There’s concern that Focus staffers’ homes may be threatened. We at Truth Wins Out send our thoughts and prayers to all in the path of these fires, even those with whom we disagree on pretty much everything. Stay safe, everybody.
Remember, commenters: this is not Free Republic, and you are not Freepers, so don’t act like it.
[h/t Joe]
As I much as I don’t want to see anyone rendered homeless due to this fire.. there is a certain irony (divine irony, you might say) that the people whos work it is to cause division in families with gay children, possibly causing the child to become one of the homeless. may themselves become homeless.
By way of background information, the story above refers to the evacuation of the Christian group, The Navigators. The Navigators own and operate Glen Eyrie castle, an actual castle which functions as a Christian retreat and conference center.
The now-evacuated castle was the site of an infamous, secretive anti-gay conference in May 1994. The conference focused exclusively on the “threat” of the “gay agenda” and included representatives from Focus on the Family, Concerned Women for America, Paul Cameron, Peter LaBarbera, Col. Ronald Ray and others. Press were excluded but someone made audiotapes, which were leaked. As these upstanding Christian men and women dined on lunch in their castle setting, they listened to Col. Ray describe gays and lesbians as “domestic enemies” of the Constitution. They could also hear Paul Cameron explain that gay people are mostly unemployed or underemployed, either “bums” or serving in unstable jobs like waiters. And they could hear many of the speakers express frustration that the media were portraying their movement as unloving.
Much as I don’t want suffering on anybody, especially when they practice the golden rule when they don’t have their homophobic (or other prejudicial) blinders on, I can’t help but think this is a sort of karmic justice for what they’ve done in their campaign against LGBT people over the years.
There are literally hundreds of evangelical groups headquartered in Colorado Springs. That fire couldn’t hit a better place.
Even though they claim it’s God’s judgement when disasters hit the coasts or other places they don’t like, and try to play it off as a joke and blame the lack of a sense of humor whenever they don’t get the reaction they want (like hurricane Irene), I sincerely hope they can recover from this. It’s also important to remember that there are innocent people who are also suffering from this fire. So please refrain from freeping.
We will just have to disagree about this Evan…but, it’s your website, so I will hold my piece.
May Light and Love find them and preserve them. Their hatred of me can never ever justify me hating them. I am not a coreligionist of theirs – but I do ask that the Lady and the Lord preserve them, particularly protect and preserve their children – and guide them out of this disaster.
Blessed be.
It’s probably too much to hope that this will give them empathy for all the gay teenagers that make up forty percent of America’s under-eighteen homeless because of them.
It is God’s plan, and he works in mysterious ways.
Let’s ALL simply Pray for everyone in Colorado Springs at this time. ~
After going to People For the American Way and seeing the article on Right Wing Watch “Focus on the Family reveals how Colorado Wildfires are Prviding a Valuable lesson about sex ed.” no Lisa, I wont be.
Their is no evidence that prayer does anything (it certainly doesn’t help amputees or children born with cleft palates) so I won’t be performing any of that activity. It is ironic that if this were happening to San Francisco or in Greenwich Village the christianists would be gleefully invoking “Gawd’s Judgment on homasexality” or similar tripe. If we do they same of course we are being hateful and even though we aren’t christianists ourselves, they hold us to the same standard that they almost never live up to.
Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Praying usually seems to be ineffective at fighting natural disasters. I know that Christian extremists blame gays and lesbians for everything from the fall of Rome to 9-11 to hurricanes in Florida and earthquakes in California. I hope no one is hurt in Colorado but I think they’ll be kept safe more by fire fighters (paid for by tax dollars of both GLBT and straight people). Prayer isn’t an effective flame repellent.
@Gene They’re using the wildfires for THAT? People are losing practicalky everything and they’re trivializing this disaster like that!? Those soulless, insensitive SLIMEBALLS!
*practically. Things like that Infuriate me. People are fortunate to make it alive, and that vile organization dares to conflate something totally unrelated to it. Beyond inappropriate. It’s a new low, even for them.
I wish them safety with a dash of schadenfreude.
While I hope that no one is hurt or loses their property due to this terrible fire (I’m a SoCal resident so I know about how terrible wildfires can be), I feel obligated to ask Focus and Co. why Republican Jesus has not protected them.
Actually reublicon Jeezus has protected them so far. They are actually a few miles and an interstate highway to the east of them. It’s their bedmates the Navigators who actually had to be evacuated. Gawd’s “mantle of protection” is still hovering over FOTF.
I was living in Colorado Springs when Focus on the Family built their palatial headquarters right across the street from my house. Many of the people I worked with were Christian Evangelicals who believed in a God that would literally punish evil sodomites with fire and floods. Of course they were certain that their prayers would spare them from any such pain and if God didn’t spare them, then God had a purpose for punishing them. I asked one in an email what this meant and he immediately replied that this fire was a sign from God. His house was under threat of burning down and he appreciated my prayers for him. I do not dismiss this person as crazy because I know he is not, but I am mystified over how the human mind works so irrationally when it comes to religiosity.
Would it be wrong of me to hope that there be no loss of life or injury but simply all their computers and servers and back up servers melted? That’s not so bad, right?
I sure don’t miss Chuck Colson do you? Isn’t’ the world a better place with him having moved on? I just don’t miss Chuck Colson.
I suspect the gods may be trying to tell FOF that they’re doing it wrong.
I know FOF will interpret this in the complete opposite manner, and make it out like their god is all vengeance-y and stuff.
How sad! Only hatred to offer at such a time as this? From fellow Americans? We should be pulling together and praying (yes praying)for these folks, no matter our opinions of them, as they surely would for us if the tables were turned. I do hope and pray that they are spared any harm from the fires.
I think it’s hilarious how Christian Reich preachers love to blame tragedies in places like New Orleans like Katrina on account of “wickedness” due to things like promiscuity, being gay-friendly, and Mardis Gras in general. They’re forever condemning these places and citing natural disasters as “God’s wrath”. Yet now that the whole state of Colorado is flaming (which can no doubt be said of many in-the-closet preachers, but that’s an entirely different topic… ;) ) none of them is pointing the finger at any of the bigoted, homophobic or misogyinist actions on the part of the “Vatican of the West”. Hmm. Interesting. Then again, maybe God finally thought that turn-about is fair play… Gee, I feel so sorry for “Focus on the Family”….giggle, giggle, snort….LOL! :D
If I was a believer I would say this is sweet justice. As I atheist I realize it is just coincidence. However it is ironic. I am against any federal government aid for these people. They didn’t want to contribute by paying reasonable taxes and now they want MY money to bail them out?!!!! Hell no! Take personal responsibility Colorado Springs! Use your boot straps to put the fire out! Don’t be looking for handouts!
However as a consolation, I will “pray” for ya’ll :) I will see how long it takes for your God to show up. Bet he will show up the same time the federal government that you hate soooo much comes and saves your anti-tax, anti-government asses. God’s timing always coincides with real people actually coming and taking action. He sure does work in mysterious ways ;)
Now you conservatives know how you sound. It’s disgusting, isn’t it?
In all seriousness, I do hope the people of Colorado Springs stay safe. However, they need to rethink their ideology when they process this disaster. Unfortunately they will probably go right back to hating government not seeing how it benefited them. Then they beg for it come bail them out again when they need it again. That’s the conservative way. Fix the facts to fit your ideology, as opposed to changing your beliefs and ideology as new information is presented. They loath change and lack the ability to adapt.