Dr Dobson,the person who started the controversy,released this statement today regarding it.He was totally misunderstud and took out of context.People should listen more before they jump to conclusions.
Focus on the Family founder did not criticize a cartoon character, as has been widely reported, but was warning parents that the group behind a "diversity" video may put material in teachers' hands that could prompt them to teach kids that homosexuality is equivalent to heterosexuality.
Dr. James Dobson set the record straight today about the onslaught of media reports mocking him for comments he is alleged to have made about the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.
"I've been in the public eye for thirty-something years and I have never had my words more misrepresented than they were in this instance," Dobson said on today's installment of his internationally syndicated radio program. "I was said to be on the warpath for my dislike for SpongeBob — who supposedly has homosexual characteristics.
"I said no such thing."
What Dobson did say, in a speech last week in Washington during an event sponsored by the Family Research Council, was that SpongeBob is one of 100 popular animated characters that may have been co-opted by an innocuous-sounding group to promote acceptance of homosexuality to children. The group, the We Are Family Foundation, has produced a video slated for distribution to 61,000 public and private elementary schools; it features SpongeBob, Big Bird, Barney and others singing the old disco hit "We Are Family" and spreading a message of "diversity and unity."
And therein lies the rub — albeit well-concealed.
While words like "diversity" and "unity" sound harmless — even noble — enough, the reality is they are often used by gay activists as cover for teaching children that homosexuality is the moral and biological equivalent to heterosexuality. And there is ample evidence that the We Are Family Foundation shares — and promotes — that view.
"Unfortunately," Dobson explained, "the We Are Family foundation has very strong homosexual advocacy roots and biases."
For example, a tolerance pledge, which the foundation says it is "pleased to provide" on its Web site, reads in part: "I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own."
And it's not the only piece of pro-homosexual content that has been posted on the group's Web site — some of it removed in recent days.
The curriculum booklet that will accompany the "We Are Family" DVD when it is sent to schools in March, for instance, is likely to contain resources for educators seeking to normalize homosexuality. Although that guide has not yet been made public, a 2003 manual, also associated with the "We Are Family" cartoon-character video, offered several exercises for educators that equate homosexuality with immutable characteristics, such as race or gender, and suggest it deserves limitless tolerance and acceptance.
Another previous curriculum posted on the We Are Family Foundation Web site, called "Writing for Change," includes exercises such as:
• Generating a Description - encourages students to discuss the definition of "lesbian."
• Talking About Being "Out" - offers worksheet questions and a discussion of "perceptions of sexual orientation."
• Uncovering Attitudes About Sexual Orientation - explores the impact of "homophobia" and "heterosexism."
• Developing definitions - presents a list of stereotypical definitions, including "compulsory heterosexuality." That is described "the assumption that women are naturally or innately drawn sexually and emotionally toward men, and men toward women; the view that heterosexuality is the "norm" for all sexual relationships."
"The institutionalization of heterosexuality in all aspects of society includes the idealization of heterosexual orientation, romance, and marriage," the guide states. "Compulsory heterosexuality leads to the notion of women as inherently 'weak,' and the institutionalized inequality of power: power of men to control women's sexuality, labor, childbirth and childrearing, physical movement, safety, creativity, and access to knowledge. It can also include legal and social discrimination against homosexuals and the invisibility or intolerance of lesbian and gay existence."
Tom Minnery, vice president of government and public policy at Focus on the Family, said reporters who have mocked Dobson for his comments have deliberately ignored these details in their quest to marginalize a pro-family leader.
"The media is trying to use this SpongeBob nonsense as a smokescreen, because they're not willing to tell the people what's really at stake," he explained. "What's at stake is the forced normalization of homosexuality in the public schools."
Dr. Bill Maier, Focus' psychologist in residence and a guest on today's broadcast, said he didn't think the media's efforts to undermine Dr. Dobson's integrity as a national spokesman for moral values would succeed.
"Clear-thinking Americans won't buy it," Maier said. "They've trusted Dr. Dobson for 27 years and will see through the media's SpongeBob charade."
Homosexuality should be introduced to children when they actually begin to develop a sexuality. And the Focus on the Family isn't entirely innocent either. They want prayer in school, abstinence only education and creation based science in our schools. They advocate this alot too. But the debate will never really end. The conservatives are losing, they have been for years. More and more people are viewing homosexuality as a normal byproduct of nature and society.
I go to a christian school and christianity isnt shoved in our face.My teacher isnt constantly telling us evolution is wrong and where right.She wants us to figure it out for ourselves.Whats sad is how homosexuality is so common nowadays that kids at a very younge age are taught thats it "ok" and thats it "normal".Kids shouldnt be learning about these things at a younge age but in todays society its almost impossible to find a kid over 6 or 7 who doesnt already know about sex.The sad thing is is that they didnt learn it from their parents.There constantly seeing it everyday on tv on the radio when there walking down the streets it's constantly advertised to them to make them think it's "normal".
whats really stupid is i doubt little kids will even know what 'sexual diversity' is. why bother putting it there? and i don't like that sexual diversity should be put ahead of all the others (unless reuters misquoted the pledge). sexual diversity isnt a core problem with intolerance in grade school. i think at that age they should worry more about race and religion imho.
but that doesnt matter really, since it wont please the christians. according to them gay=evil and thats that 🙄 so what am i going on about?
God....
Christians need to GROW UP AND REMEMBER THAT WE LIVE IN THE 21st CENTURY!
God man, I couldn't give TWO FLYING F*CKS about what Homosexuals do anymore! Hell, I'm for letting them get married and everything-they aren't bothering me, and it makes them happy!
Who cares if a little-yellow "sponge" has Homosexual innuendoes in his Music video?
Originally posted by silver_tears
I love how you use the collective term [b]The Christians well done 🙄 [/B]
actually i am christian. i was raised catholic...but i dont consider myself part of the big white bible clique here in america where the bible is the law of the land. you know, the elete american group who insist that their voice represents jesus' and every christians' wishes.
so yeah, i say 'christians' to mean the very people who have copyrighted the name and WOULD take offense to it.
You people will never know what a christian is until you've visited a pentecostal church and see preaching.People being healed before your eyes in the name of God.
A man who works in a foregin country being a missionary got a report yesterday.A local pastor was visiting the home of a girl who had just passed away.She was still laying on her bed.A trinitarian pastor was there praying for her.The Pastor yelled at him "SHE'S NOT A TRINITARIAN SHE'S A PENTECOSTAL"he commanded her in the name of Jesus Christ to get up and she did.To you guys where just a bunch of old fashion people who are so holy and hypocritic.You make fun of us telling us its the 21st century and that we think everything is evil.We stand for something thats far greater than you guys will probaly never uunderstand.