In a breathtaking display of lies and hypocrisy, a group of anti-gay culture warriors and long-time Mormon bashers placed a full page ad in the New York Times pretending to be both victims of alleged homosexual “mobs” and staunch defenders of the Latter Day Saints (Mormons). Both claims are absurd and a cruel attempt for the victimizers to claim the mantle of the victimhood – which is a manipulative and cynical political ploy.
The dishonest Times ad essentially claimed that violent mobs of gay protesters were attacking the Mormon Church and its followers in the aftermath of California voters narrowly approving Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in that state. They even launched a website www.NoMobVeto.org. (It seems they forget that they put basic human rights up for a vote, which is essentially mob rule)
This Times ad is full of blatant lies – much like the immoral television ads attacking same-sex families during the Prop. 8 campaign. The fact is, the vast majority of the rallies across America were peaceful. Considering gay families just got stripped of their basic rights by deception and deceit, the protests were remarkably tame. If any other group had been subject to such humiliation through a multi-million dollar smear operation, there would likely have been riots in the streets – not the fake “violence” conjured in the bogus Times ad.
The anti-gay organizations and individuals who sponsored this “Big Lie” ad are trying to pull off a remarkable feat: They are both crying wolf, while being the wolf in sheep’s clothing. The degree of chutzpah is remarkable and eye-popping.
Consider that a few of the unctuous signers of the ad, convicted felon Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship; Rich Cizik, The National Association of Evangelicals; and William Donohue, The Catholic League are now pretending to love Mormons. In the ad they wrote:
“The violence and intimidation being directed against the LDS or ‘Mormon’ church and other religious organizations – and even against individual religious believers – simply because they supported Proposition 8 is an outrage that must stop.”
The ad ended with the following propaganda:
“Furthermore, beginning today, we commit ourselves to opposing and publicly shaming anyone who resorts to the rhetoric of anti-religious bigotry – against any faith, on any side of any cause, for any reason.”
Well, that is good news. The authors of this hypocritical ad can start by spotlighting themselves:
“Hollywood is controlled by secular Jews who hate Christianity in general and Catholicism in particular.” – Bill Donohue, Catholic League
“Mormonism either affirms historic Christianity, or it doesn’t. Since it doesn’t, it can’t call itself Christianity – a fact that all the good will and public relations in Utah can’t change…“While Mormons share some beliefs with Christians, they are not Christians.” –Chuck Colson, Prison Fellowship Ministries
“Most evangelicals still regard Mormonism as a cult.“ — Rich Cizik, National Association of Evangelicals
I really do hope this group shines a light of shame on those who promote religious bigotry – but they better be wearing very dark sun glasses when this occurs, as the glare from the light may be quite blinding. It appears that the only thing these men have in common with Mormons, or any other religion that they don’t agree with, is an uncommon passion for anti-gay discrimination. To watch these hypocrites act as the great defenders of the LDS church, and religion in general, is beyond laughable.
If this were not bad enough, Pat Boone compared Proposition 8 protests to terrorist attacks on Mumbai in a column for World Net Daily titled, “Hate is hate, in India or America. Boone wrote, “Have you not seen the awful similarity between what happened in Mumbai and what’s happening right now in our cities?”
In his op-ed, Boone also wrote, “What troubles me so deeply, and should trouble all thinking Americans, is that there is a real, unbroken line between the jihadist savagery in Mumbai and the hedonistic, irresponsible, blindly selfish goals and tactics of our homegrown sexual jihadists.” I’m not sure if Boone noticed, but it was religious extremism that was responsible for the attacks in India.
If these so-called people of faith have confidence in their beliefs, why must they resort to lying in the name of the Lord? For whatever they gain in smearing the gay community, it seems their religion loses twice as much in terms of credibility and respectability.
I have no problem if these people have a cross to bear, but why must this so often be synonymous with bearing false witness?
Let them continue to destroy “christianity”, while blaming it all on gay people. All they’re doing is chasing decent and reasonable people away, and creating Atheists and anti-christians.
Give it a few years, and their homo-obsessed business will take a back seat for their new target: Atheists and anti-christians. This is where they’ll f**k up big time, because most of those people are former “christians”.
Homo-obsessed indeed! This obsession with sex in general and gay sex in particular is something no one calls the religious right on anywhere near enough. I like the idea of billboards across the nation that read THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IS OBSESSED WITH SEX, similar to the billboards being posted by ffrf.org. Why isn’t the RR anti-sex agenda being used against them aggressively? It could be a tool in making people realize what is really going on. But it seems too many are afraid of ruffling their feathers. It is time to start going on the attack, much more than ever before. They are not worried about ruffling any feathers so it is time to begin returning their mean-spirited behavior back to them…they have had a free ticket for too long.
Dave, I agree the tables should be turned on them. For decades, “christians” have delighted in shaming people over the subject of sex, and worse, gossiping about it and making up scenarios in their fucked-up heads that hardly resembles what goes on in everyone else’s bedrooms.
It’ll be great when the day comes that it’s acceptable to treat “christians” as the public perverts they are – because they’re not interested in people ‘as people’. The only thing they’re interested in is: (a) who you do it with (b) where you do it (c) how you do it, and anything along those lines.
A pretty repulsive life, if you ask me.
While I appreciate your efforts to respond to the hypocritical NYT ad, I do have to question your slam on Rich Cizik. You’ve truncated his quote and failed to include any context (although you do helpfully include a link to the original article). For those who haven’t read the article this is the quote:
“Most evangelicals still regard Mormonism as a cult,” Cizik explained. “That will shape, I’d imagine, their reactions to Romney as a candidate for the White House.”
It seems to me that Cizik is not saying that he personally thinks Mormonism is a cult, he’s being frank that most Evangelicals do. It may be that he also shares this belief, but it’s far from clear that this is the case.
Like I said, I think it’s great that you ran this ad and I think it’s very important to respond in strong terms to the dishonest attacks on advocates of LGBT equality, but it’s also important to do so honestly and without misrepresenting or distorting the words of our opponents.
Let’s propose a Federal Constitutional amendment to remove the right to free speech from any leader of any Christian or Mormon organization so we will no longer have their lies and hypocritical b.s. shoved down our throats. I would never before have suggested something like this but the religious right’s rational arguments have successfully convinced me that taking away constitutional protections by popular vote is simply democracy at work. And nothing can be considered unconstitutional if it’s placed in the Constitution – regardless of how much it may conflict with other constitutional principles. So why not? Surely the religious right wouldn’t have any arguments against it, right?
Steve,
Everyone deserves the right to free speech, that not the problem. What the problem is, is that innacurate information and religios beliefs are being mainstreamed into politics.
Someone can believe homosexuality is wrong and sinful. That is their right and no one should be able to take that away. However, if they take that belief and lie, cheat, distort and do whatever they can to get others to believe it also, and eventually taking it to the government and wanting to make it into law, than THAT is not called free speech!
Science says homosexuality is not abnormal. Science speaks louder than religion in our government. That is why evolution is now taught in public schools instead of the Adam and Eve story.
James,
I know everyone deserves the right to free speech. Apparently you didn’t pick up on my sarcasm.
While not a Mormon, I do have several close Mormon friends. I think its ridiculous to jump all over their backs for their beliefs. They are one of the only organizations that practices what they preach. In a world that is so full of double standards and lies, it is nice to see an organization like this stick to what they have always believed.
The don’t support immorality in any form. That’s fine. Let them believe that and stand for it. That is what America is all about.
Those who support gay marriage need to do a better job if they want to win. Don’t whine, go out there and change people’s opinions instead of bashing. The Mormons and Prop 8 didn’t win, you lost.
It is Mormons who are taking away the individual and religious freedom of others, “This is silly.”
The ad criticizes the anti-religious bigotry of the Mormons and their evangelical Christian signatories. The ad further criticizes their hypocrisy for falsely claiming to oppose religious bigotry.
America is not “all about” anti-religious bigotry. You are semi-right about one thing, “this is silly” — Mormons and their anti-Mormon allies should stop bashing, lying, and whining about religious and sexual minorities. They should stop their selfish efforts to take away freedom and family values from other people.
[...] evangelicals, posing as defenders of the Mormon Church, jointly published a Dec. 5 ad titled No Mob Veto in the New York Times. The ad falsely accused gay pro-marriage protests of violence and [...]
Why is it that when homosexuals demand extra rights they get so upset when the rest of us say no? I don’t see singles demanding extra rights. You think you should be able to be Christian with out repenting from what GOD, not me or anyone else but GOD calls a sin!
Your activists are always demanding the church to bend to what you want.
TRUTH WINS OUT?
YOU WANT THE TRUTH? YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH! YOU WONT ACCEPT THE TRUTH!!
GOD CREATED THEM MALE AND FEMALE! Not male and male or female and female!
NALA,
“Extra Rights?” What do you mean, “Extra Rights?”
Let’s start with just “rights”. You know, we can debate, debate, debate about homosexuals and equality and why they should have it, or why they shouldn’t, but what it all comes down to, is this is a free country, and people should be allowed to date whoever they want to date, and screw whoever they want to screw and nobody should have the right to say otherwise.
It’s not about if homosexuality is unnatural or natural, it’s not about whether it is sinful or not sinful, it’s about whether or not the nation is going to live up to its promise of treating everyone equally under the law.
Ok. Here it is all in a nutshell. Evangelicals believe that the reason the economy is bad is because of gay people. They also believe this nation is being destroyed because of gay people. Evangelicals believe that there is a ” awakening ” coming that will drive the gay people of America to their knees in repentance along with the drug addicts, pimps, drug suppliers, w****s, and every kind of sin you can imagine.
What they fell to mention is that they have murder in their heart as they backstab fellow Christians in the back for religious politics and power. They fell to mention that alot of preachers are adulterers themselves having affairs on their husbands and wives. They fell to mention that the divorce rate in the church is over 50% because of sex – they either get none in their marriage or they get it elsehwere. Evangelicals fell to mention that they will lie against ine another and rejoice when others leave their churches they do not approve of and just not gay people.
Evangelicals pont the finger at gay people because they do not want to point the fingers at themselves.
Rick Warren is a pastor who made his success off of the back of his best selling books in Wal-Mart, Target, Books a Million, etc…and Christians Bookstores. People flocked to his book like crazy because as usual the Evamgelicals would rather read the opinions of others whether than studying the Bible themselves. They listen to Pat Robertson, the dead voice of Jerry Falwell, and the voice of preachers on TBN who for a fact are a bunch of yahoos whom hide their own sin behind I AM FORGIVEN. May I add thatthey do that sin time and time again.
Evangelicals for the most part supported McCain in the election and now they are jumping up and dwon because Obama selected Rick Warren ( the spiritual gurue of Christianity on how to have a successful life ). How hyporcritical is that? Instead of us pointing fingers at Obama why don’t we point the fingers back to the hyprocrisy of the evangelical Christians. Maybe old boy Rick Warren has some skeletons in his closet that the national media need to investigate and bring out to the public. Maybe he has had some public restroom indicidences like a senator that was in the news. Maybe he hs a male prostitute on the side Like Tedd Haggard. Maybe it is time for something to be done to expose Rick Warren for the hypocrite he may be himself.
We never though Ted Haggard was having gay sex with another man the whole time he was preaching against it. Nor did we think republican Senators whom oppose gay marriage and even civil unions would be doig the same thing privately.
Let Rick Warren hang himself. Media if you read this dig up some dirt!
I am not anti Christian. I am a gay Christian. I am not an atheist. I can certainly see why others would be by the way Evanlicals are so full of hate.
These evangelicals may have gay cquaintances at work whom they talk to and laugh with, but I guarantee you that they would not have them in their home for dinner as friends nor be seen with them at a gay bar or any bar to even have a coke with a gay couple or a single gay person.
Basically they are hypocrites to the core. I have no respect for Rick Warren. He is a politcal jocky for his own sense of power and ego.
[Moderator's note: In the holiday spirit, I am allowing this comment, but putting NALA on a temporary ban for these reasons: 1. NALA entered an invalid and disrespectful e-mail address. 2. Comments that assert supposed (in NALA's case, false) facts about history must be substantiated with links or easily verifiable references to reliable sources. 3. Commenters must not take other commenters' remarks out of context. 4. Commenters may not make unfounded, strawman claims about opposing points of view. In particular, NALA made false strawman claims about equality activists' views regarding black civil rights. TWO values robust discussion, but the discussions must be rooted in fact and context, not a mere parroting of echo-chamber myth and paranoia.]
James,
Under the founding of this great country our Founding Fathers used biblical principles as their guide in forming the Government, the Declaration of Independence and The Constitution. They knew that with out Godly principles our Country and Government could not and would not last. You have to have a standard by which all things can be held in to account, something that has lasted many centuries.
When this country decided to step away from those principles the decline of our greatness began. We have no worth as a nation because we have no standard.
It is much like when we went off the Gold standard Gold was the basis of the value of our money. Now we just print and print with out real value.
Life needs a standard to be of value and with out that our lives are meaningless. This is why abortion is so prevalent in our country today. Life has lost some of it’s value because of societies desire to have no standard.
This is a free country, but let us remember freedom isn’t free. We can’t always do what ever we want! When we were children we were restricted in what we were allowed to do. Drinking, smoking, driving and we had to attend school. Now as an adult we have restrictions also I have a drivers license but there are laws to follow. Just because I want to drive 100 M.P.H. doesn’t make the law wrong.
I think some times I here activists relating the way blacks were and to some extent still are treated as a way to justify their cause and the rights they should receive. But in my opinion that doesn’t wash. In the first place blacks have no Choice in the color of their skin. You on the other hand have a Choice. I am Diabetic and in that I have no choice. Some things I can choose or not choose to do others I can not, they are what they are.
The Constitution grants us life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but we have responsibilities in the pursuit of those. Marriage is something special and not just a tax benefit, it’s the joining under what God has sanctioned. “For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.”
Barry,
Evangelicals do not believe this country or the world is falling apart is because of gays. They believe it is because America and the rest of the world want to deny the existence of God and the relevance of His laws in the current world.
His laws are as relevant today as they were when they were written. He never changes, so why should his laws?
Most evangelicals I know are not full of hate. And as instructed in the Bible study to show them selves approved. It would be ridiculous to blindly follow church leaders, might as well drink the Kool-aid!
If you practiced what you preached in that last comment, NALA, you would be a very observant Orthodox Jew who followed and studied the Laws of the Torah as guided by the Talmud. You would also heed the Laws and Statutes laid down by G-d regarding the Messiah.
For answers/responsa to your follow-up questions/comments, please see http://www.jewsforjudaism.org.
“I am Diabetic and in that I have no choice.”
Yes you do.
You can skip taking your insulin, and deny you were ever a diabetic.
Same difference, rocket scientist.