Since we all agree, as followers of Jesus, that bullying is wrong, it’s
time we stand up to the gay bullies who are trying to put us in the
closet and take away our freedoms of speech, conscience and religion.
Consider for a moment that Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty could have
said in his GQ interview, “I think you’ve got to be crazy to be a
polygamist,” or, “In my opinion, polyamory is just another word for
adultery,” or, “A man who sleeps with lots of different women is no
better than an animal,” and there would have been no reaction from
A&E and no outcry from the gay censors.
Consider also that his comments about pre-entitlement black Americans
were considered highly offensive by many, but these comments did not
prompt A&E to take action, as I pointed out in my interview on Piers
Morgan. (If you missed the interview, I encourage you to take 15
minutes to watch.)
Rather, it was comments about homosexuality that crossed the
forbidden line, comments that, when read in context, although crude,
simply expressed biblical perspectives. And that was more than gay
censors like GLAAD and the HRC could tolerate.
The truth is that GLAAD has been on a campaign for years to censor
all opposing viewpoints, as I noted in March 2012: “This sums up the
duplicity of GLAAD: It urges the media to beware of conservative
Christian leaders like [the late] Chuck Colson, Maggie Gallagher, and
Tony Perkins [and me too!], even calling on CNN to ban some of them from
appearing on their shows, and then gives its first Outstanding Blog
award to the JoeMyGod website, famous for entries like this one ...
[stating that] ‘God is SUPER busy killing babies and giving people
cancer.’ And this earns praise from GLAAD...
“And for those who claim that GLAAD is not trying to engage in
censorship, note well that at the end of 2010, GLAAD launched a petition
drive urging ‘CNN to Make a New Year's Resolution: Keep Away From the
Anti-Gay Industry.’ Yes, said GLAAD, ‘It’s time for outlets to finally
drop several hundred pounds of unhealthy weight, which they've been
carrying around for years, in the form of anti-gay activists. ... CNN
and the rest of the media are doing nothing but exposing their viewers
to dangerous anti-gay rhetoric when they invite members of these
anti-gay groups onto their programming. Starting in 2011, this needs to
stop.’”
GLAAD even asks its constituents to alert them if people like me (or
Jim Daly of Focus on the Family or psychiatrist and Fox News contributor
Keith Ablow or political consultant Gary Bauer or Princeton professor
Robert George, among many others) appear on the mainstream media.
GLAAD is undeniably in the business of censorship, which is why I
believe they should be called the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Disagreement rather than the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against
Defamation.
Most recently, GLAAD commended comedian Bob Newhart for canceling a
scheduled appearance at a Catholic businessmen’s event sponsored by the
Legatus Summit.
According to GLAAD, “It is possible that Newhart, like many people
were unaware that Legatus was such a rabid anti-LGBT organization. The
organization was created by former Domino’s Pizza CEO, Thomas Monaghan,
for Roman Catholic businesspeople, and membership is only available to
top level executives.” Yes, the Legatus Summit’s website states that it
was established to “bring together the three key areas of a Catholic
business leader’s life—Faith, Family and Business—connecting two
powerful realities, the challenge of top-tier business leadership and a
religious tradition second to none.” How utterly nefarious! The website
also states, “Undergirded by their parish and diocesan life and the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Legatus nurtures an interior
transformation as members grow in their love for Christ and fidelity to
the teachings of his Church. They become genuine ambassadors who study,
live and spread the Catholic faith.” And GLAAD commends Newhart for
canceling his scheduled appearance. How dare he crack jokes for
committed Catholics! Even more remarkably, GLAAD’s actions come at a
time when the Advocate, the flagship gay publication, named Pope Francis
its man of the year for his softer tone toward gays. But this was not
good enough for GLAAD, which represents the new face of “tolerance” and
“diversity,” the face of unabashed censorship in the name of gay rights.
This censorship and bullying will only get worse unless we make a
determination to stand for what is right and speak the truth in love,
regardless of cost or consequence, recognizing that our strategy of
appeasement (which has often been a cover-up for our spinelessness and
fear of man) has failed miserably. The reality is that in the last 12
months, it is not just private individuals who have been punished for
refusing to bow the knee to gay activism or for speaking out of turn,
but also public figures like Dr. Ben Carson, pastor Louie Giglio, and
Sen. Rick Santorum. (In case you missed what happened with Mr. Santorum,
in April, a Michigan high school canceled his speaking appearance out
of concern that he would address same-sex marriage, eventually agreeing
to let him speak with the caveat that students could only attend with
parental permission [!]. In stark contrast, Bible-bashing,
gay-sex-exalting speakers like Dan Savage are hailed as heroes in our
schools and campuses, given carte blanche to talk about the most vile
subjects to our young people.) Now the gay censors have tried to bully
the ultrapopular (and, yes, backwoods, Bible-thumping) Phil Robertson,
which for many finally means that enough is enough, a conclusion which
is long overdue. It really is high time that we draw a line in the sand
and refuse to capitulate or bow down, following the Jesus principle
that we find our lives by losing them (Matt. 10:39). This does not
require name-calling or rightwing rhetoric or anger on our part. To the
contrary, “Human anger does not produce the righteousness that God
desires” (James 1:20, NIV). Rather, our stand for righteousness
requires a heart in tune with the Lord and His Word, a life of personal
purity without hypocrisy, and a genuine love for LGBT individuals, whose
lives we protect and defend even while stating that homosexual practice
is sin, that gay marriage is not truly marriage, and that God has a
better way. We really have no choice, and, as I’ve said many times
before, either we stand up and do what is right today or we apologize to
our kids and grandkids tomorrow.
What will it be?
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