Va. TV ads link homosexuality, child abuse

[kweerwolf]

Critics of a new series of television commercials sponsored by a Virginia church claim the ads imply a link between homosexuality and sexual abuse, a contention disputed by the pastor at the church.

Lynn Carter, associate pastor at Arlington Assembly of God, in Arlington, Va., said the ads were intended only to extend a welcome to people who might have felt demonized by Christianity.

"This is a new ad that we're doing just to let folks know that we love 'em and that we care about them," Carter said. "We have various commercials that are on. Some deal with gay issues, some do not."

The commercials spotlight at least two "ex-gays." One commercial features a man, the other features a woman, and each says they were sexually abused as a child and later lived a "gay lifestyle." Both commercials end with the person claiming they are now heterosexual and Christian.

http://www.washblade.com/thelatest/thelatest.cfm?blog_id=3840

the ads were intended only to extend a welcome to people who might have felt demonized by Christianity. ... WTF? Talk about flawed, circuitous logic! Demonizing a group so that some people who "might have felt demonized by Christianity" feel welcome?

[niyad]

1. what an unbelievable load of BS--and yet, ignorant people are going to

swallow this nonsense whole, aren't they? does religion rot the mind, or does a rotted mind turn to religion?

[Arkana]

2. "Don't be scared! We hate gays too!"

What a sack of steaming horseshit.

[TwentyFive]

3. Nominate for "Top 10 Sicko" stories of the year! They are child abusers!

I'd certainly say that being forced to attend any christian church as cruel mental torture. Fundies say..."believe that god exists and jesus died for your SINS....or else!"

And I'm not even going to mention the corporal punishment so prevalent in christian homes.....

Sheesh....what sickos!!!

[Broken_Hero]

4. What a load of horseshit...well...

we know what propaganda and rhetoric the GLBT have to deal with, and this is a new one for me....great post btw.

[Sapphocrat]

5. Hey, Pastor Carter!

Fuck you, "Reverend"! Just fuck YOU.

"people who might have felt demonized by Christianity"

I don't feel demonized by CHRISTIANITY! I feel demonized by pseudo-"Christians" who have warped, aborted, perverted, and abused the very notion of Christianity!

Sheesh. Fetid POS.

[TwentyFive]

9. Castrate that reverend and put him on the child molesters list!

He should never be let near children.

Every fundie who holds these beliefs should have their kids taken away and reproductive organs ripped out. Doctors could perform the operation without anesthesia, as I'm sure they have no feeling down there.

[beyurslf]

6. I am supposed to feel welcome by that?

[undergroundpanther]

7. The assemblies of God

InVirginia is a friggin Cult.They are a money grubbing over political hate filled cult.

[Meldread]

8. Doesn't shock me one bit.

As a Virginian it doesn't shock me one bit to see this type of garbage on the TV. Hell it's mild compared to the crap I read in my local Newspaper. Hell! Compared to the stuff I read in my Newspaper it *IS* a welcoming message. At least they aren't calling us "Children of Satan" and "thanking" their "God for AIDS".

[kevinbgoode]

10. Are these people really crazy enough to think that commercial

won't just drive people away? That has "hate-filled wingnut" written all over it, complete with reparative therapy and Jeebus abuse. Frankly, someone needs to make a commercial appealing to fundies to come to more open churches that can free them from Jesus abuse.

[WhollyHeretic]

11. I guess they just wanted to let all the bigots know they still care.

[kweerwolf]

12. If churches want to talk about abuse, fine ...

... but they should talk about ALL forms of abuse, including the spiritual abuse churches have heaped on all sorts of people for the past millenium.

Kids? ... "Spare the rod and spoil the child." Beat that kid 'cause the Bible gives you carte blanche. Doesn't it say you should stone a disobedient child? Then anything short of killing the little brat is almost ... well, "liberal"!

Women? ... Hey, it's all your fault, ladies! If you hadn't have picked that damned apple and offered it to Adam, we'd still be running around naked in Eden. You women are a necessary evil, so shut up and keep your heads covered in church. And don't ever think you could actually be in the clergy!

Gays? ... Abominations worthy of death! Remember the story of Sodom (but the Genesis version, not the one in Ezekial and other books that claim it was pride, inhospitality to strangers and failing to care for the poor). We all know you horny homos wanted to rape those angels who visited Lot.

Blacks? ... You people are descended from Noah's son, Ham ... the one who got cursed to live in servitude. So, see, slavery really was OK. And remember that the Bible tells slaves to obey their masters, so quit being so "uppity."

Jews? ... It's bad enough you didn't recognize the saviour when he showed up, but then you went and killed him!

I've actually heard all these arguments made at some point in my life. And I have yet to hear the churches apologize for them. Oh sure, they sweep them under the carpet ... but to apologize for this kind of spiritual abuse? Never.

[NMMNG]

13. Sure gays are welcome, but only if they become "ex gays"

Screw that.