• Alan debates today’s hottest issues with conservative Mark Steyn, author of America Alone.
• The latest on the 2008 race for the White House.
• Should parents of gay kids try to turn them ’straight’? Wayne Besen of Truth Wins Out confronts Exodus International’s Mike Ensley, whose organization promotes “freedom from homosexuality.”
Rod~ don’t get mad at me for this, but when I read your first sentence I immediately associated it with “shit happens”. :-D
Sorry, I’m trying to take a vacation from any serious thought right now.
Yes, homosexuality happens, people. They can fight it with every fiber of their being and you know what, it was destined to be.
It is also really a myth that highly Religious parents have better behaved kids…that is B.S. I have seen and met many gay christian young adults (good kids) who still attend their church and others who just do not anymore because they feel they have no support or for personal reasons (much taunting has been done by other fellow christian adults in church.)
According to an article of USAToday last year: “Teens are coming out in an era when more Americans than ever consider homosexuality acceptable. In 2006, 54% found homosexuality acceptable, compared with 38% in 1992, Gallup polls show.”
Further more.. “the news in December that Vice President Cheney’s daughter Mary is expecting a baby with her female partner has even brought gay parenthood into the Bush administration family.”
How is this being harmful to society?
I will second what Cheryl said…secularly speaking there’s nothing wrong with practicing that behavior. I mean, what do I care if two people get together who care for one another? In my experience, I’ve found that gay guys are some of the nicest, most charming people around. I think they usually have a good attitude because they do struggle to fit in to society.
In the context of Christianity, many feel practicing homosexuality is a sin. I personally feel that way. On the same token, many Christians feel fornication is wrong. Stealing. Coveting. The list goes on.
I will get on my high horse and say, “Who are non-Christians to question what sort of behaviors Christians agree and disagree with?!” Or, for that matter, “Who is anyone to question what sort of behaviors I like and dislike?”
Well I was out last night partying with Donald Trump, Rudy Guiliani and Donna Brazile. A fun time was had by all. I did get to hear Alan’s show though, as Donald insisted on listening even though Rudy almost had a fit. We got him a pizza with extra cheese, meatballs and mushrooms to pacify him. And a sprite.
He ate the whole thing and went to sleep.
Donna says “hi” by the way.
The problem with people or groups like this is that they like to purposely spread misinformation and out and out lies that will make the general public listening fearful and even hateful of gays. Yeah, I have a big problem with that.
If that’s the case, and it’s done outside of the Christian environment, then I basically agree with what you said.
And this isn’t a defense of Christianity, it’s a defense of the freedom of expression for religion or non-religion, when that expression doesn’t seek to hurt people.
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I think I’ve figured out “Hillary’s Ploy”. Pledged delegates are only “pledged” during the first ballot at the convention. After that they can vote for any candidate. So all Hillary’s troops have to do is screw up that first ballot. She will then have a good shot at the nomination. It’s Win At Any Price !! Regards,TOM
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:47 pm
The ruling by the California Supreme Court with 4 Judges appointed by a Republican ruled that Gay’s could not be discriminated against through a violation of the Constitution. It does not matter whether the discrimination is a violation of the State Constitution or the Federal Constitution, using the ban on Civil Unions or Same Sex Marriage is Unconstitutional. Many Family Values, Religious Conservatives try to argue that Same Sex Unions will degrade Heterosexual Unions and our nation. They argue that Gay is a choice. Has anyone chosen to be Heterosexual, (Straight)? No. Ask any Gay if they chose Homosexuality? It is not a choice. I am Straight and realize that Heterosexual Families are not under threat of destruction by Gay’s. The Heterosexual Family is under threat from not Gay’s; rather it is under threat from alcohol and drugs, poor economic conditions, stress, and many other variables. The Religious Conservatives feel that they have the right to enforce their personal religious doctrine upon the entire nation. This is a violation of the US Constitution’s separation of Church and State. It is a violation of Amendment 14 Section 1: “No State shall make or enforce any Law which shall abridge the privileged or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its Jurisdiction the equal protection of the Laws.” The Homophobic, Republican Religious Conservatives also are in violation of Amendment 9: “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain Rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” They are also in violation of Amendment 14 Section 1: “All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” They have no legal ground for witch to stand. If they wish to amend the State Constitution they will be in the 1st, 9th, and 14th Amendments of the US Constitution. The US Constitution should not be a tool for taking away life, liberty, property, or the pursuit of happiness. It should be use to fortify the principles of Liberty and restrict government intrusion upon life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
May 22nd, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Hey Alan, I live in Montreal and Mark Steyn is full of $hit about Algerian terror cells in Montreal. And as you said, where are they?
All the 9/11 Terror suspects were in the US on valid visas.
Steyn is a racist and he’s a pathetic sack of it.
May 22nd, 2008 at 10:43 pm
Regarding the gay stuff tonight…
The question was asked:
How many people have been “turned” from gay to straight?
WHO CARES??? This is a voluntary group, that has the right to exist as much as the KKK does (barring any violent or otherwise illegal actions on their part). How many homeless people does the tiny church down the street help? If they only help 2 people a year, should we shut them down and tell them to end their homeless ministry?
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:41 pm
This guy wrote an article published in a CHRISTIAN magazine. Let me say it again- a CHRISTIAN magazine. He’s speaking to other individuals with a so-called “Biblical worldview”, but he’s being asked to answer questions that cannot be understood outside of the “Biblical worldview” context.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 pm
He’s not being interviewed with the intent of understanding his perspective, he’s being attacked and ridiculed. It’s totally unfair.
I’m black, and b/c I’m black I do not go to “white power” websites. Doing so would cause me to read things that will downright hurt my feelings. So if Exodus International preaches things that would hurt the feelings of gays, then they shouldn’t go to the damned website.
To most Christians, homosexuality is a sin, one of hundreds of sins listed in the Bible. (fyi, the seven so-called “deadly sins” being lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride). What this group is trying to do is help individuals deal with their sin.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 pm
I’m also irritated at how Wayne Besen (the anti-Exodus International guy)said that EI stating that “satan delights in homosexual behavior” is hateful. For God’s sake, man… To a Christian, satan delights in ALL sin. Wayne needs to read THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS, by C.S. Lewis, for an entertaining presentation of how Christians (and other religions with a devil or “adversary” figure) see the influence of satan in day to day life.
FYI folks: My Christianity has been put on hold while I finish conducting a study on what’s called New Testament textual criticism. But this interview was totally unfair to Mike.
May 22nd, 2008 at 11:57 pm
I agree with everything that woman said, the one who said she’s a “friend” of Ex. Intl.
Big A~ why do you keep saying it’s “sad” that Mike won’t live the life that he was born to live (i.e. a gay lifestyle)? If it’s not sad to him, why should it be sad to you? If he doesn’t want to live a life that HE feels would be choosing to sin against God, why should we judge him for that? How do you know he’s not happier living a life according to what he sees as God’s will?
You didn’t like how one caller compared homosexuality to drunkenness. That was actually a great comparison. First b/c all sin is the same to the Christian God. Second b/c people can be born with a predisposition to alcoholism, and that would have helped your point that maybe people are in fact born with certain “sins” already programmed into them.
I don’t know how I feel about the New Testament, the Old Testament, or the issue of homosexuality yet. But I think that your dislike for those who are what you think of as anti-gay didn’t allow you to step into the guy’s shoes and understand that he was approaching things from a Biblical perspective. As long as people don’t use their religion to purposefully hurt someone (like that Baptist family that goes to funerals) then who cares? This guy didn’t write an article in NEWSWEEK, he wrote it in CHARISMA to a specific audience.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:36 am
And Alan, it sounds to me that for Mike, living a life following what he sees as God’s will IS living the life he was born to live.
May 23rd, 2008 at 12:37 am
The problem I see with the California gay marriage thing is that these judges overrode the will of the voters. That’s troubling. As far as gay marriage is concerned,while I don’t agree with the lifestyle,I don’t think that the government should get involved in it. Yet it does open up some other questions. Should a man be permitted to marry his adult daughter?
Both being consenting adults.
Can the government prevent poligamy,being that all participants are consenting adults?
May 23rd, 2008 at 9:25 am
Hey Cheryl, liberals generally detest Biblically-based moral absolutes if they conflict with “pop” or relativistic morality.
I didn’t hear the interview, but Alan was probably pretty fair…of course he is going to be very biased against Mike.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:33 pm
I meant to say, “fair as he could be.” I don’t know if you can be perfectly fair and biased at the same time. :)
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Ah yes the exodus group. Excellent discussion last night. May I say that they make me sick? Yeah they do. I’ve heard their spokespeople a number of times on the radio in the last decade and it’s usually the same. One time I heard one of their people on a radio show who brought along the appropriate doctor who then spewed forth in a very calm and doctorly way that all gay people are mentally ill, and that their “gayness” comes about from having a dominant mother and a passive father. And that being gay leads to pedophilia.
The problem with people or groups like this is that they like to purposely spread misinformation and out and out lies that will make the general public listening fearful and even hateful of gays. Yeah, I have a big problem with that.
This group definately has the right to exist. And I have the right to be repulsed.
And by the way there is no such thing as the gay “lifestyle” no more than my heterosexuality is a “lifestyle”. You might want to choose to live a vegetarian “lifestyle” or a bohemian “lifestyle” but heterosexuality or homosexuality is NOT a “style” of life. I didn’t wake up one day at the age of 13 and decide…”GEE. I THINK I’LL MAKE IT WITH MEN INSTEAD OF WOMEN FOR THE REST OF MY LIFE!”
It may be your preference to be either with men or women but frankly it’s not something that you can debate with yourself one way or the other. It is what it is. There are homosexuals in the animal kingdom as well. It’s been documented. We had two gay male penguins living in the Central Park habitat here in Manhattan. Someone wrote a book about them. I wonder what the conversation was like when they were deciding whether or not to engage in the gay “lifestyle”. Must have been interesting. OH THOSE EVIL GODLESS PENGUINS!
BUT… why do I bother lol? Things are 10 times better than when I was a kid as far as gay rights go, never-the-less homophobia is still alive and well.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Hello my favorite person! I missed you. :-D
Perhaps there’s no longer a recognizable “gay lifestyle”, but I understand how the phrase came about. I think that we should recognize that there is a certain type of gay lifestyle… just like there’s a preppy lifestyle characterized by polo shirts and golf… a hip hop lifestyle characterized by the latest fad and hit music.
All I know of EI is what I heard last night. I don’t remember any of the quotes that the anti-EI read striking me as “mean”. They sounded like the kind of things that a fundamentalist would say. IF the comments are only directed to Christians who WANT to change what THEY see as a “sin”, then who cares? That’s their business, not ours.
As I said above, in my mind the jury’s still out on how I personally think God feels about homosexuality.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
The problem with people or groups like this is that they like to purposely spread misinformation and out and out lies that will make the general public listening fearful and even hateful of gays. Yeah, I have a big problem with that.
If that’s the case, and it’s done outside of the Christian environment, then I basically agree with what you said.
And this isn’t a defense of Christianity, it’s a defense of the freedom of expression for religion or non-religion, when that expression doesn’t seek to hurt people.
May 23rd, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Well I was out last night partying with Donald Trump, Rudy Guiliani and Donna Brazile. A fun time was had by all. I did get to hear Alan’s show though, as Donald insisted on listening even though Rudy almost had a fit. We got him a pizza with extra cheese, meatballs and mushrooms to pacify him. And a sprite.
He ate the whole thing and went to sleep.
Donna says “hi” by the way.
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:14 pm
I will second what Cheryl said…secularly speaking there’s nothing wrong with practicing that behavior. I mean, what do I care if two people get together who care for one another? In my experience, I’ve found that gay guys are some of the nicest, most charming people around. I think they usually have a good attitude because they do struggle to fit in to society.
In the context of Christianity, many feel practicing homosexuality is a sin. I personally feel that way. On the same token, many Christians feel fornication is wrong. Stealing. Coveting. The list goes on.
I will get on my high horse and say, “Who are non-Christians to question what sort of behaviors Christians agree and disagree with?!” Or, for that matter, “Who is anyone to question what sort of behaviors I like and dislike?”
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm
Yes, homosexuality happens, people. They can fight it with every fiber of their being and you know what, it was destined to be.
It is also really a myth that highly Religious parents have better behaved kids…that is B.S. I have seen and met many gay christian young adults (good kids) who still attend their church and others who just do not anymore because they feel they have no support or for personal reasons (much taunting has been done by other fellow christian adults in church.)
According to an article of USAToday last year: “Teens are coming out in an era when more Americans than ever consider homosexuality acceptable. In 2006, 54% found homosexuality acceptable, compared with 38% in 1992, Gallup polls show.”
Further more.. “the news in December that Vice President Cheney’s daughter Mary is expecting a baby with her female partner has even brought gay parenthood into the Bush administration family.”
How is this being harmful to society?
May 23rd, 2008 at 11:12 pm
Rod~ don’t get mad at me for this, but when I read your first sentence I immediately associated it with “shit happens”. :-D
Sorry, I’m trying to take a vacation from any serious thought right now.
May 24th, 2008 at 1:22 am