Dustin told me about afa.net today. It's the American Family Association. It's a very interesting site that follows current affairs and the business practices of prominent companies. I don't endorse the site, as I don't agree with everything that they are trying to accomplish, but I do think that they are doing a great service for Christians in America.
One of the things that got my attention was their call for a boycott of McDonald's. Jodi and I have been actively boycotting McDonald's for years now since we watched the documentary Supersize Me. The AFA is calling for a boycott of the restaurant franchise for an entirely different reason, though. McDonald's has been inserting itself in recent years in several homosexual organizations. They've supported them financially, paid for memberships with homosexual groups, and even paid a handsome amount for a seat on the Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Here is a video of a commercial that they ran promoting their endorsement and sponsoring of the 2007 Gay and Lesbian Pride March.
So, for me, this is just one more reason added to what is becoming a laundry list of reasons not to do business with McDonald's. I am sick and tired of the propaganda that is being thrown in our face by Hollywood, the media, and by some businesses that not only support homosexuality, but practically glorify it. Hollywood has been adding homosexual roles to movies and television shows for years. The character is almost always given a lovable, witty, strong willed role. As if homosexuality is to be some admirable quality. Today, there are far more roles of admirable gay men in television then there is admirable straight men. Today's television man is portrayed as stupid, dishonorable, and terrible at parenting. Look at the countless examples: King of Queens, According to Jim, Two and a Half Men, etc. Not one of these characters portray an honest, hard-working, good parent. The days of moral teaching, stand-up citizens like Andy Griffith and Bill Cosby are gone. They've been replaced with womanizing characters like Charlie Sheen, and hateful, hopeless characters like House.
Furthermore, anyone that speaks out against homosexuality or even casually voices their disapproval is overwhelmingly painted as a hate filled lunatic. Or at least, a non-accepting jerk. But, why should we accept homosexuals as good people who are just being who they are? I accept the person just fine, but I don't have to accept their actions.
To those of you who disagree with me, answer me this: Would you accept a 40-year-old man who has sexual relations with ten-year-old boys? Why not? Is it because it's wrong? Are you sickened by the thought? Why is it wrong? Why is it sick? What if it were "consensual"? Why is it still wrong? Did you know that, statistically speaking, pedophilia is many times more likely prominent in the homosexual community than in the heterosexual one? And that the number of offenses per offender show a staggering 150 per homosexual offender versus 19 for the heterosexual one? These facts support the finding that homosexuality is a perversion of all things natural, a sickness, a result of the lack of conscience, and in all likelihood a mental disorder, an addiction, and quite possibly a "stair-stepping" crime that leads to even more deviant behaviour such as pedophilia. But, go on, Hollywood. Make them the hero in your stories.
McDonald's is gross anyway. So, it was an easy decision to remove it from our list of acceptable eating establishments. Besides, look what Ronald McDonald was caught doing in this video. Apparently, the woman said that she is heterosexual.
Backing Our Boycott Decision
6 comments:
I just have to know what it is that you dont agree with about the afa organization.
I can't remember exactly now which companies that they were going after, but I think that Bed, Bath, and Beyond was one of them. Anyway, they weren't really calling for a boycott or anything, but they were making a big deal about the fact that the company failed to include the word "Christmas" in any of its advertisements. They stated that it was in their store's policy not to use the word. Instead, they have "Holiday Sales" and "Happy Holidays" and things of that sort. They do it to stay neutral. As to not offend anyone.
And while I think that the focus should be on Jesus during the Christmas season, I realize that it's not local businesses' responsibility nor nation-wide chains' responsibility to get that message across. I don't think that AFA should be wasting any time on worrying about it. Maybe if the stores had Hanukkah and Kwanzaa plastered all over the place, but failed to have Christmas displayed anywhere, then I might feel differently. But, since that's not the case, I don't personally have any drive to attempt to convince the store to promote a religious stance. It's their right to stay neutral, it's their store. It's when a company leaves neutrality for the promotion of a controversial position that I get moved to act.
We are not a neutral country though, we were founded on the belief of Jesus Christ, In God we trust and I think its time for the christians in this country to fight back for its country. Do you agree with taking prayer out of the schools or not letting children say the national anthem because it has the word God in it? The schools are just trying to be neutral as well. We as christians need to stand up for Christ if these companies want to be neutral then maybe they dont need the money of Christians. That is exactly what the devil wants us to do is stay neutral and not fight and slowly let our country turn away from God. I dont want to see that happen do you?
I do agree with your position. You know I do. I'm not arguing whether or not government-ran schools should or shouldn't allow prayer. Public schools and businesses are two separate things. I think our school system is crap to be quite honest. And it's not just what they allow and disallow that make it that way, in my opinion. I'll write a blog about that in the near future, I'm sure.
All I am saying regarding the AFA and their position on Bed, Bath, and Beyond is that I don't agree with what they are trying to do. They are attempting to get the company to include the word "Christmas" in its advertisements and publications. In my opinion, the Christian that tries to force anyone against their will to add elements of God to their personal property is not that different from the non-Christian trying to force someone to remove an element of God from their personal property.
I believe that religious freedom is the most important freedom in our society. After all, just like you said, it's why our country was founded in the first place. My take on religious freedom is that no one (government or otherwise) has the right to tell anyone else (government or otherwise) what they can do or not do with their personal beliefs. As long as the religious expression (or lack there of) is not in any way harmful to anyone then I say no one has the right to try and change it.
Sidenote: I don't think that personal offense of a religious nature is in any way harmful. Meaning, a cross on the wall in a public school doesn't harm anyone. Some may find it "offensive", but I don't find that anyone should have the right to have it removed because of personal offense.
On the matter of whether or not Christians should shop at Bed..., I say it's up to them. I don't think that a boycott is warranted, and the AFA hasn't called for one, but they are encouraging people to make a point to contact the company and complain about the lack of the word "Christmas".
In summary, I feel that being a Christian means to strive to be Christ-like. Jesus didn't go around to local businesses telling them that they shouldn't be working on the Sabbath. He didn't tell them anything else for that matter. He went around proclaiming the Kingdom of God to people. And, I think that the Church would be better off focusing on witnessing to people and not bickering about the neutrality of company policy of corporations.
You made some very good points there, I totally believe that the gospel of Jesus is the most important thing to get across. So the real questions becomes when do we stand up for what we believe in and when do we not?
I havent had the pleasure of debating you in a long time it brings back old memories.
I was thinking the same thing. I remember staying up half the night one night debating the differences between Baptists and COC'ers and which one was right in its theology. Of course, it's probably easier to remember for me because I lost that particular debate.
I'll write a blog about schools soon. I'll be proposing my plan for the reorganization of the Department of Education as if I were a Presidential candidate.
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