Fair enough, faith. Public education is tough, huh? You can't get away from school authorities having to discuss ethics with children, and everybody with a dog in the hunt wants their particular view to get juuuust a little extra attention.

GC

One of the things that bothers me most about those that call Dobson intolerant is the way they do go about it. Are they simply saying he is wrong, but that he has a right to his own opinion?

No!!

How is it that someone can preach tolerance and if someone disagrees with their version of it, they get labeled a kook. Who is really tolerant, and who is not?

If disagreement brings name calling, and the attendant labeling that Dobson received for saying what he did, perhaps there is more to this than innocent differences in opinion. I just wonder who is really the problem. Dobson, or those that tried to crucify him.

Dobson has an agenda, and he admits it, what about these other people?

I learned in school that if your argument is valid, use the facts, and if it is not, go after the person that disagrees with you, and try to make them look like a jerk, or an idiot.

In debate, they only let you use facts, but in the world of public opinion, facts don't matter much.

In the world we live in, it is often difficult to get all the facts. I believe we can tell much about what kind of people we deal with by how they go about doing things. When someone disagrees with you, do they do it with respect? Or with malice?

SS

graycloud...I honestly do not want my views to get any extra attention. I just don't want the other side getting extra attention. Just leave it alone, you know? I mean teach tolerance, but tolerance of ALL. And tolerance is not the same thing as accepting something as moral or right or agreeing with it.

And also...while we're at this whole tolerance thing....maybe us conservatives could have a little tolerance as well... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="images/icons/tongue.gif" />

Love each other, be decent to each other.

Right on Gray!

I am not going to say any more because I find that I am not good with posts like these. My feelings get hurt to easily.

Oh but I can't help it -

I would like my daughter to grow up with a heart as big as the ocean, being able to go through life not judging others...

Lest her world get lessened and her heart get hardened and she forgets the lesson that we are ALL here to learn.

To LOVE one another and to make the world a little bit kinder place for others by our being here.

A family is a place where love abides. Where the members are safe and free from judgement. Where they are allowed to blossom and grow and become as they were meant to be -

As children of the universe we ALL have a right to be here...

whether we come from a two mother home, a two father home, a grandma run home, a single parent home, an atheist home, a budhist home and so on and so forth or like the home I came from

A family is a family... lets not put conditions on it and judge it less than the home we would have for ourselves.

I'm a little surprised by the stance Dobson has taken, but it doesn't change my beliefs.

And like Gray, I now will probably not put credence into any of his writings. I can't help it, it turns my stomach a bit. Atleast if I was reading it correctly.

I agree with the earlier statement that this debate probably doesn't need to be here on MB. And yet, here it is, and I'm responding.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> If you are in approval of homosexual lifestyle..then of course you have no problem extending the requested tolerance...but what if you don't? What if you believe that it is immoral to do so? No matter how gently and kindly you say it..no when you want to hear yes will not go down smoothly. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">I have experienced this first-hand with my own two teenage children (both of whom are completely straight, btw). The world has done a great job of teaching them that two men together or two women together is no different and no more incorrect than a man/woman combination. (And of course, a separate issue, but that there is nothing wrong with living together and not marrying--in fact it would be silly to marry without trying it out first.)

And so, when I express my belief that practicing a homosexual lifestyle is contrary to what God asks of us, I get the whole angry "You're homophobic!!" argument.

No--I'm tolerant. I have an ex-business associate and friend who is very gay and very open about it. When I met him, he was married. He left his wife because he kept returning to the homosexual lifestyle. Do I hate him? No! Do I mistreat him or persecute him. No! He's a great guy who is loads of fun to be around if he's not freaking out about something.

Have I ever told him I think what he is doing is okay? NO! And that's probably why we don't talk very often anymore. I've told him..."Xxx, I care about you no matter who you are, and in the end I'm accountable for me and you're accountable for you. But I can't tell you that I agree with your lifestyle."

This doesn't make me homophobic any more than it makes Sponge Bob gay, but the media has a tendency to pick at the conservatives, and that's what I find frustrating.

And for the record, I still respect Dr. Dobson.

LL

Dang it, thought this one was gonna die.

LL, the general issue (not the original point of this thread) is hard to debate. For some of us, it's not an issue of somebody's political agenda but of civil rights.

I don't think Dobson was behaving strangely because he doesn't approve of homosexuality. I think he was behaving strangely because he was accusing some people of an evil conspiracy when he knows damned well this evil conspiracy doesn't exist.

GC

Oooohhh.. I'm going to get in trouble for this.

I'm not so sure myself that the evil conspiracy doesn't exist. Okay, maybe "evil consspiracy" is a little over-the-top, but the words "hidden agenda" come to mind sometimes.

And now I'm done. So if no one else feels the uncontrollable urge to respond that I did, the thread may sink to it's death.

LL

“””Dang it, thought this one was gonna die.”””

Oh C’mon now, GC, you can’t wish death on a thread and then make a HUGE judgment…

“””he was accusing some people of an evil conspiracy when he knows damned well this evil conspiracy doesn't exist.”””

Now how on this earth can you make that statement? Regardless of the issue, whether an “evil conspiracy” exists or not is relative to ones position on the matter. Another factor that also bears weight in the equation is the length that one will go to push their political, social, or religious views.

As with some other recent threads that have dawned these boards the subject matter is secondary to US learning and practicing respectful effective communication whether it be in the political arena or in our relationship with our spouse.

Bill

LH, I thought it was harmless to post because it was almost midnight. I figured it would drift away, but now that it's still clinging to life...

Now how on this earth can you make that statement?

I can make that statement because accusing WAFF of being a subversive organization is not something I'd expect a bright fella like Dr. Dobson to do.

Love Must Be Tough is still a self-help classic.

GC

For those interested, this is what I received today as an email from Focus on the Family:

O'Reilly Continues to Spin SpongeBob Story
Cable host again misreports Dr. Dobson's concerns


Dear Friend,

Fox News Channel talk-show host Bill O'Reilly used his "talking points" feature on Monday night (Feb. 28) to once again misreport the SpongeBob SquarePants issue, criticizing conservative "culture warriors" for allegedly saying that the popular children's cartoon character is gay.

"SpongeBob is a sponge. He's not cruising the bars in West Hollywood," O'Reilly said. "Culture warriors on both sides have got to get a grip. There's danger in fanatical policy. But paranoia makes a danger harder to illuminate. You won't be taken seriously if you cry wolf too often."

His comments are a thinly veiled swipe at Focus on the Family® based upon comments that have been widely misquoted in the media questioning the use of SpongeBob and other beloved children's characters in a "tolerance" video produced by a group with a history of advocating for pro-gay causes. Although O'Reilly's staff has been informed in writing that the "SpongeBob" controversy is based solely on media spin, the "No Spin Zone" can't seem to get its facts straight.

If you object to this kind of media distortion of the truth, you may wish to let Mr. O’Reilly know. You can find contact information online.

And remember, if you do contact Mr. O'Reilly, to express your opinions as forcefully as you think is appropriate, please be respectful.