

[general_re]

I stand corrected.

Well said - allow me to offer you a virtual handshake, and hope that I can muster enough class to also admit that I am wrong the next time it happens. ;)

Now, if I can shoot back to the main topic of the thread for a moment, people have a habit of take the extremes as representative. Ask people what they think a typical homosexual is like, and very often you'll get the full-on "Queer Nation" gay-pride-parade-in-leather-pants image in return.

Well, that cuts both ways - people have a habit of looking at the extremes as representative of evangelicals as well. Whether you like it or not, for a lot of people in this country, guys like Fred Phelps are the public face of evangelical Christianity. That's what this poll is telling us here, and what evangelicals have to overcome in order to get their message heard.

[glory]

So you are advocating using it as a basis to support this tripe and bringing that little squabble to another thread? If it hadn't been brought here, people like "boop" would not have had to make such an assessment to begin with.

[RnMomof7]

Send this article to a friendFellow evangelical George Barna, president of the Barna Research Group, said religious conservatives "have a lot of work to do" in combating the general public's negative views.

Mat 5:11 Blessed are ye, when [men] shall revile you, and persecute [you], and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

Particularly galling to the AFA constituency was the country's more open embrace of gay men and lesbians. Gay people, a group conservatives frequently slander and oppose politically, ranked significantly higher in the survey than evangelicals.

Luk 17:26   And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

No surprises here..

[Phantom Lord]

I read your link, general_re, and while the FReeper in question offers an opinion concerning the death penalty, it is clearly an opinion concerning what was at one time codified law.

You are completely wrong. FF578 wants that to be the law TODAY as well. He is not debating what was the law hundreds of years ago. He is pointing out that it was at one time the law, and that it should again be the law. Read his history.

[Phantom Lord]

You are right. I am not against you and the others. I am a strong supporter of conservative christians and come to their defense when needed and warranted. They are much maligned and wrongfully portrayed in the news, media, movies, and pretty much every outlet in existence. They have truly been set up as "The Bogey Man" by the left who is out to destroy you, and control your life in every manner.

But people like FF578 need not be defended but need to be discredited, refuted, and defeated.

[ofMagog]

"Evangalist on TV typically look like pimps and hookers. They need to fire their hair stylists and robe consultants. Their scream preaching is retarded! No wonder they rate one notch above hookers?"

You are being terribly unfair to hookers.

[logos]

No, P.L., I'm not wrong. You have brought into this thread a flame war from other threads, at other times. I don't have the time to follow selected links to specific comments back to the earlier comments they were directed to, nor do I have the time to follow old arguments and try to bring them up to date.

If you have problem with the person in question, take it up with him. You're attempting to hi-jack this thread to your own agenda. At best, that is childish behavior, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

[glory]

Phantom is bringing his squabble with another person on ANOTHER THREAD to this one--btw, that person has not even posted on this thread at all. Just an fyi as to why the comments seem so ridiculous. In general you are right(it is the left that is hateful and the number of Christians who would advocate death or jail for offenses to their religion is minor indeed) and Phantom is being unfair by bringing the comments of one person in the heat of debate and out of the context of that debate to this thread. Phantom, by all means, post a link so people can contribute to that debate, otherwise, like another poster said, shut up and take your personal debate with FF578 somewhere else.

[Phantom Lord]

Actually, in a way it already does. Due to AIDS and other weird funky STDs, the life expectancy of sexually active fudgepa– uh, homosexual males...is only 43 years.

I thought the life expectency for gay males was shorter than that. I have posted in the past, and long thought that Insurance companies should be able to charge higher premiums for gay males as they do with smokers, as gay males have a shorter life expectency than smokers do. I would love to see the fight that would break out if it ever happened.