SpongeBob video causes a ruckus

[strandinthewind]

Christians issue gay warning on SpongeBob video
Conservative groups criticize maker's 'tolerance pledge'

LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- 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.

Rodgers said he was astounded by the attack.

"That is so myopic and harsh," he told Reuters. "You have really got to look hard to find anything in this that is offensive to anyone. The last thing I am going to do is taint these characters."

Dobson was quoted by the New York Times on Thursday as having singled out the wildly popular SpongeBob during remarks about the video at dinner this week in Washington, D.C.

SpongeBob, who lives in a pineapple under the sea, was "outed" by the U.S. media in 2002 after reports that the TV show and its merchandise are popular with gays. His creator, Stephen Hillenburg, said at the time that though SpongeBob was an oddball, he thought of all the characters in the show as asexual.

It is not the first time that children's TV favorites have come under the critical spotlight of the Christian right. In 1999, the Rev. Jerry Falwell described Tinky Winky, the purse-toting purple Teletubbie, as a gay role model.

http://www.cnn.com/2005/SHOWBIZ/TV/0...eut/index.html

[strandinthewind]

a$$holes

Note: I realize not all Christians are this way or even support these butheads

[strandinthewind]

"[B]It is not the first time that children's TV favorites have come under the critical spotlight of the Christian right. In 1999, the Rev. Jerry Falwell described Tinky Winky, the purse-toting purple Teletubbie, as a gay role model."

Ohhhhh Tinky Winky - I think Fallwell was pissed because the name reminded him of his private parts JACKA$$

[GateandGarden]

I keep wondering what else James Dobson could possibly do to offend me more. I can't get over the ridiculous stuff that man says.

[Livia]

They were talking about this on the radio this morning and saying, "Since when did 'I Love Jesus' also mean 'I Hate Gays?" And that Jesus would probably have accepted and loved homosexuals.

[DrummerDeanna]

Seriously - this is getting out of hand.... it's a f**king cartoon character....some people really seem to miss the whole point of "christian love"

[SuzeQuze]

Originally Posted by strandinthewind

"[B]It is not the first time that children's TV favorites have come under the critical spotlight of the Christian right. In 1999, the Rev. Jerry Falwell described Tinky Winky, the purse-toting purple Teletubbie, as a gay role model."

Ohhhhh Tinky Winky - I think Fallwell was pissed because the name reminded him of his private parts JACKA$$

Yeah, he thought the character was "Tiny Winky".

[Little Nicki]

Honestly... Can someone please tell me why people are so stupid?

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Little Nicki

Honestly... Can someone please tell me why people are so stupid?

If you want to fill your church pews - preach hate

This guy and his pathetic ilk know their time proven demonization of homosexuals and other minorities in the past sells and sells well. They assert gay people (and in the past black people and other minorities) are the reason the members of the congregation's lives are so bad, etc. Thus, these minorities are to blame for the woes of man and should be despised. After all, Falwell (sorry Diss ) said immediately after 9/11 that gay people and a few others he hates (and there exists no better word for it than hate) were the reason God allowed the US to suffer the concurrent terrorist attack (to be fair, he perfunctorily and later issued an “I was taken out of context” sort of apology when the pressure to do so became too great, i.e. he was losing money and credibility because of it ) . The more these jerks say crap like this (and it is utter crap because Falwell has no batline to God last I checked ) - the more the media unfortunately will quote him. The more the media quotes him, the more power he and his ilk unfortunately are given

To me, it is all about the money, power, and fame rush that these people and their malicious rhetoric get. They are addicted to it and piousness is, at best, ancillary - if it exists at all

They make me sick to my stomach because they are misusing the teachings of Christ, who by all definitions was a great model to live your life by even if you do not believe in Him - for their own multi level greed. To support my point, I note the four Biblical Gospels as well as the Gnostic Gospels ( http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...ry/pagels.html ) and other material I have read – all contain no evidence Christ ever had this smug “holier than thou - I know what God wants you to do and will tell you for $20” take on humanity that is expressed by Dobson, Falwell, Robertson, and that ilk. Christ was all about leading by example (do unto others, etc. ) , providing information, and people will come to the Faith - His methods were grossly passive when compared to these elitist fools. The Biblical Gospels and the other sources in no way indicate Christ would ever have done anything like this ilk have done and continue to do. A good example of this is the multi-adulterous Jimmy “I HAVE SSIIIIIINNNNNEEEEDDD” Swaggert when he flat out said on 9/12/04:

"I'm trying to find the correct name for it … this utter absolute, asinine, idiotic stupidity of men marrying men. … I've never seen a man in my life I wanted to marry. And I'm gonna be blunt and plain; if one ever looks at me like that, I'm gonna kill him and tell God he died”

Though he gave a perfunctory apology for it later (does anyone really think he meant that apology - it was as hollow as his “I have SIIINNNNEEDDD speech later proved to be ) - his words represented hate – pure and simple – and the adulterer represents, sadly IMO, what many, but thankfully not all, think. I mean could you imagine if women got to kill every man who made an unwelcome advance at them Moreover, Christ never threatened to kill anyone for looking at Him in the wrong way

Such is the apparent general state of humanity and certainly the time honored and tested way to exert denominational power over the masses that are too meek to raise their hands against these oligarchs and their grossly false but still loudly touted erudition

Again, I am not talking about all Christians here - just these people

[wondergirl9847]

Originally Posted by Livia

They were talking about this on the radio this morning and saying, "Since when did 'I Love Jesus' also mean 'I Hate Gays?" And that Jesus would probably have accepted and loved homosexuals.

Of course He does. Child molesters, murderers, terrorists, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, blacks, whites, Asians, stupid people, Harvard grads, dogs, elephants......

This is sooooooo stupid, I can't even come up with a comment but...PPFFTT.

[ontheEdgeof17]

I don't care anymore either way. This stuff doesn't bother me anymore.

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by ontheEdgeof17

I don't care anymore either way. This stuff doesn't bother me anymore.

I just find in amusing - though I just saw the story on MSNBC - and that kind of irked me because the more attention you give these yahoo's the more they'll pull Sh** like this...

[amber]

"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."
This part kinda says it all for me. (empasis added)

[Lala]

As a Christian, this makes me so angry and embarassed. Livia, I can say with confidence that Jesus loves an accepts homosexuals.

[strandinthewind]

Originally Posted by Lala

As a Christian, this makes me so angry and embarassed. Livia, I can say with confidence that Jesus loves an accepts homosexuals.

ME TOOO

What was that line about a rotten apple spoiling a buch of good apples