Sunday, August 29, 2010

More Crocodile Tears from Focus on the Family

Honestly, it is hard to decide which of the major "pro-family: professional Christian organizations is the most dishonest. Since deliberately lying and distorting the truth to fit their theocratic agenda seems to be the norm with all of them, it is a hard decision to make. Nonetheless, James'd Dobson's foul Focus on the Family - which has equally dishonest affiliates in many states like The Family Foundation here in Virginia - ranks right up there amongst the professional liar set. What I find particularly disgusting is the manner in which these horrible false Christians cast themselves as victims even as it is they and their Kool-Aid drinking followers who victimize and denigrate others virtually daily. Nowhere is the dishonesty greater than when these lying bastards - excuse the language, but its about the only thing conveys the level of dishonesty - claim that they are being victimized by anti-bullying policies in schools. These people literally want free reign to bully and victimize students to the point of driving LGBT youth to suicide. The Denver Post takes a look at the latest bullshit flowing from FOTF. Here are some highlights:
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As kids head back to school, conservative Christian media ministry Focus on the Family perceives a bully on the playground: national gay-advocacy groups. School officials allow these outside groups to introduce policies, curriculum and library books under the guise of diversity, safety or bullying-prevention initiatives, said Focus on the Family education expert Candi Cushman.
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"We feel more and more that activists are being deceptive in using anti-bullying rhetoric to introduce their viewpoints, while the viewpoint of Christian students and parents are increasingly belittled," Cushman said. Public schools increasingly convey that homosexuality is normal and should be accepted, Cushman said, while opposing viewpoints by conservative Christians are portrayed as bigotry.
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How prevalent is bullying? It's three times more common if you're gay, Byard said. GLSEN's 2007 National School Climate Survey found that almost nine out of 10 lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender students experienced harassment. Almost 61 percent felt unsafe in school. And 22 percent reported being physically assaulted in schools. "The word 'faggot' is not part of any religious creed," Byard said.
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An Alameda school board adopted a curriculum in 2009 that Focus says promotes homosexuality and gay marriage to elementary school kids. Parents who objected could not opt out of the lessons even if it conflicted with deeply held religious beliefs. The board said, and a judge agreed, that the curriculum was mandatory because of state and local policies regarding student safety and nondiscrimination.
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The theme: Schools are only allowed to provide one message about homosexuality — that it's normal and should be embraced," Focus literature states. "The publication ends with a warning: 'Schools should be careful to avoid discussions of transformational ministry in their curriculum.' "
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The truth is that FOTF wants LGBT individuals to be invisible and go back in the closet. Equally offensive is FOTF's desire to push the discredited reparative therapy myth. Bottom line: it's all about giving FOTF and its delusional followers special rights that trump the rights of other citizens to be safe and unharnessed in the nation's public schools. FOFT has been struggling in relative terms of late financially. One can only hope that the struggles turn into a down right crash and burn. FOTF has been peddling hate and intolerance for way too long.

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