Passive Aggressive - 'christian' Rightists vilify gay people

[ck4829]

"In late March, the plush Omni Shoreham hotel in the nation's capital was the site of a day-and-a-half-long, anti-gay extravaganza hosted by the Christian Right outfit American Vision. In the same fancy "Blue Room" where Bill Clinton blew on his sax during his 1993 inaugural ball, a Who's Who of hard-line Christian Right organizations and a handful of their conservative Jewish allies met to discuss what they called "The War On Christians." But the conferees didn't sound much like victims once they started talking. Instead, they spent most of their time excoriating two groups of people -- homosexuals and their allies, the "activist judges" who are said to empower gays by legalizing their sexual conduct, awarding them civil-rights protections and allowing them to marry.

Vision America is a network of "Patriot pastors and Patriot partners" that is run from Lufkin, Texas, and has such Christian Right luminaries on its board as the Rev. Jerry Falwell and Paul Weyrich, head of the Free Congress Foundation and the architect of the 1980 Reagan election. It has been gaining power on the Christian Right lately and even had a hand in vetting Supreme Court candidates for the White House. On its bill this spring were congressmen and senators, plus a luncheon keynote by U.S. Rep. Tom Delay (R-Texas), the former house majority leader who announced just after the conference that he was stepping down to face charges of criminal corruption. About 150 enthusiastic culture warriors were there, including one dressed up as George Washington and another as Betsy Ross.

The conference boiled down to a veritable jihad against gay rights. No fewer than 18 presenters railed against homosexuals and the "gay agenda." It seemed that the speakers, many of whom were ostensibly there to talk about the virtues of a Christian nation, just couldn't help but take repeated swipes at gays and lesbians.

Setting the tone was Vision America's head, Rick Scarborough, who said at the start that he is "rushing his efforts to stop the homosexual agenda" that he sees as the key threat to America. Complaining that his audiences are graying, Scarborough emphasized that "we have to reach the next generation" before it's too late."

http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?aid=654

[LostinVA]

1. Stuff like this really, really scares me and the SO

Because I feel it could happen in the snap of a finger. Just look at how easily so many on DU abandoned gay rights for their brothers and sisters after the 2004 election. And how many on here still do say this.

*sigh*

[marmar]

2. I'm sure there were similar meetings in Berlin hotels in the '30s...

The American Taliban is downright frightening. :scared: How different are they from any group that's officially recognized as a hate group? (Oh yeah, they're politically organized and vote Republican).

[Arkansas Granny]

3. I believe that some, if not most, of those who are so loud in their

protests against the "homosexual agenda" are those who fear finding those tendencies in themselves. There is nothing stronger than fear to motivate mindless hatred.

[noonwitch]

4. I agree with that.

I notice that those who have the most to say about it are generally males. Males seem to feel a lot more threatened by homosexuality than females. It doesn't threaten me to have married gay couples in my neighborhood. It's got to be better than the married straight crackheads who beat the shit out of each other that I currently have living next door to me.

[TlalocW]

5. I can't imagine being so filled with hate

That you would be able to sit through 18 presenters railing against homosexuals. I know that some of the presenters may have been on at the same time in different rooms, or they might have been spaced out over several days, but I also know that there are some people who sat through as many as they could. Other than, "It's against God," and its many variations and, "They're recruiting our children into their lifestyle," what other talking points would they have? What could one presenter do to make his or her talk markedly different from all the others - magic tricks? "I put the red sponge ball in this hand, say the magic words, 'Jesus Saves,' and... IT'S GONE! And homosexuals are a scourge on this nation!" (Thunderous applause)

TlalocW