Posted on 04/11/2002 2:37:16 AM PDT by kattracks
(CNSNews.com) - In response to the "Day of Silence," a program designed to highlight alleged harassment of homosexual high school and college students, a Christian group is organizing "Truth Without Interruption Day," a program meant to give voice to people who feel they're being silenced by homosexual activists.
Pro-family groups launched "Truth Without Interruption Day" four years ago in response to what they perceived as efforts by homosexual activists in schools to drown out an opposing viewpoint whenever homosexuality was discussed, said Stephen Bennett, a former homosexual and spokesman for the group.
"It seems all the homosexuals ever did was interrupt, and the Christians could never get a word in edgeways. So [we] decided to avail of the 'Day of Silence' to get the Christian message out without interruption," Bennett said.
"We're subtitling this day, calling it 'Breaking the Silence,' or breaking our silence of apathy, being intimidated and our silence as Christians from sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the homosexual," he said.
Homosexuality is not innate, and therefore should not be talked about in schools in the same terms as skin color and ethnicity, said Bennett, who lived in a long-term relationship with a man until Bennett became a Christian and came out of homosexuality 10 years ago.
He also was addicted to drugs and alcohol, dealt in cocaine, and was sexually involved with over 100 men, many of whom have since died of AIDS.
Today, Bennett, a Christian recording artist, is married and is the father of two children. Together with his wife, he heads Stephen Bennett Ministries, a homosexual outreach group based in Huntington, Conn.
"What we're asking people to do today is first open their eyes to what's going on with the homosexual movement, to learn the causes of homosexuality, to open up their ears, to listen to what the word of God says on the subject, and open up their heart to be able to really reach these people in love and truth for Christ," he said.
The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), which organized the "Day of Silence" in schools and colleges nationwide, said its program seeks to promote "safe schools" for homosexuals.
The group called on students to take a nine-hour vow of silence to "protest the harassment, prejudice and discrimination - in effect, the silencing - that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people face," GLSEN said.
Participants are encouraged to refrain from speaking and hand out cards or wear stickers or T-shirts professing solidarity with homosexuals who they claim are forced into silence because of harassment.
The group also calls on teachers and administrators to support the program, which it says reflects the mission of public education, allows students to support one another, and can be a lesson in civic responsibility, freedom of speech and democracy.
Peter LaBarbera, a senior policy analyst with the Culture and Family Institute, denounced GLSEN's activism and its attempts to promote a pro-homosexual agenda in schools.
"The GLSEN record, including the notorious 'Fistgate' scandal in Boston, is truly shameful," LaBarbera said.
"From brainwashing impressionable elementary school kids to promoting sexual perversion and gender confusion to teenagers, this is an agenda that puts children in danger," he said.
"Hopefully, this 'Day of Silence' will wake Americans up to the organized homosexual threat in our schools," LaBarbera said.
E-mail a news tip to Lawrence Morahan.
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So true, unfortunately they will smeared and painted as hate-mongering religious fanatics
There's a close parallel with the deteriorated state of race relations. Anyone who's read about the campaign of defamation and vilification that's been focused on David Horowitz, point man in the argument against slavery reparations, has no illusions about victimist groups' attitude toward "open debate." Makes you wonder how they really feel about the justice of their causes.
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LOL! He is a stereotype, or what?! No wonder some women tend to like homoxexual men; they're great decorators!
Gotta laugh at this one. Back when there was not even a peep of sex education in schools there were still kids "growing up gay". When your children or my children are harrassed, beaten, murdered or suicidal because, for whatever reason, they've been challenged in their lives with homoerotic inclinations, rather than the mainstream, traditionally expected and universally sanctioned heterosexual orientation it commands our attention. It must be addressed in public schools.
Too often I cannot believe conservatives would be afraid of education, of facts, of dialog or attempts to create an atmosphere where young people who carry such burdens can find their way, and their own peace with God, without having to look over their shoulders for thugs and misfits. There's nothing wrong with discussing consequences. It's critical to the educational process and ensuring these young people have tools they'll need. One, however, must realize the Church-State question is settled at this juncture and not expect a public school to sanction any particular religious take on homosexual people or homosexual behaviors. Why so much the concern about whether a heterosexual male can be 'turned' to homosexuality and so damned little care about that same guy's wild experimentation and experience with your overly permissive sexually liberated daughter? Doesn't make sense.
Really, I look about at many conservatives on this issue and find it's pathetic. Many of the party who decry the other for being too swayed by emotionalism checks rationality and practicality at the doorway on this issue and some others as well.
Some seemingly would prefer their children be shut-up in a protective bubble of ignorance no matter how damaging it is, even if it might drive the children to secretive, and potentially deadly sexual experimentation. It simply defies logic. Worse, they don't believe they have any say in their children's upbringing or morals. Or simply, they are so busy entertaining and be away for the weekend, they can't take the time to impart their morals and values and *listen* to their children. These same people, as parents, always have alternatives to public education be it homeschooling or a private religious institution. Like it or not, public schools must factor in all of the public and address the needs of more than simply white, anglo-saxon, heterosexually active, drunkard, football-playing guys and their cheerleading girlfriends. There is a significant minority of students struggle with questions about sexual orientation and they are deserving of a place in public school where they can be educated about this aspect of their life free of Church-State separating taboo rebukes too often along the lines of blind, compassionless "convert or burn in hell" rhetoric we might hear out of the mouth of Al Gores old pal, the Rev. Phelps.
One can't ignore the roll the homosexual "community" is playing. They've failed and are failing their future generations. Part of that is caused by the need to act and react against emotional conservative instinct and outrage which gets in the way of addressing the very really, practical needs of teens and young adults facing this terrible burden.
Increasing cases of new HIV infections indicate the message isn't getting through. They're not spending enough time on deemphasizing rabid sexual liberation (don't try to tell me there wasn't any sexual revolution in the heterosexual community--one that continues today, just look at the stats--you'd be lying) and instead trying to bring (now seemingly abandoned) heterosexual courtship traditions and emphasis on the gift of virginity and life long commitments (in civil unions).
I can't understand why we choose the temptation or challenge of homosexual as a particular rallying point to condemn our fellow human beings, including children, when it's not any worse to God than other sin which may be no less destructive like over-eating, sloth, alcoholism, premarital or extramarital sex and so on. It's not abortion where completely innocent lives, unable to maturely reason and relate or defend themselves, are being erradicated for convenience sake in a monumental lie. And yet I hear far more outrage on a regular basis about homosexuals than I ever hear about a kind of daily genocide that we seem to shrug off.
Why interfere on homosexuality and yet scream bloody murder if the school decides to inform you that your child is quite overweight and may be at health risk or desire to be left alone when it comes to any business transaction? There's certainly level of highly selective libertarianism going on. Lord help you if you're not praying to the 'right' God, too, or if you're Catholic.
Offhand, why is it all the "ex-homosexual" poster-children of certain conservatives seem to have developed a cultish sounding devotion to Jesus Christ, rather than what might expect of a geniune, more normal relationship? It's peculiar and suspicious.
And they should give praise and thanks to God that they are accounted worthy to be stained, ridiculed, and condemned in this way.
They're not spending enough time on deemphasizing rabid sexual liberation (don't try to tell me there wasn't any sexual revolution in the heterosexual community--one that continues today, just look at the stats--you'd be lying) and instead OUGHT TO BE trying to bring (now seemingly abandoned) heterosexual courtship traditions and emphasis on the gift of virginity and life long commitments (in civil unions).
Any man whose conscience is so seared that he can no longer see homosexual behavior for the gross perversion of God's creation that it is cannot be trusted to judge anything else "peculiar and suspicous."
It's off topic but, could you explain? I can still pull up the latest comments on FR like I could before. How is bumping broken?
If you want your kids to LEARN, I suggest you take them out of public school....
By the way, 'hitlerys uterus' is a really disgusting screen name. Creative, but disgusting.
Never mind. I'm an idiot. My settings were defaulting to 'Latest Thread' instead of 'Latest Comments'. Not sure where/when I accidentally changed them, but all OK now...your post straightened me out; thanks! (I have seen other posters making a similar complaint...they may have made the same mistake as I...I'll track them down and see if I can help.)
You assume that "gay-bashing" such as you describe has been going on forever and everywhere. I grew up in a conservative small town and during all 12 years in school I never saw anyone gang up on a kid who was thought to be gay. It was simply not an issue among kids and certainly not a public issue back in the 40s and 50s. Being a "sissy was," but the punishment was simply being ignored and occasionally ridiculed. A very famous person went to my high school and I heard him characterized as a queer. May be true, as he never married. Most people his age simply thought of him as " momma's boy." Furthermore, in 40 years as a teacher, including years as a union leader, I seldom encountered the oppression of homosexuals that you think is endemic. I am not that perceptive, but I am not THAT naive, and I have spent a lot of time in teacher lounges. I conclude that much of what gays claim to have been "gay-bashing" was in their imaginations and generally what happened to them only when they went to places they should not have been, like the honkytonk where Shepard met his killers. It is my belief that gays and prostitutes who were suject to violence were people who put themselves at risk unnecessarily, that those who stayed in the closet did not remain there because they were afraid of being lynched but because people would shun them.
Odd statement, coming from someone as open minded as yourself.
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