CBS has once again aired a commercial by the vehemently anti-gay extremist group Focus on the Family during one its nationally broadcast football games between FOF Poster boy Tim Tebow’s Denver Broncos and The New England Patriots. (You may remember last year that CBS aired an anti-abortion commercial from FOF which actually starred Tebow and his mother.)
The commercial entitled John 3:16, the biblical quote numbers that Tebow wears under his eyes is the quote that “God doth love the word” and FOF uses children to promote it.
God may so love the world but so is not true of Focus on the Family.
FOF is anti-choice, anti-gay, and against sex education curricula. FOF also focuses on religion in public schools, encouraging Christian teachers to establish prayer groups in schools although it points out that it doesn’t support teacher-led prayer for fear that a teacher would encourage Christian students “to pray to Allah, Buddha or the goddess Sophia against the wishes of the parents and/or students.” FOF is a strong supporter of the Defense of Marriage and works against “special rights” for homosexuals and hate crime legislation, and supports “reparative therapy” for homosexuality, which has been widely discredited and rejected by the vast majority of doctors and physicians. FOF sponsors “Love Won Out,” conferences held around the U.S. that claim to prove that “homosexuality is preventable and treatable,” where many of the speakers are “ex-gays.” “Love Won Out” is from the title of a book by John Paulk, an “ex-gay” who is the host of the conferences and is an employee of Focus on the Family. For those ex-gays who cannot change, FOF considers sexual celibacy another option. FOF regularly asserts the idea that there is a “homosexual agenda” and associates homosexuals with pedophilia and recruitment of children as sex partners.
This is the group that CBS allowed to air a commercial. And to make matters worse at the end of the commercial FOF has a plea for donations.
A petition has already been posted on Change.org that demands an apology from CBS. But an apology is not enough. CBS and the media in general need to learn that enabling hate groups that that hide behind religion to to support a hateful agenda is not okay.
Oh and by the way the Broncos LOST yesterday. It seems that God does not like his name being used to support hate.
This is a gross misrepresentation of Focus On The Family and anything they stand for. Dude, seriously, do your homework. You couldnt be more off on any more points. A very simple example, because someone believes abortion is the wrong choice and can back why they believe this thru scripture, with the belief it is the Word of God, (and btw- the bible is a very proven and accurate documentation of history regardless if you believe in God or Christ) certainly doesnt make them a hater in any sense. YOU label them a hater. Lets not mistake the groups that blow up buildings in the name of God as any true Christian organization any more than all Muslims are terrorists. Just because they spew scripture doesnt mean they have any comprehension of its meaning. They simply say our beliefs should line up with the Word of God otherwise we are left to our own gage of what is right and wrong. And everyone has their own gage and moral compass. Hence the mess we live in. Its Bogus. A true Christians first and foremost commandment is Love. If they disagree with you they do it in love and simply want to show you what God says about it. There is nothing anti-gay or hateful about it. Why so hostile and threatened?
Perhaps you should do your homework.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/focus-family
http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2005/spring/a-mighty-army#10
Regardless of if what you believe about what FOF is spreading or promoting, the point that you’re neglecting to address is their 1st amendment right to spread and promote these things. FOF has every right to believe and inform the public on those things, just as you have every right here to post your discontent with CBS and FOF. If you disagree with what FOF stands for, don’t support them. It’s as simple as that. They are not infringing on anyone’s right, they don’t force anyone to do anything.
You expressed concern for FOF’s “encouraging Christian teachers to establish prayer groups in schools although it points out that it doesn’t support teacher-led prayer for fear that a teacher would encourage Christian students ‘to pray to Allah, Buddha or the goddess Sophia against the wishes of the parents and/or students.'” My question to you is are they not respecting the right of the parents to raise their children as they like, while also encouraging teachers to empower students to seek fellowship within the school? I don’t see any problem with what FOF is doing here. I think you are twisting their statements – they do not want to shove beliefs down the throats of children (any kind of belief), but they want teachers to feel like it’s okay to empower students to seek fellowship (as I stated before).
In regards to their opposition to gay marriage, you state that FOF “works against “special rights” for homosexuals and hate crime legislation, and supports “reparative therapy” for homosexuality.” The only “special rights” that FOF doesn’t want homosexuals to have the right to is marriage, and honestly that makes a lot of sense. Marriage is a religious thing, the problem lies in the fact that legality has been intertwined with faith. Personally I think that all legaltiy should be removed from marriage. Marriage should be under God, from whom it came. Everyone should have to get a civil union or something to be legally one person. Regardless of whether legal matters are removed from marriage, modified civil unions are a more agreeable choice for everyone. It’s what they do in the UK. Can you tell me why it isn’t even being considered?
I don’t know if you actually listened to the commercial or read John 3:16, but it’s about God loving everyone and anyone. That doesn’t sound like anything that should be banned from the TV if you ask me. Finally, need I bring up the countless anti-region, pro-gay, pro-choice ads that air. Unless you think all of these ads should be banned, you are holding a double standard.