Celebrating Homosexuality
What's wrong with celebrating homosexuality? That's the question nobody bothers to ask in all the stories about the fundie nutties who are protesting the SpongeBob video for school kids. Here's an excerpt from CNN.com:
Conservative Christian groups accuse the makers of a video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon characters of promoting homosexuality to children.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.
"A short step beneath the surface reveals that one of the differences being celebrated is homosexuality," wrote Ed Vitagliano in an article for the American Family Association.
The video is a remake of the 1979 hit song "We Are Family" using the voices and images of SpongeBob, Barney, Winnie the Pooh, Bob the Builder, the Rugrats and other TV cartoon characters. It was made by a foundation set up by songwriter Nile Rodgers after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, in an effort to promote healing.
Christian groups however have taken exception to the tolerance pledge on the foundation's Web site, which asks people to respect the sexual identity of others along with their abilities, beliefs, culture and race.
"Their inclusion of the reference to 'sexual identity" within their 'tolerance pledge' is not only unnecessary, but it crosses a moral line," James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, said in a statement released Thursday.
No, Dobson's the one who's crossing a moral line. One that belongs back in the Middle Ages. Dude, haven't you heard of the Age of Reason? Consider entering it.
And while we're at it, I think this would be a lovely time for another Bertrand Russell moment. Another quote from his book, Why I Am Not A Christian; this time, from page 28; a critique of the current crop of abstinence nannies and other damaging religious fanatics, then and now:
It is not only in regard to sexual behavior but also in regard to knowledge on sex subjects that the attitude of Christians is dangerous to human welfare. Every person who has taken the trouble to study the question in an unbiased spirit know that the artificial ignorance on sex subjects which orthodox Christians attempt to enforce upon the young is extremely dangerous to mental and physical health, and causes in those who pick up their knowledge by the way of "improper" talk, as most children do, an attitude that sex is in itself indecent and ridiculous. I do not think there can ever be any defense for the view that knowledge is ever undesirable. I should not put barriers in the way of the acquisition of knowledge by anybody at any age. But in the particular case of sex knowledge there are much weightier arguments in its favor than in the case of most other knowledge. A person is much less likely to act wisely when he is ignorant than when he is instructed, and it is ridiculous to give young people a sense of sin because they have a natural curiousity about an important matter.
"What's wrong with celebrating homosexuality?"
Getting the stains out, for one thing.
Jim Treacher at January 22, 2005 12:02 PM
Have you tried Woolite Pet Stain & Odor Remover? It's not just for kitties anymore!
Lena, doggystyle at January 22, 2005 4:52 PM
It takes protein to get out protein!
Jim Treacher at January 23, 2005 10:12 PM
Licking it up is also very effective.
Lena, Pig Bottom at January 25, 2005 6:36 PM