Hypocrite or Christian?

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Ever hear of Rev. Donald Wildmon? Well, every gay man and woman should learn about him. He is rich, powerful, dangerous, and a Christian. For several years, this Christian man has waged a war against homosexuality and a whole lot more.

Rev. Donald Wildmon, of the extremist Christian group American Family Association, has said he won't rest until homosexuality is criminalized in every state of the Country. In 2000, Wildmon called for the arrest of openly gay Republican Congressman Jim Kolbe for violation of the Arizona sodomy laws. His argument was that since Kolbe admits to being gay, he obviously has broken the law and should be jailed for doing so.

And now Wildmon wants to boycott Pepsi for openly supporting the gay community within their own organization and out in the public. He wants them punished with hopes to running them out of business. To his horror, Pepsi has been giving tolerance training to its management and employees.

Pepsi also openly supports Gay Pride events in various cities. For this, Wildmon has convinced thousands of his followers to boycott Pepsi until they agree to stop supporting the gay community.

He has also called for a 2 month boycott of The Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy (all owned by the same organization). He claims they have refused to use the word "Christmas" in their holiday ads, and believes they should be punished for recognizing other religious holidays that occur around the same time as Christmas; such as Hanuka and Kwanzaa.

Again, he has manipulated thousands of people to punish the company, the employees and their families by boycotting these stores through the holiday season. How very Christian of him.

What I find truly amazing about the whole thing is that the founder of The GAP, Donald Fisher, is Jewish! Rev. Donald Wildmon wants to FORCE a Jewish businessman to exclusively advertise to the Christian community! How ridiculous is that?

The GAP has often used the words "Christmas" in their advertising and marketing, but they more often advertise a Season filled with a number of Holidays. The GAP even sells shirts that read, "Christmas 2009" printed across the chest. But that isn't enough for this small-minded, self-centered, power-thirsty, religious fanatical hypocrite. He wants them to advertise exclusively to the Christian community. Anything less, and he considers it an insult to God and Christ.

I guess he has forgotten that Christ, according to the bible, is King of the JEWS...not King of the Christians!

And obviously this man would rather concentrate on creating a frenzy within his followers than educating them on the origins of Christmas. He knows there isn't a profit to be made unless he can tap into his followers basic fears. Heaven forbid should his followers know the origins of the holiest of their holy holidays!

No one (least of all Wildmon) knows on what day Christ was born. From the biblical description, most historians believe that his birth occurred in September, approximately six months after Passover. One thing they agree on is that it is very unlikely that Jesus was born in December, since the bible mentions shepherds tending their sheep in the fields on that night. This is quite unlikely to have happened during a cold Judean winter. So why do we celebrate Christ’s birthday on December the 25th?

The answer lies in the pagan origins of Christmas. In ancient Babylon, the feast of the Son of Isis was celebrated on December 25. Partying, gluttonous eating and drinking, and gift-giving were traditions of this feast.

It is in ancient Rome that the tradition of caroling was born. The Mummers were groups of costumed singers and dancers who traveled from house to house entertaining their neighbors. From this, the Christmas tradition of caroling was born.

In northern Europe, many other traditions that we now consider part of Christian worship were begun long before the participants had ever heard of Christ. The pagans of northern Europe celebrated their own winter solstice, known as Yule. Yule was symbolic of the pagan Sun God being born, and was observed on the shortest day of the year. As the Sun God grew and matured, the days became longer and warmer. It was customary to light a candle to encourage the sun to reappear next year. Yule logs were burned in honor of the sun.

Mistletoe was considered a sacred plant, and the custom of kissing under the mistletoe began as a fertility ritual. Hollyberries were thought to be a food of the gods.

The tree is the one symbol that unites almost all the northern European winter solstices. Live evergreen trees were often brought into homes during the harsh winters as a reminder to inhabitants that soon their crops would grow again. Evergreen boughs were sometimes carried as totems of good luck and were often present at weddings, representing fertility. The Druids used the tree as a religious symbol.

In 350AD, Pope Julius I, declared that Christ’s birth would be celebrated on December 25th. It is common knowledge that he was trying to make it as painless as possible for pagan Romans to convert to Christianity. The new religion was easier to accept knowing that their feasts would not be taken away from them.

Wildmon considers his organization a "Christian organization promoting the biblical ethnic of decency in America society..." Which I find interesting, since America society has always been, and always will be, made up of a variety of religious beliefs.

Wildmon hides behind his freedom of speech...but he uses his freedom of speech to intrude upon another man's Freedom of Religion.

And to further demonstrate this man's hypocrisy, I invite you view his website: http://www.afa.net/

In the upper left corner of the page, you'll notice a rotating marquee with different topics. Look for the "Naughty and Nice" retailers article. Click on the "Visit Our Store" button at the bottom of that advertisement. While reading the article, you'll notice they are scrutinizing businesses for encouraging materialism. The AFA wants its members to take action in reminding the world that Christmas is about more than materialistic possessions. How do they want you to do that? They want you to BUY their buttons by the hundreds to hand out to all your friends, family, neighbors, church members and anyone else you meet. Depending on how many you buy, you'll be paying .55 to .90 per button. That certainly isn't selling them at cost, which means the AFA is collecting a profit for these buttons.

Now here is the manipulating part: These buttons don't cost you anything. It is a "suggested donation" for these buttons. Although, there is no ability to opt out of the suggested donation. You can donate more, but you can't donate less than their "suggested" amount.

Just another manipulative, greedy religious leader sucking hard earned money from people who desperately want to belong and believe.

I intend to openly and purposefully buy Pepsi products. And, even though I have never shopped at The Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic, I will be a customer throughout the Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays everyone.


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Let's Be Honest

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Let's be honest...you don't love me. Not really. Not if you're protesting or voting to keep me from having equal rights.

I could care less about the word "marriage." I have always believed it is a mistake for the Gay Community to fight so hard and spend so much money for equality in marriage. The real equality comes from receiving the same protections as any heterosexual couple. Other than that, I don't give a damn what word describes it.

I've recently read that I'm "sexually confused" "immoral" "perverted" that I "participate in degrading and perverted behavior" and that there is no "compromise with...perverts." All of these comments came from members of the mormon church; which, I find ironic, since their original founding leaders were sexual predators and pedophiles...what else do you call it when you marry dozens of girls (some of which are still married to other men) and have sexual intercourse with 14 years old? And you convince them that their Eternal Salvation relies on their accepting the marriage. And if these marriages were truly the will of God, why did Joseph Smith hide these marriages from his original wife, Emma?

Those are ugly words. And I'd like to set the record straight. I have nothing against members of the mormon faith as a whole. But I do have issues with their leadership and those bigots that hide behind their religion. But that goes for every religion...not just the mormons. I despise watching good people being manipulated and used to preserve the lavish lifestyle of a few greedy men.

The mormon leaders should be severely admonished by their followers for releasing a statement in support of the anti-discrimination laws recently passed in Salt Lake County. The mormon church has no more right to approve of anti-discrimination laws than they have the right to try and influence passage of laws that will discriminate. It is actually disgusting to me that the mormon leaders want to pick and choose which discrimination laws should be in place.


While speaking to my niece, I realized some of these people don't even understand the reasons that gay people are fighting for rights. And let's face it, some simply won't care and will refuse to admit that gays deserve any rights, since, in their minds, we are perverse, immoral, sinners, and "the greatest threat to America."


Never-the-less, I'd like to list some of the reasons we are fighting. This is directed to young and impressionable minds who are on the verge of thinking for themselves; so that they might have a chance of understanding what the fuss is all about:


Before I begin, I'd also like to point out that Michael and I have "been together" for 12 years. Longer than most marriages in the U.S., since the average length of a marriage in this Country is 7.4 years. So what does that say about our commitment verses opposite-sex marriages?

Here's the list:

1. Hospital Visitation.

- I do not have the right to visit Michael if he is hurt, or becomes sick, and is admitted into
into the hospital. A married spouse has the ultimate right of visitation and can even prevent parents and siblings from visiting.


2. Death Decisions.

-I do not have the right to have any say about his final wishes in regards to life support and
burial. A married spouse, under normal circumstances, has the only say in this matter.


3. Inheritance.

- If Michael were to die, his estate does not automatically transfer to me as it would with
a married couple. I would have to inherit it, and his estate would be subject to Estate Tax.
The IRS would calculate his entire estate as a whole figure and collect the tax before I
had any claim to it. This includes his half of any property, such as our home, we own
together.

- The estate of a married couple automatically transfers to the spouse without being subjected to any Estate Tax.

4. Funeral Leave.
- Recently, we had a death in the family. Michael could not attend because he is not legally related and has no right to funeral leave. I was asked by several if he could just take vacation...my response is why should he have to?

5. Retirement Funds.

- If I were to die, Michael has no claim to my retirement. He receives no survival benefits. His income will be reduced significantly.

6. Medical Insurance.

- I can not add Michael onto my medical insurance. Even if I worked for a company that
provides "partner benefits" and could add him, the law states the premiums we pay
towards his insurance is considered Income and is supposed to be declared by him as such,
which means he then has to pay income taxes on the Medical Insurance premiums.


So, you see. As a committed couple, who has survived longer than most married couples in this Country, we are not treated as equals. So how can you possibly expect me to believe that you love me or you support me...when you are trying to keep me from achieving equality in the security of my relationship.

Let the heterosexual couples keep the word "marriage" for themselves. So what!? I just want assurances that Michael is safe and secure if I'm not able to be here to help.


...

Poem: I Am An Abomination

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I Am An Abomination


I refuse to believe that

I can be accepted in this world

I realize this may be a shock, but

"All men are created equal"

Is a lie, and truthfully

There are reasons to fear and hate homosexuals

Gay chldren should be taught in the school system

That they are not important; understanding

Popular religious opinions

Will denounce

Children

With the love and support of two dads

But not now. I'll tell you this

Once upon a time

"Family" referred to blood relations

The reality is

This was conceived in the main stream

Experts agree

Gays are responsible for the worst disease known to mankind

I do not accept that

I will live in a Country filled with compassion

Tommorrow

Murdering homos will be justified and tolerated

No one can convince me that

Gays should be living free from prejudice and harm

Soon, the legal community will establish that homosexuals are a threat to our moral foundation

It is foolish to presume that


There Is Reason To Hope


.now read it from bottom to top...

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