Sponge Bob Square Pants: Sexual Deviation runs rampant under the sea

Mauricio Rosas, Co-Editor, Commentary, Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2005

*Focus on the Family Dr. James Dobson in his own words:*
*Teaching Tolerance of Gay Families is wrong*

In a letter responding to one of our sources Dr. James Dobson explains why teaching tolerance of Gays is bad for children.

Dr. Dobson responded:

By now you've undoubtedly heard about the controversy surrounding statements I made recently in which I reportedly accused a cartoon character named SpongeBob SquarePants of being "gay." Although I never made any such comment, the media has repeated the story incessantly, to the point that *the truth of the matter has been completely obscured*.

*Here's what actually happened.* In an address to congressional leaders last month, I briefly took the time to express my concern over a video that is being distributed to elementary schools featuring not only SpongeBob, but more than 100 additional children's characters including the Muppets, Barney the Dinosaur, Bob the Builder, and Winnie the Pooh. The video itself is relatively harmless and is devoid of any sexual content. However, it is being incorporated into a larger campaign, created by an organization called the We Are Family Foundation, to teach "tolerance" to young children. Unfortunately, rather than simply encouraging tolerance of those who come from different cultural, religious, or socio-economic backgrounds – which we believe is a worthy objective – the curriculum also contains material designed to encourage young children to celebrate homosexual behavior.

To complicate the issue further, soon after this story broke, the pro-homosexual resources to which we took offense were suddenly removed from the We Are Family Foundation's Web site. However, despite the suspicious disappearance of this material and the public denials on the part of the foundation that it was promoting homosexuality, we have extensive and detailed documentation showing that my original statements are still valid. It should be obvious that my concern lies not with SpongeBob or Big Bird or any of the other characters in the video, but with the way the We Are Family Foundation is hijacking those childhood symbols to blatantly promote the teaching of homosexuality to children in elementary school.

But while the video is harmless on its own, I believe the agenda behind it is sinister.

*Now, more than ever, we must be vigilant* in staying abreast of what our little ones are being taught in the classroom.

Teaching tolerance and respect of all people regardless of their cultures is the key to ending division, discrimination and hate towards our fellow humans. Dr. Dobson a self proclaimed Christian is sending the wrong message to our children. He is sending a message that even his "Lord Jesus"” would not support.

What’s most disturbing is he and his organization is subjugating Americans who come from all different cultures and family lifestyles and personal religions, to believe in only one religion, “Christianity.” They are imposing a specific religious doctrine, Christianity, into our secular government.

The Constitution is quite clear that the government “shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion.”  This means that the US government should not be making laws for or against any religion. Our Founding Fathers, most of them believed in a higher power, were specific, with good reason, to leave any mention of any type of religion or mention of any deity so that we could bind by our common interests. The preamble to the Constitution is clear of what it is that unites us:

This country was founded on the premise of freedom "from" religion. What Focus on the Family, an ultra conservative religious right-wing group is attempting (quite successfully) to do is force the creation of a National Religion and that is sinister to those who believe in a different god, or in no god.   In doing so, he and his group are evaporating the common denominator that binds us all, the Constitution of these United States of America.

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SpongeBob SquarePants Reaps the Fruits of the Wrath of the Lord
Christians take umbrage at Homosexual Agenda of Cartoon Characters

Lorelei Jackson, Editor Comentary Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2005

The problem? Dr. Dobson, his fellow believers, and associates have found a tolerance pledge on the group’s Web site with which they object. The pledge reads:

“Tolerance is a personal decision that comes from a belief that every person is a treasure. I believe that America’s diversity is its strength. I also recognize that ignorance, insensitivity and bigotry can turn that diversity into a source of prejudice and discrimination.

“To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities, beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are different from my own.”

OK -- the real problem? Intolerance. How transparent can you be.

The video itself says nothing about sexual identity. The tolerance pledge can only be found if one looks on the Web site.

Sponge Bob isn’t asking you to compromise your beliefs. This video isn’t asking that of you either. It’s asking you to treat people -- all people -- with dignity and respect. A real sinister and subversive ideology isn't it.

Stephen Bennett, executive director of SBM - a pro-family organization - and Special Issues Editor on Homosexuality for the American Family Association says the media is twisting and masking the truth on the "Sponge Bob" controversy. .Here is what Bennett says about the video:

Stephen Bennett, a former homosexual now married to his wife and the father their two children, says he has no idea how Sponge Bob became the focus. There are many characters in the video and Bennett says, "No, Sponge Bob or none of the other cartoon characters featured in the video are 'gay.' The video itself does NOT promote homosexuality, but no doubt will open the door to a secondary discussion of accepting homosexuality as natural and normal."

Uh, Ok....I see.....I think? Er...it does not promote homosexuality, but will open the door to discussion?

Stephen Bennett, working in conjunction with Ed Vitagliano of The American Family Association (AFA) who broke the story, was able to retrieve and print out much of the removed material and pro-homosexual content as their proof of the real harm to children behind the organization's website, leading in with its so-called "innocent" video - aimed at our most innocent.

OMG...its an "innocent" video containing "real" harm to children. Somebody call the national guard.....please.

On the AFA website, Donald E. Wildmon, AFA Chairman had this to say:

"Contrary to what many media accounts have said, this issue is not about Sponge Bob being homosexual. It is about an attempt to promote homosexuality to elementary school children," "Innocent little children should not be encouraged to accept homosexuality by any teacher or other authority figure," he stated. "Contrary to what many media accounts have said, this issue is not about Sponge Bob being homosexual. It is about an attempt to promote homosexuality to elementary school children,".

If you read between the lines...oh hell....you don't even have to do that...its blatantly obvious, people are using their religion to attack people that have different views than themselves, people are trying to promote tolerance, not a sexual agenda. The American Family Association is well known for its intolerance of human beings that do not believe as they do and especially is known for its intolerance of homosexuals.

I am left to sit here pondering why "innocent" little children" should not be encouraged to accept people that are homosexual, and what certain groups are so afraid of that they are constantly vigilant so that innocent little children (and others) will not learn to tolerate people of different cultures, lifestyles and religions.

So let us consider the evidence. One of the first resources to catch our attention on the foundation’s Web site was a booklet that lists a number of organizational "allies," including five of the largest pro-homosexual organizations in the nation: the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), the National Gay and Lesbian Taskforce,and Parents, Family and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG). Also, the Web site made available school lesson plans that suggested teachers ask these questions of students:

"One of the lesson plans, titled, Uncovering Attitudes About Sexual Orientation, presents what are deemed "stereotypical definitions" of words that encourage bigotry and bias. If you have any doubt about the pro-homosexual agenda inherent to these materials, check out these loaded terms, which could be coming soon to an elementary school near you", says Dobson. (All are direct quotes.)

* Compulsory Heterosexuality: The assumption that women are "naturally" or innately drawn sexually and emotionally toward men, and men toward women; the view that heterosexuality is the "norm" for all sexual relationships. The institutionalization of heterosexuality in all aspects of society includes the idealization of heterosexual orientation, romance, and marriage. Compulsory heterosexuality leads to the notion of women as inherently "weak," and the institutionalized inequality of power: power of men to control women’s sexuality, labor, childbirth and childrearing, physical movement, safety, creativity, and access to knowledge. It can also include legal and social discrimination against homosexuals and the invisibility or intolerance of lesbian and gay existence.

* Gender: A cultural notion of what it is to be a woman or a man; a construct based on the social shaping of femininity and masculinity. It usually includes identification with males as a class or with females as a class. Gender includes subjective concepts about character traits and expected behaviors that vary from place to place and person to person.

* Heterosexism: A system of beliefs, action, advantages, and assumptions in the superiority of heterosexuals or heterosexuality. It includes unrecognized privileges of heterosexual people and the exclusion of nonheterosexual people from policies, procedures, events and decisions about what is important.

* Homophobia: Thoughts, feelings, or actions based on fear, dislike, judgment or hatred of gay men and lesbians / of those who love and sexually desire those of the same sex. Homophobia has roots in sexism and can include prejudice, discrimination, harassment, and acts of violence.

Mr. Dobson says, "Is this the kind of nonsense you want taught to your kids, especially if the nation’s most popular cartoon characters are used to get across the concepts? I pray not!"

I guess he forgets that it is the people in thoseorganizations that are being beaten up, killed, and in general crimes of hate are perpetrated upon in the first place.

In the second place, Mr. Dobson and company...should really try not to spend so much of their time perusing children's videos for clandestine agendas, its sponging up their brains. Perhaps Mr. Dobson and company should now go after that evil cross dressing Bugs Bunny, or drag queen Elmer Fudd!

Also, lets not forget that Ernie and Bert on Sesame Street lived together....what kind of kinkyness has Sesame Street been promoting with THAT!

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