$1.5 Million Spent On Anti-Gay Marriage Ad
A group called the National Organization for Marriage, which worked to overturn gay marriage in California, is out with a controversial new ad that suggests opponents of same-sex marriage are now being victimized for their beliefs.
"There's a storm gathering," one woman says as the spot opens. Says another woman: "I am afraid."
Later in the spot, a man says same-sex marriage advocates "want to bring the issue into my life." He is followed by a woman who says "my freedom will be taken away."
Another woman says same-sex marriage advocates "want to change the way I live." A teenage girl intones, "I will have no choice."
Ben Smith reports that the National Organization for Marriage is spending $1.5 million to air the spot in an effort to turn back the tide of gay marriage, which was yesterday legalized in Vermont. The spots will air in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Iowa.
The group does not back away from the ad's argument that same-sex marriage has a direct, negative impact on non-gay people.
"The biggest argument – and the biggest lie – put forward by those who want to redefine marriage is that it's not going to have any effect on you," NOM executive director Brian Brown told Smith. He added that those who back gay marriage "are saying that it’s right for the law to treat us as evil discriminators."
As evidence, Brown pointed to the fact that Catholic charities in Massachusetts stopped handling adoptions after legislation passed in the state outlawing discrimination against gays and lesbians who want to adopt.
Smith notes that states that have legalized same-sex marriage have passed exemptions and other rules to protect the autonomy of religious groups.
UPDATE: The gay rights group The Human Rights Campaign has released a statement denouncing the ad as "full of outrageous falsehoods" and noting that the claims "don’t even come out of the mouths of real people." Here's the full release, which includes rebuttals of the spot's main claims.
"There's a storm gathering," one woman says as the spot opens. Says another woman: "I am afraid."
Later in the spot, a man says same-sex marriage advocates "want to bring the issue into my life." He is followed by a woman who says "my freedom will be taken away."
Another woman says same-sex marriage advocates "want to change the way I live." A teenage girl intones, "I will have no choice."
Ben Smith reports that the National Organization for Marriage is spending $1.5 million to air the spot in an effort to turn back the tide of gay marriage, which was yesterday legalized in Vermont. The spots will air in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, and Iowa.
The group does not back away from the ad's argument that same-sex marriage has a direct, negative impact on non-gay people.
"The biggest argument – and the biggest lie – put forward by those who want to redefine marriage is that it's not going to have any effect on you," NOM executive director Brian Brown told Smith. He added that those who back gay marriage "are saying that it’s right for the law to treat us as evil discriminators."
As evidence, Brown pointed to the fact that Catholic charities in Massachusetts stopped handling adoptions after legislation passed in the state outlawing discrimination against gays and lesbians who want to adopt.
Smith notes that states that have legalized same-sex marriage have passed exemptions and other rules to protect the autonomy of religious groups.
UPDATE: The gay rights group The Human Rights Campaign has released a statement denouncing the ad as "full of outrageous falsehoods" and noting that the claims "don’t even come out of the mouths of real people." Here's the full release, which includes rebuttals of the spot's main claims.
The secrets of tennis legend 
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See all 368 CommentsUnder the United States Constitution, the treatment of religion by the government is broken into two clauses: the establishment clause and the free exercise clause. While both are discussed in the context of the separation of church and state, it is more often discussed in regard to whether certain state actions would amount to an impermissible government establishment of religion.
Second of all, speak to any educated scholar in theology and classics and they'll tell you just how stable your bible is. If you're unwilling to question your faith, then you contribute to a cycle of hate and misery in the world.
To illustrate, let's look at you fabled Old Testament. What of slavery? Mixed fibres? Seafood? Infidelity? Look at http://www.buttwheat.com/open_letter_to_dr_laura.htm for a rather amusing take on this.
Do not preach when you haven't questioned. The word "homosexual" wasn't even invented until the 1800s, so that just shows how inaccurate your translation (1CO 6:9!!!) is.
Shame on you.
LEV 18:22 "'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is
detestable.
29 "'Everyone who does any of these detestable things--such persons must
be cut off from their people.
20:13 "'If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them
have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will
be on their own heads.
ROM 1:26 Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their
women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones.
27 In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and
were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with
other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
32 Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things
deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also
approve of those who practice them.
1CO 6:9 Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of
God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor
adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders
10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers
will inherit the kingdom of God.
11 And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were
sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by
the Spirit of our God.
1TI 1:8 We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.
9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers
and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those
who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers,
10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers-
-and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine
"Let's all, from every(well not really 'every' cuz we like to judge people and decide who deserves human rights and who doesn't, ya know, like we've done for hundreds of years, cuz that's how we handle stuff) creed, come together in love to spread discrimination and intolerance to build a better world where we no longer live in insecurity fearing a threat that really doesn't pose any real threat at all. A world where every man (because women are subservient and children who disobey should be executed -check out Leviticus you jerks who simply read and take every word in the book literally ) doesn't have to face the possibility that he could find happiness in forms other than simply what he is told. Where you love who you are told you may love rather than who your heart tells you.."
Look who's casting the first stone, yet again. But then again, an eye for an eye... or was it turn the other cheek? I can't remember so let's just go and pretend we're better than eveyrone who isn't like us. Good Plan! God digs it when we take a load off his shoulders and judge others.
The creators of this ad should really be put under observation... can you say GLOBAL RECESSION? GEEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ! $1.5million is some fair cash and shouldn't be wasted. Cuz it was wasted.
Stevo, 22, gay and in a happy, stable relationship.
Ps. Someone mentioned that its sad how these people give a bad name to christians all over the world who interpret the bible for themselves. The above comment is not directed at you. God bless you for seeing the true purpose behind His words. Real christians spread love, not stand in the way of it. Your part in spreading the miracle of love is appreciated. Perhaps we as people from ALL creeds who have love in our lives and celebrate it should stand together to show non-believers what the good stuff is made of. Who's with me ?
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Posted by snarkysnark
Don't talk stupidly.
If you're 18, you can marry any other 18 and older person you want, its none of our business.
Hilarious. What's more likely? A gay person getting a gun and shooting straight people? Or one of these bigot nutbags grabbing their guns and finding themselves some gay people to hunt? And they say THEY are afraid? If I was gay, I would be very nervous about the hate these people spew.
"As evidence, Brown pointed to the fact that Catholic charities in Massachusetts stopped handling adoptions after legislation passed in the state outlawing discrimination against gays and lesbians who want to adopt."
And it's gay people's fault that these adoption agencies are fearful bigots? Sort of like saying its black peolpe's fault because a restaurant stopped offering bathroom service since black people are allowed to share the facilities with whites. Sad.
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How absurd is it that bigots don't want to be seen as such?
If the shoe fits........
There is exactly ONE point in the ad that is in some way valid.
Therefore I think gays could agree that when gay marriage is allowed, it should not be mandatory for church-bound organizations working for adoptions to perform this service for gays as well - provided there are other organizations who DO offer that service for gays.
And I agree that schools should refrain from evaluating gay marriage. This should be up to the families. However, since many of the extreme anti-gay people are on the evangelical side, I would like to make a deal: you stop demanding the Genesis being taught in biology lessons and no one will bother your children with pro-gay-marriage talk at school.
That a deal?
Posted by seezero1 at 11:33 PM : Apr 8, 2009
Talk about money being wasted? This 1.5 million is a drop in the bucket compared to what the ****-sexual Mafia has spent placing ads, buying off politicians and judges. A DROP IN THE BUCKET!
Posted by jediservant at 8:33 AM : Apr 8, 2009
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These are the same people who demanded that people be taught that "blacks are lazy and shifty and not capable of thinking for themselves". These "Christians" are the same people who demanded that Chinese be treated as indentured slaves who "were inscrutable and evil".
y\Yes, bigotry has always been wrapped in words that sound high-minded, but amount to NO MORE than BIGOTRY, HATE, and IGNORANCE.
Crawl back into your caves (fundie churches or whatever), because the dark ages are OVER and you have to live in a world where your FEAR of "different" people cannot be used to crush their LIBERTIES.
You live your lives like you want. Hide in your backwoods and pretend that your God hates people who are different if it makes YOU feel better about the weakenss in your soul that exposes your hate and bgotry.
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