(Weekly Column)
The field of contemptible anti-gay activists has long been overcrowded, like a room full of teenagers frenetically rushing a concert stage. In this cacophony of crazy it is quite a feat to rise above the din. Yet radio host and Mission America President Linda Harvey is making a name for herself by fast becoming the most homophobic woman in the nation.
Unlike her more sophisticated counterparts, Harvey is a zealot without a filter who appears unable to finesse her fanaticism. She is outright paranoid of an imagined gay menace that in her diseased mind is lurking to corrupt children on every street corner. For example, Harvey’s latest screed warns naïve mothers about the “threat” of openly gay doctors and nurses treating their children.
“There are a few homosexual doctors treating kids, there are far more nurses, LPNs, technicians and other health care workers in these lifestyles so you may want to consider writing a letter that you file with your pediatrician that should your child ever be hospitalized, you do not want your child to be treated or cared for by one of these members of the Children’s Hospital gay employees group except in the case of an emergency situation.”
Harvey is also opposed to openly LGBT schoolteachers and claimed on her website that that, “These teachers then become role models, in-house activists, and possible confidants for students who want to start homosexual behavior. Student molestation becomes a real risk.”
The Mission America leader is so obsessed with bashing LGBT people that she even took a swipe while commenting on the mortgage crisis: “But back to our main point, probably few such households are homosexually-headed, because few homosexuals want to settle down to any kind of permanence.” (Has she seen the latest census figures or actually met any gay couples?)
Harvey is so extreme that she believes she has the right to control the lives of LGBT people: “Our President has launched a broad scale attack on traditional values,” Harvey said on her radio program. “If homosexuals and transgenders are allowed to live and love as they see fit, we would have a whole societal mess on our hands, which is already starting to happen in some areas.”
Exactly what does Harvey mean when she says, “If homosexuals and transgenders are allowed to live and love as they see fit?” Is Harvey suggesting that she and her fundamentalist friends have the right to dominion over our existence? Does she think that she has the authority to deny us life, liberty, and freedom?
Harvey answered these questions at a March 2010 speaking appearance in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. At the event she flat out lied about Uganda’s “Kill the Gays” bill and even expressed her support for the deadly legislation: “The fact they are re-criminalizing homosexuality is (a) their business, (b) it is patronizing for white Westerners to be telling these folks — they are seeing George Soros funded gay groups going into Uganda. They are all through the schools, lots of promotion to kids. Poor kids, poor kids are being offered money and favors and gifts to have sex. That’s exploitation. That’s sex trafficking. And it’s being done mostly homosexually. By Western homosexuals coming in and trying to get involved in Uganda.”
It is absolutely abominable and shameless that Harvey peddled such unsubstantiated propaganda about LGBT westerners coming to Uganda to exploit children. In reality, the Westerners who are actually going to this nation are fundamentalist Christians who are exporting homophobia in an effort to take over Uganda though business contracts and the funneling of US taxpayer money into this repressive, rogue state.
More disturbing, it seems that Harvey thinks it’s okay to terrorize, imprison, and even murder LGBT people in any country that would allow it. One wonders if she would deem it a local matter if the legislation in Uganda were called the “Kill the Christians Bill.” And one also questions if her support for such brutal punishment would apply to American states had they the ability to pass such punitive anti-gay laws.
Finally, Harvey is so mean-spirited that she even gives succor to school bullies by attacking Dan Savage’s laudable It Gets Better campaign: “It’s supposed to encourage kids, that’s great,” says Harvey. “Encourage kids, say, you know if you’re having trouble, you’re getting bullied, you feel despaired, don’t give up. That would be a worthy goal if they stop there. But no they tag on to it approval of homosexuality and the implication that anybody who objects is just like those bullies out there and they’re leading you or others into suicide. That’s just wrong, it’s evil, it’s dark…”
If one wants to witness evil and darkness, look no further than the ignorant mind, cruel heart, and empty soul of Linda Harvey.
Susan,
“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; I Corinthians 1:27″
Quotes, such as the one above, are what I call the immunization verses. They are just dumb made-up statements that enable people to avoid thinking and thereby easily dismiss all criticism of their preposterous beliefs.
If it didn’t cause so much human suffering, the badgering of people with quotes from ancient superstitious writings would be merely amusing.
I’m sure glad that most people aren’t Bible-toting, Bible-quoting God-praisers like you, because if they were, humanity would still be stuck in the Dark Ages.
@ Susan (93)
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
Romans 1:20″
So, the proof that you offer as to god’s existence is the world around us that he supposedly made?
And you have the audacity to call ME a fool?
Let’s suppose you are correct and the bible is all true, we will all be judged and either ascend to heaven or be cast into the pit.
I think if I am to spend the rest of eternity kneeling before some TYRANT, then let it be the one who cares not a jot who I sleep with in this life.
Hey, at least I’ll be warm!
Susan said “Priya Lynn (81) You’re really off the beaten path with your argument that has nothing to do with my words you quoted. That’s what people do when they don’t know how to debate logically. They ramble.”.
Susan, that’s what people do when they can’t rebut an ironclad argument, they avoid it altogether and make a baseless claim that it’s wrong. What I’ve written follows logically and necessarily from the comments of yours I quoted. You’re afraid to consider what I’ve written because you know its right and you can’t dispute it – the god your bible describes is an unjust, hatefilled monster.
Ruth is a lovely story of loyalty and grace…
but it cannot be used in any way to denigrate gay people or our rights.
Now, it IS good for other reasons. One can learn a lot about ancient societies from it. Such as the fact that the expression “uncover his feet” (which Ruth was told to do to her dead husbands kinsman) was a “polite” way to say “uncover his privates”. In other words Susan, Naomi was telling Ruth to go sleep with him, before they were married. Reread the book knowing that..and if you dont believe me, ask a rabbi about the old hebrew :)
You holier than thou fundy Christians usually FREAK when someone who actually knows the Bible points out the sex, adultry, murder, incest (Lot uh incest in there) ethnic cleansing etc. you don’t want to hear. Or the rules that were never changed, but which you do not follow (from eating prohibited foods, to women not teaching men…which, since there are me here, you are trying to do, to the fact a woman should not enter a church with her head uncovered…you ear a bonnet to church like an Ahish or Mennonite woman Susan? Hummmm?
Until you
1) are prefect
2) are at least FAR better educated
3) have become a member of one of the educated, decent denominations that have been around for centuries like the Lutherans or Episcopalians or Presbyterians who are NOT fundamentalist trash and gotten a decent Christian education
BE SILENT.
You have NOTHING to teach anyone here, and owe us ALL an apology
And i’m still waiting, missy
BTW, you don’t even understand your own book.
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”
If they are invisible, how can they be clearly seen?
Read the book of Ruth in the “Thru the Bible” series.
http://www.thruthebible.org/site/c.irLMKXPGLsF/b.4104233/k.BFE1/MP3_Download_of_5Year_Series.htm
It is a love story of redemption. You will see how the savior loves people and provides a way for an eternal life with Him.
Fall in love with Jesus. He loved you enough to die in your place for your sin.
Oh Susan, really? The book of Ruth is all about a woman and her mother in law–to whom she pledges loyalty, plotting to get her into a good marriage.
And as for Jesus dying for our sins–he mentions hypocrisy and judging others but never mentions homosexuality.
Susan! It has been two weeks today that I have patiently waited for your materially, verifiable evidence that your bible is the true word of god. You have spat bible verses at us during that time hoping they would magically induce us to give up reason in order to enter your world of self-delusion, but offered no evidence. None. Zip. Zilch. Nada. You don’t even address the question because deep down Susan, you know there IS no evidence except for you and your fellow devotees’ nebulous spiritual “experiences” , that are completely subjective and explainable in far more parsimonious ways than “God” and “Jesus”. Susan, you are pathetic. Use the brain your god supposedly gave you. Figure out specifically why you believe in your bible and not in the book of mormon or the koran and then come and talk to us. But please use your brain and don’t waste other peoples’ time.
I mind is a terrible thing to waste.
Susan said “Fall in love with Jesus. He loved you enough to die in your place for your sin.”.
And like a wife-beater he’ll torture you eternally if you reject his “love”. That’s not love Susan, that’s a monster.
Susan said, “You will see how the savior loves people and provides a way for an eternal life with Him.”
I don’t accept Jesus Christ as my lord & savior.
I’ve accepted Julie Christi as my lordess & saviorette. And I’m truly saved – saved from the bondage of your religion that’s headed by a monster-god. Julie would never torture me eternally if I didn’t praise her incessantly enough.
Seriously, Susan, grow up. It’s 2011. Your Bible was written by ancient people who were understandably superstitious. And the cleverest among them used religion to gain power and control over the less clever, just as some people are still doing today. The Bible has no more relevance to conducting our lives in 2011 than any other ancient writings. That’s not to say those writings have no value – they certainly do – but the Bible is not singularly unique, even though large numbers of people insist that it is. Incessant insisting by lots of people over thousands of years does not make something true, but evidence would. So, instead of wasting your time with Bible quotes, you would be much more productive if could find some genuine evidence to support your beliefs.
And I’m still waiting, too, Susan.
Romans. wherefore. what does it all mean
First and foremost, IT IS NOT NECESSARY TO TRASH GOD OR BELIEF IN GOD TO EXPOSE THE IDIOCY OF THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT.
That being said, it is so very sad that Susan actually believes that she is “preaching the gospel”, but what she is actually doing is preaching her interpretation of it, and not a very good interpretation, at that. Susan, you’re only making yourself sound like a complete idiot to those you respond to on here, and you are reaching NO ONE. I was in seminary for six years, and no, I don’t totally subscribe to everything I was taught there, because I was aware that what that particular seminary taught was NOT ALL THERE WAS TO KNOW. Your understanding, Susan, is based on a lie; in your zeal to know and understand God, you have accepted an old and clever trick that was fed to you by someone who is equally dedicated, but deluded, and you accepted it hook, line and sinker, all to become closer to God.
Take some time to actually “study and show yourself approved” before you mouth your stupidity on here, Susan. You may be able to quote the books of the bible, cover to cover, but as many on here have abundantly proven, you have very little understanding of the history/intentionality of the words. You need to be able to back up what you spout, and not just put the words out there without any authoritative support beyond your understanding of “the holy spirit”. Until then, you will be edifying no one but yourself, and your endeavor in reaching anyone on here will be ultimately self-serving, and not of, or for, God.
[...] muffins. Today, we learn that OnebyOne lied to me because they have invited Linda Harvey, “The Most Homophobic Woman in America,” to speak at their Pittsburgh gathering in July: Presbyterian Ex-gay group OneByOne will [...]