Please tell me why liberals and posters here call Focus on Family a "hate" group

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?

'

Right and some of your so-called "traditional christian lifestyles" are hateful and discriminatory.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?[/quote

Could you elaborate? In your opinion or in your reading, what exactly is involved in "lobbying for christian lifestyles"? They want to ensure they have a right to live a Christian lifestyle? Great! Want to dictate that everybody else has to as well? Um, not so great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?

'

Right and some of your so-called "traditional christian lifestyles" are hateful and discriminatory.

. Is that you Satan ? Still bitter about your bleak future huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?
'

Right and some of your so-called "traditional christian lifestyles" are hateful and discriminatory.
. Is that you Satan ? Still bitter about your bleak future huh?

Remember there is only one true religion. All others pray to a false God.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?

'

Right and some of your so-called "traditional christian lifestyles" are hateful and discriminatory.

. Is that you Satan ? Still bitter about your bleak future huh?

Oh, hi, 1600's

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I admit I don't know much about them, and I did some digging around and it seems that they are just a Christian group that tries to lobby and push for traditonal Christian lifestyles. I haven't seen anything per se that would make them a HATE group. Is it because they oppose gay marriage? What am I missing here?

'

Right and some of your so-called "traditional christian lifestyles" are hateful and discriminatory.

. Is that you Satan ? Still bitter about your bleak future huh?

Wow, you are really doing Christianity a huge favor here.

[Anonymous]

I bet if Mitt wins there will be a lot more people converting to Mormonism.

[Anonymous]

It's all about the rhetoric. Gays and Lesbians are being beaten, terrorized, and yes, even KILLED. When your community faces the potential of being assaulted or killed, lets talk. I'm tired of defending myself to people who don't understand that it is lives on the line here.

Homosexuals are far more likely than any other minority group in the United States to be victimized by violent hate crime. (source 1)

A woman was just handcuffed, beaten, and had the word DYKE carved into her flesh (source 2). This was a few weeks ago.

In the last month or so, two teenaged girls were shot at- one killed, one terribly wounded (source 3)

So, yes, I think Focus on the Family is a hate group. They spread lies and contempt for me as a human being. The rhertoric is that I am less than human, and unstable people take that and run with it. It isn't simply about gay marriage, it's about my family not being equal to yours, about me being less than you. And my community is hurting. It's a type of psychological terror, to not know if tonight is the night that you get chased with a baseball bat for the peck on the lips you gave your partner outside the restaurant.

Focus on the Family has the right to say what they wish- but let's be clear, they are no different than an anti-Semetic group or a racist group. You say what you like, I call you out as a hate group.


1 source: http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/intelligence-report/browse-all-issues/2010/winter/anti-gay-hate-crimes-doing-the-math

2 source: http://abcnews.go.com/US/nebraska-lesbian-mutilated-anti-gay-hate-crime/story?id=16846781#.UCKgB5bfKSo

3 source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57472850-504083/same-sex-teen-couple-shooting-new-sketch-of-suspect-released-in-texas-attack/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Here's an example - suppose I decided that Christians shouldn't be allowed to worship in the style they prefer. I don't hate them personally. I just don't think they should have access to Bibles or be allowed to gather in Christian churches or say prayers in public or wear crosses anywhere. I don't have anything against them personally. I just think they're behavior is deeply twisted and that no one should engage in it because obviously a religion is a choice and people can choose other religions.

Now suppose I formed an organization to lobby for legislation to support my views and I encouraged lots of people to join me in my views. Nothing personal, y'know, I just think my child should be protected from people who use cannibalism as part of their worship (eating the body and drinking the blood - what else could that be?). So no Christians should be allowed to join her Girl Scout troop and I definitely wouldn't want any Christians teaching her.

I'm a nice family person, I'm not rude in public, I tell you I don't hate you, just your behavior - which you could choose not to engage in. I have to protect my family after all.

Do you really think you would believe that I didn't basically hate you and what you stand for? That I wasn't trying to hurt you in a fundamental way or to destroy what is sacred to you and your identity? I will tell you over and over I don't hate you but what do you think it would feel like to you?

Then think about how it would feel if you were a 12-year-old. And that's why I can't forgive Focus on the Family for what they do. I've seen what it did to my middle-schooler, who, thank God, has survived it but no child should ever have to feel that way ever.

I must say, I'm a Christian conservative and believe in a traditional marriage. However, this post really made me see this in a completely different way. I usually hate these types of threads because it becomes so heated and people throw out words like "hate group" or typically jump to the heinous stories of killing and mutilating gays. I don't mean to sound flippant, but I've never treated anyone that is gay differently and I showed them respect and kindness. Therefore, when these arguments would take place, and there's an automatic jump to the "your group mutilates and kills us for who we are" I just ignore that post and stick to my convictions because I think they don't understand where I'm coming from.

But, in reading your post, I can now see how hurtful lobbying for a certain belief can be. Even when that group does not support any hate crimes - and is actually adamently opposed to that horrific behavior. I see now that it's still very hurtful. I still have my beliefs and still value them, but you have honestly changed the way I think about supporting certain groups or lobbying for certain outcomes. Thank you for taking time to write a thoughtful (and not bashing) post - sometimes, throughout all the fighting, one sentence, thought, or post sneaks through all the others and makes a difference to the other side (me) - whether it made a small difference or big difference, your post DID make a difference to me. Thank you for opening my eyes to something they were closed to before.

[Anonymous]

Hey, thanks for not killing us, but instead just stripping us of our rights as Americans. Sorry I wasn't appropriately grateful.