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Gay warning on SpongeBob

Christian Conservative groups have issued a gay alert warning over a children's video starring SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney and a host of other cartoon favourites.

The wacky square and yellow SpongeBob is one of the stars of a music video due to be sent to 61,000 US 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 100 TV cartoon stars.

It was made by a foundation set up by songwriter Nile Rodgers after the September 11, 2001, hijacked plane attacks to promote the nation's healing process.

AdvertisementChristian groups have taken exception to the tolerance pledge on the foundation's website, 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," Focus on the Family founder Dr James Dobson said today.

The attack has stunned Rodgers.

"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 today as having singled out the wildly popular SpongeBob during remarks about the video at a Washington DC dinner this week.

SpongeBob, who lives in a pineapple under the sea, was "outed" by the US media in 2002 after reports that the TV show and its merchandise was popular with gays.

His creator, Stephen Hillenburg, said at the time that, although SpongeBob was an oddball, he thought of all the characters as asexual.

It is not the first time that children's TV favourites have come under the critical spotlight of the US Christian right.

Tinky Winky, the purse-toting purple Teletubbie, was in 1999 declared a homosexual role model by Reverend Jerry Falwell.

- Reuters


What are your thoughts, discuss.

how can this be evil

http://www.lausd.k12.ca.us/Kennedy_HS/students/spring_2003/sponge_bob.jpg

in one episode SpongeBob takes Mr Crabs daughter to the prom...

Who
Gives
A
F*ck?

God damn I hate peopel who have to find a conspriacy with everything!

Christians

Oh FFS...I hate SpongeBob, but this is just ridiculous.

i like spongebob and patrick they make a cute couple

God forbid someone is gay djee...

God forbid that people are asked to respect someone's sexuality...

This spongebob issue is another sign the world is coming to an end

spongebob is a sign of the end times???

no its just so pathetic

*gasp* Because acceptance of a minority group is such a horrible thing msn_oh

It's things like this that give Christianity a bad name. Just so as its known, not all CHristians think this way or are this fanatical. I mean come on! Even the creator of the show says that the characters are asexual. But even if they werent you guys are right....we should accept people regardless. So Sorry to Mr Dobson but I personally love Spongebob & its one of the few shows both me & my kids like and can watch together. Wow, spending time with your family, the horror! And if anyone asks at church in the morning I'll tell them this is THE most ignorant & arrogant ting I have ever heard of......

After reading and editing da pilagrim posts my honest opinion is.........I give up.

what exactly does SpongeBob and his gang do that says "we promote being gay"

Spongebob sucks

i think he's kind of cute

There is a video being sent out in March 2005 to alot of schools,and it premieres alot of cartoons and Spongebobs one of them in it, they sing "Were a family" or somthing like that, and these protesters think it promotes homosexuality.

He is a Sponge..... a sponge damn it, how can that be gay? Dear Glaven Christians can be foolish.

ppl these days i tell ya

It promotes homosexuality because of the song, rather than the characters involved. I've seen dozens of drag shows where this song is used. Even the term "family" is used to describe members of the homosexual community.

I mean, look at spongebob...look at his clothes. That tie doesn't come anywhere close to matching those pants....and black shoes with brown shorts?! There's no way he could be gay.

That's stupid how can a stupid yellow sponge be gay if he likes Sandy?Come on people get a life!JM

lol i read that it mad me laugh how can a yellow sponge promote homosexuality, so i read on and it turns out to be the judgment of a american religous group.....need i say more?

Personaly i think its all just a good laugh

Heheh, true. I mean, I really struggle to understand the mind set of such people. With the world in the way it is you would imagine they would have there hands full with serious problems, instead they seem to spend there time watching kids cartoons and complaining about a song which implies unity and acceptance. What a bizarre little world they inhabit.

couldn't agree more

Don't bring yourself down to their level in an attempt to understand, you might hurt yourself and end up stuck there forever!

i agree dont they have better things to do?

Ask me if I care....Do I care? NO!!!!

Same here.

I despise it, but if it promotes tolerance and diversity - then more pwoer to it. Why make something positive into something negative. Sheehs.

I think we all knew that Sponge bob had homosexual tendencies, and how can they say that the video is promoting homosexuality, they never banned Wham.

oh crap I bet they tried to actually.

Neah on second thoughts i'm not arsed.

No offense to anyone, but a lot of Americans are idiots.

Mothers against ..... and Christians against ..... groups suck.
They ALWAYS make themselves look like idiots.

Jesus would be turning in his cave! schmoll

Heaven forbid that a movie "which asks people to respect the sexual identity of others, along with their abilities, beliefs, culture and race" be seen by children.

It is every Christians duty to prevent their Jesus loving children from being taught tolerance.

Christian Conservative groups are vile, racist, prejudiced, homophobic bigots who's idiocy can be clearly seen in the Sponge Bob example.

These very same wackos are currently running the country!

Here's a suggestion. Ban the bible.
It's more harmful to your children than Sponge Bob could ever be.
It's pornographic, violent and teaches murder, hate and prejudice.

haha good one Tex.
I don't get some christian denominations, I mean mostare accepting - you know - everyone is equal and they get on with their worshiping and I agree with that.
Who opposed this? were they catholic.

even if sponge bob did encourage homosexuality, whats wrong with it? Christians have spent countless years trying to answer this but they just can't (no offence meant to any Christians) there holy book seems to preach nothing but fascism and homophobia

i agree..like i said in another thread people are stupid and ignorant but A PERSON is smart.

Sponges are asexual
Well the real living ones, and since Spongebob talks and such I would assume so is he

I've been watching Spongebob for a year now, and I was wondering why it was I was beginning to take interest in males...NOT! What a bunch of horseshit! People are so friggin paranoid, I'm surprised they dont make an article like "EVRYTHING IS GAY! LETS BURN EVERYTHING!"

And Tex in response to your Bible comment, that wouldn't make you any better than them, acceptance goes two ways, if you want it give it to others, granted some people go to far, but not all Christians are crazy

???? What the f*** were they smoking?

Uhh spongbob took krabs daughter to the prom

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.

Thanks for the clarification too.

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?

.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".

It IS normal.

I love how you use the collective term The Christians well done

Looking back this actually started as a joke between Patrick and Sponge Bob being gay. But I guess people nowadays are taking jokes and turning them into headlines. Sponge Bob is nothing but a cartoon. Enjoyed by fans and kids....nothing more.

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?

Kinda like the purple Teletubby.

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.

OUCH!
You give it to 'em PVS!
I'm too afraid to....

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.

Please dont roll your eyes at me and mock my religion.

Sorry, it's contagious....

Sorry, but I have a hard time believing what I believe to be "lies".

ok then

It actually sends a bad message out to the children that this kind of lifestyle is right.Looking on a none christian view,do you want your children to dye from aids or other infectious diseases caused by having sex with a partner of the same sex as you?

Bardock> I didn't read that part....
*Quivers in fear*



I could care less-as long as my kid doesn't harm anybody.
And that's BULLSHIT anyways: They could get those from being perfectly Heterosexual as well....

then please dont condescend us and declare yourself superior. mkay?

Why would you quiver.Im not trying to critsize you but christianity is a little bit more than you think or what you've seen in films.

What I've seen in "films"?
I know ALOT about Christianity, (though most of it seem's to portray them as "bad":
-How they murdered countless amounts of "Pagans" in the name of their Lord
-How they criticize EVERYTHING and EVERYONE who does ONE thing that isn't in the Bible, (which is bullshit since half of Christian Women take Birth Control Pills and have abortions)
-How the crazy little Christian kids would chase me down the street and call me a "F*cking Pagan bastard!"

you are so damn pompous.
unless you have jesus' cel phone # you're
on the same boat as the rest of us, and you may be inaccurate,
and please spare us the 'friend of a friend' miracle stories.
i see the sick healed every day on christian tv when flipping through the channels.

good christian: is tolerant of others and secure in their own faith. even if they DO believe that god hates gays, they leave it up to god to judge them.

annoying christian: intolerant of others and feeling the ever present need to bypass god and judge people who aren't hurting anyone.

I bet god just thinks its totally gross for two guys to do it, I bet he dosent have a problem with lesbians though...

See, I like PVS.
He knows how to calm me down, and yet still be Christian.

Your so misguided on what we believe.I dont know where you live or what kind of church you where around but where a different kind of christian.We dont put people down for what they believe.We welcome them with open arms.My pastor has never once said on the platform that someone else religon was wrong or false.I like to call the people your reffering to,hypocrites.

Wow....
That doesn't make a DAMN BIT OF SENSE since your saying homosexuality is wrong.

Whats wrong with Homosexuality anyway, I fail to see the point.

God Bless Us Everyone! The good and the bad. The happy and sad. And... I uh kinda forgot the rest of the words to the song. But anyway let's all just chill.

"We dont put people down for what they believe.We welcome them with open arms."

yes, you welcome them with open arms if they convert. but you dont believe you'll see me in heaven do you?

PVS, what you on about?
KMC IS Heaven.

i beg to differ

We welcome them with open arms even if they dont convert.You'd be suprised at how many different kinds of people we get in the churchs services.We have a thing called standars that we like the christians to follow but we dont say you have to do them.It all depends on your relationship with God whether you will make it to heaven or not.Its not our place to say whether people will make it to heaven or not its Gods place.

I was going to say:
"But it can also be Hell."

Well then, would you receive a Muslim with open arms? My @$$ you would, you'd jihad them yourselves.
However, perhaps you would receive them-but you'd try to convert them first.

the problem is you exhibit alot ofpride in your faith, at least from what little i've read, its not like i know you. but it seems that you use religion as a tool to make others feel inferior (in the manner in which you declare your own religion superior and all others misguided and/or allout frauds). not to make them feel bad...but just make them feel that you're better. that is not an act of faith, but pride.

although your church may be welcoming, you seem to have a rather elitist attitude about it. no offense but thats how you're comin off on screen here.



so thus, since we have never visited the pentecostal church, we don't know what a christian is...wow

The christians were a decent band in the eighties, from liverpool i think

hysterical
Damn you Wookie!

SB technically "does it" with Sandy in the karate one

Thats not what im trying to convey at all.I dont think im superior to anyone else.All im saying is before you think you know everything about what we stand for and what we believe you should dig a little futher.I said they're misguided in how they view our denomination.



I think you know what a christian is.Someone who read the bible all the time and believe that theres a God.The problem is is that so many church's that claim to be christian dont live the lyfestyle.They teach that going to church every Sunday and hearing a long sermon will get you to heaven when if you read the bible it will says it does not.Often times you'll see alot of pastor drunk in bars and clubs when thats not what christianity is.

EDIT

SpongeBob squarepants ?
That is the most f*cked up cartoon i've ever seen. Maybe it isn't gay, but it's definetly retarded.

Sponges are asexual. They divide and multiply. So do starfishes and some species of squids.

sponges dont have sex they are genderless

Asexual means genderless. They have "sex" with themselves. No fun in that.

Promotes homosexuality? What, do they think that children will say "Hey! Being gay is cool! Mommy, I want to be gay too!".

Besides, I am an atheist, so I don't give an flying f*** what the Christians say.

Actually that's EXACTLY what the the conservative Christians think will happen if homosexuality becomes the social norm in society. You have it in a nutshell.

Spongebob and Patrick ARE gay. How do I know?-Ive had sex with both of them

LOL

Dr Dobson you started the controversy didnt start it because of content in the cartoons.He didnt even recall watching the cartoons for more than two minutes.He said there was something in the website that promoted homesexuality.

It's not really a matter of religion but more of a argument of morality.That this stuff shouldnt be promoted to kids at such a younge age.If anything they should learn about this stuff by there parents.Homosexuality shouldnt be considered a norm in society.This nation wasnt founded on these immoral ways of life.This country was founded on the bible and our four fathers where christians who actually had morals and didnt try to make out country more like a modern day Sodom and Gomora.

You have your right to your opinions. I absolutely agree that children should be taught about homosexuality when they actually begin to have a sexuality.

However your conception of homosexuality is misplaced. How can something be a sin when it is not chosen but rather instilled. A sin is something you choose to do. No one chooses to be a homosexual. Homosexuality isn't a "way of life". It's simply an element of life. Homosexuality does not determine someone's personality, likes, dislikes, religion, career or anything else for that matter. It just determines who he or she falls in love with. Please read up on homosexuality from viable sources. Least to say, your views on homosexuality as immoral and evil is becoming more and more outdated.

I believ homosexuality is corrupt and evil.I believe it does have to do with there religon because if God intended for sane sex marriages then he would have made Adam have sex with another man to set a precedent for the future.I agree homesexuality is becoming a way of lifw which is sad.Now more people are ok with same sex couples and think of it as "normal" when really it is far from that.I dont think homosexuality is something that cant be prevented and something that just happens.Thats just excuse provided the media to make homoseuality acceptable in society and they've succeeded.

What motivation would "the media" have for promoting homosexuality or if you prefer, how does "the media" benefit in any way from promoting homosexuality as normal?

Had you bothered to read any of the previous posts in this thread, you would have seen that scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified that homosexuality is caused by certain gene combinations on chromosomes 7, 8, and 10.

You are truly a world-class fool.

OUCH!
I've seen the part this threads about....
It has NO homosexual/homoerotic things about it at all!

Had you bothered to read any of the previous posts in this thread, you would have seen that scientists at the University of Illinois Chicago have identified that homosexuality is caused by certain gene combinations on chromosomes 7, 8, and 10:

...which would kinda mean that god made gay people

This is your opinion. However this not based on any facts nor any data. Just your own predjudice and assumptions. Like I said before please read up on homosexuality. You clearly have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. It's really quite sad. I pity you.

I thought God was supposed to be accepting of all people and that Christians were not supposed to judge others, you know the whole "judge not lest ye be judged" deal?

Neo conservatives jumped all over this stupid spongebob issues to take attention away from all the really ****ed up things that they are doing in the white house and the religious right jumped on the bandwagon to carry the torch.

If you believe in Jesus Beastro then you will acknowledge the fact that he chose to hang around with those that the rest of society looked down upon. Perhaps you should get off your holy perch and learn more about people and their lives instead of "preaching" to them as a divine parrot spouting holy doctrine.

Well said.

Thanks

you hit the nail right on the head. and this is where christianity today is hopelessly lost, and why i consider myself part of no church.

all of those who pass judgement on others in the name of jesus are commiting blasphemy. and if you believe he's waiting for you in the afterlife, you better hope he's maintained his stance on pacifism, or you can expect a huge b!tch-slapping

perhaps god is against being gay, and if so, its up to GOD. that is the core of christianity as jesus preached and as it SHOULD be. TOLERANCE. tolerance doesnt mean you have to agree with others, it just means you need to stop f**king with them and playing god by judging them.

TESTIFY BROTHER PVS!!!! TESTIFY!!!

I just wish that people who view homosexuality as a sin and/or immoral would inform themselves about it before they pass judgement. They seem to very ignorant of the subject. They don't bother to research it.