“Maybe your group could work to wipe out hunger. Or to ensure health care for families. Or to expose and obliterate sexual abuse and exploitation of kids. Maybe you could put your Christian values to work gathering up toys — or, I don’t know, coats? — for kids that might not otherwise have them come Christmas. Objecting to this particular ad because it somehow “promotes” or “threatens” anything is so patently ridiculous that I’m kind of surprised that the Moms didn’t opt to bank what shreds of credibility they might have left and just sit this one out. If you really live the kind of life where a woman simply appearing on your TV screen can be construed — even as a huge stretch — to be a problem of any kind, frankly you should be spending less time being outraged, and more time on your knees, tearfully thanking that God of yours for giving you such an easy and obstacle-free road to walk.”
David J. Bauman 
I hadn’t heard this. I left a comment on the original post but I just wanted to say that, speaking as a Christian, we are not all so intolerant, and I’m sorry to read about those who are.
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I agree. Thank you! Yeah, I had posted something else to facebook earlier about believers who are not so narrow minded. 🙂 I know I sound like an atheist sometimes, but I’m not quite that. I studied for the ministry once upon a time, and have had honestly a horrible relationship with most of my family since coming out of the closet, so I am particularly familiar with the brand of Christianity that listens to James Dobson’s “Focus on the Family” program on the radio, and likely supports the (far less than) One Million Moms organization.
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I’m sorry to hear that. The extremes of left and right in America are difficult for outsiders to comprehend, given the tolerance your nation is built on.
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Yes, they are even hard for some of us within the country to fathom. But the gay thing is not the issue it used to be unless you are either in a backward uneducated town, or in the right wing Christian sub culture that lives, eats and breaths religious media on a daily basis. They really do not realize how influenced they are by someone else’s dogma. It’s sad really.
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It is sad.
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PS Have to stop chatting – I’m off to church now 😀
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Working, so won’t be there this Sunday, but I’ve been attending the Unitarian church recently. Brian and I will be doing the poetry and music for the February first Sunday service too. I’m excited!
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How lovely! It’s something I’d like to introduce to our church but we are a long way off that happening yet, being Anglican 🙂
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Headline from two days ago: One Million Moms ‘moving on’ from Ellen Christmas commercial protest.
Did that even last a full day? It’s as if they aren’t even trying at this point.
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Maybe. Hopefully they realized this was a dead end for them. All 40 thousand (at most) of them.
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Oh… I see what you did there.
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😉
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Good stuff over on your blog lately, Monkey Boy! I don’t know if I hit like too many times and damaged your credibility though. Shrug.
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Unbelievable…as you note they could better serve their fundamental belief structure by doing something positive…rather than throwing stones.
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Yes. Even if I agreed with their interpretation of the gay thing, which I obviously don’t, but even if I did, I would think this is a ridiculous protest. Ellen and elves? Seriously?
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This is tragic but it is happening and I cheer on your sharing and your excellent intro. Yes, can we please put our ‘family saving’ energy into helping kids everywhere to be fed, clothed and protected from neglect and abuse… you know… Reality!? I love what Tilly wrote in the first comment… Yes, we are certainly not all so intolerant. These small-minded people are a small percentage. I suggest this group be called “Three and a Half Misguided Women Looking For Reasons To Be Offended and Outraged”
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The intro was a quote lifted right out of the original post from Queer Landia, but thank you! And I love your name for their group. LOL Maybe they were offended because they felt the elves acted a little gay? lol I hadn’t thought of that until now, but in any case, it’s just silly, and a sad waste of time for people who are supposed to be helping the sick and poor. You know, all that stuff that Jesus did.
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Thanks for bringing this to our attention. A tempest in a teapot to be sure.
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I like that phrase, “tempest in a teapot.” Thank you, Charley!
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Tangent alert:
You know, I was walking into walmart last week and I remarked to my friend about the bad press the salvation army has been getting from my facebook friends because of its homophobic stance–it’s a church, so I really don’t think anyone should be surprised. He said that he’d gladly fund a gay organization that feeds the poor and shelters the homeless, but there isn’t one. Until it exists, he’s going to keep giving to the bellringers. Is there something high-profile gay people can do that catches media attention but doesn’t involve pure capitalism?
On the other hand, I do think that it’s an important thing that people like Ellen keep our concerns visible, and the One (Quarter of a) Million Moms are doing a good job at giving us free publicity.
And PS (because this comments needs more ADHD), acc to wikipedia, source of all knowledge, the AFA (which produced the OMM) has 175 volunteers, 192 employees, and 12 members. Again, nowhere near one million.
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Well, I think your friend is rather dodgy, but this is an interesting question. I don’t know if there is a gay organization specifically that is geared toward feeding the poor, but neither are there any churches who are non-gay. You and I both know that there are gay people in those pews.
But your friend is missing the point, not to mention being lazy by not doing any research. It’s not gay charities we need so much as progressive and non-discriminatory ones. The problem isn’t gay versus non gay in giving, as it is giving our money to organizations who discriminate, and sadly many churches do just that. Plus, are you comfortable buying Bibles for people? Because I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s part of where your money goes.
Surely there are some good non-church organizations. There are local food banks, for instance, local soup kitchens maybe. I know Ann could give me some names, and so I’ll ask her and be back. Then we can ask your friend why he hasn’t looked into any of them. Oh, that’s because he hasn’t bothered, I’d bet. Sorry, Rick. I have no patience for the guy, and I don’t even know him.
Also yes, I agree, the free publicity is great!
Oh! And I love your ADHD ways. Thanks for coming up with more ways to realistically represent their numbers. 🙂
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Oh, I forgot to give this link. It might be a good start. Then see if your friend still wants to give to something other than a church, or will it be the gays fault if he doesn’t find a gay soup kitchen? 🙂 http://www.charitynavigator.org/
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It comes down to being lazy. You can’t beat the convenience of the guys hanging out outside of Walmart. I envisioned me standing there with a glittery bell and a pink bucket. And he’s pretty liberal most of the time, in an “I fit all the stereotypes for closet gays” sort of a way. Frankly, we don’t have that visible a presence in western North Carolina, and a number of people still feel comfortable saying that we should all be shot, or sent off to live on an island by ourselves, or something. When I’m feeling lonely, I do think that Big Gay Island is a pretty sweet idea. Maybe they could give us Australia? Anyway, a gay soup kitchen is a good idea, but would not be that well received, esp since we don’t have a straight soup kitchen. There are a number of Manna Food Banks, though. We may have a lot of starving people, but there are few who actually don’t have a home.
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It’s kind of funny how we both tangent so well together. 🙂
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Thanks for sharing. I had no idea (sequestered up here in liberal Vermont) and agree wholeheartedly that people (and particularly Moms) need to get priorities. Fast. It’s a bummer to dislike the label Mom due to folks like this (I am a mom, and love being a mom). And I hesitate to hold tea parties anymore. I used to love tea parties. *sigh* And Christian, well that’s another label I am reluctant to still use for myself, though Jesus would probably be happy enough to go to JCP, get some gifts and give them to some folks who need them. 😉
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Yes, wouldn’t that be cool for us all to get a little bit back into that original Christmas spirit. The cynic in me wants to say that we are the poor this year (not far from true lol), but yes, in the past we have done the things where we buy gifts for a child who has a parent overseas in the military. I think we should do that again.
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And thanks for that wonderful reply, Sue!
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