Stacy Harp interviewed Stephen Bennett of Straight Talk Radio on her podcast today regarding his trip to WorldPride and I was surprised. I have been following Stephen for over a year now and this was somewhat a surprise. Nothing about this interview really bothered me. I don’t agree with Stephen’s message about changing your sexuality, but I have also said all along that he can have his mission and his beliefs just lose the flawed science, myths and stereotypes.
Stephen states in this interview that the response to his message at the WorldPride activities was “different” than the response he gets here in the United States. Well Stephen, let me tell you why that is and why I wish that is the road you would take.
Stephen says in the interview:
“The homosexuals men and women were so kind and loving, so respectful. I hate to say, unfortunately not like here in the States”
That Stephen is because you talked with them. You didn’t tell them they are child molesters, they are diseased, they are infiltrating the schools and the movies. You didn’t tell them their loving committed relationships are a putrid stench in god’s nostrils. Maybe you should learn from this trip, that here in the States, your approach has “SUCKED DUDE!” and needs to change. You might find the response to that to be more like what you had at WorldPride.
This only proves to me, and to Stephen that it can be done and the response you would get is so much better than what you get now. I wouldn’t need a petition to get you to stop the passive violence because you learned you don’t need to paint gays with the myths that we are child molesters and drug addicts. You don’t need to have guests on your show spewing myths about how unhealthy and diseased we are….just preach your bible and be done with it. Stop with all the misleading information and stop calling our lives a “lifestyle”.
I would respect people who hold religious beliefs about homosexuality that differ from mine as long as that is what it is, but they never stop there. They start in with Paul Cameron science and twisted lies about the life of gays, I don’t want to hear it since I know it is lies. When I hear the lies and myths from Stephen, I feel compelled to correct your lies and expose the fact you are telling them. When your message is about declaring war on me and those like me, then you are hurting people, not helping them. You are making the call to arms.
Maybe some of Stephen’s lessons, assuming he wasn’t all talk, will rub off on our buddy, Stacy! Maybe if she spent as much time reaching out and talking to gays and lesbians and less time trying to paint our lives as evil, she would get someplace with this mission of hers and for god sake learn something about us. Our lives are not about sex! They can’t be or the lawn would never get cut, and dinner would never get made.
I realize fully, that both gays and anti-gay christians think I am crazy and both will laugh at me (I DON’T CARE), but I can see we both need to find a way to share this earth. We can fight or find a solution to the cultural war. Which is it going to be? How about it Stephen? Do you now see that if you and people like Stacy, Guy Adams, DL Foster approached gays with less of an attack, you would get less of an attack back!
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August 16th, 2006 at 11:03 pm
I thank whatever powers that be, Joe, for you saying it. I wish more people would catch on to the whole ‘honey, not vinegar’ approach. Perhaps we could all send Stephen bottles of Sue Bee honey? heh
August 16th, 2006 at 11:28 pm
I think if more people would take time to actually talk to the Homosexual community like people, instead of some disease they are trying to prevent, they would have a very different out look.
August 17th, 2006 at 5:56 am
It probably wasn’t just Bennett’s own behavior toward them. One reason he may have received a less hostile reception from the gay men and women at WorldPride is likely that they aren’t living under the constant barrage of hate rhetoric generated by the likes of Bennett, and all the anti-gay hate machines like Focus On The Family and Exodus. Those people are living in political and social climates that are a lot less hostile towards them, even in Israel where WorldPride in Jerusalem had an enormously difficult time getting off the ground. The power the American religious right holds over politics in the United States is a thing of mystery in most of the rest of the world, save ironically perhaps for the countries where radical islam holds sway. They just aren’t living under the same conditions of culture war that gays here in the United States are.
So What Bennett was probably seeing is how people who aren’t under constant attack in their daily lives behave. Gosh, were they more kind and loving and respectful? Go figure.
August 17th, 2006 at 10:36 am
If it wasn’t us it would be someone else. For them Christianity means supremacy. Their god is pride, thus their “religion” is based on being against. Without an enemy their ideology would disintegrate. They NEED to hate us because they love hating more than they love loving. As long as they redefine their vile behavior as Christian, they can collectively delude themselves into thinking it’s not only socially acceptable, but also God approved.
August 17th, 2006 at 1:01 pm
This is true, the Christian Church in itself, has a very disturbing history when it comes to hate and Violence, they are more tamed today than they have been in the past, Salem Witch Trials ring a bell? or even the Crusades? Hurting or Killing or even hating people because of one’s God, is a factor in almost any religion, Christians today would like you to believe that the Exception is Christianity, but history tells us otherwise, the Church may not be as violent as they once were, but the vile hate for someone or something, will always exist in any religion, Christian or any other faith.
August 17th, 2006 at 1:31 pm
It’s true, Israelis are way ahead of the US on gay and lesbian human rights.
So the outreach has been far more intellectual, not hectoring.
So response from gay Israelis isn’t so hostile.
Considering the mean spirited campaign to cancel WorldPride, it was a minor few who objected.
But of course, the war did compromise things. Jews everywhere are showing more and more reluctance to isolate and compromise the talent in their culture that is gay.
They already knew that young gays and lesbians served in the army. Making that service open, only made things work better.
They need every soldier they can muster.
Unlike OUR military, talent doesn’t matter among gay soldiers…which is surely just another reason why we are LOSING the war.
August 17th, 2006 at 2:28 pm
I just thought of something, that was a REALLY short trip that Bennett took
In just what way was he expecting to be effective?
Seems he got a nice trip to the Holy Land out if it, but not much else than he went, said a few things and came back.
End of story.
Men like MLK and Gandhi were at obvious physical risks for their activity.
But there were RESULTS in ways that really did benefit MILLIONS.
Although Bennett et al, BRAG about who they contact or contacts them, improves lives..or that is their aim. But in reality, their activity is actually maintaining a STATUS QUO from the LAST MID CENTURY.
A century rife with racism, sexist policies and families putting on a facade of stability and function.
I know my life is better because of what MLKing and his wife Coretta and many other soldiers in the civil rights war endured for me and everyone else like me.
Not being a prostitute, drug addict or adulterer improves the lives of the individual as well as their loved ones.
NOT being gay isn’t an improvement that satisfies what straight people OR gay people do for each other. And NOT being gay because of coercion and discriminatory social policy isn’t an improvement either.
Standards of morality require universal effect, not just appeal and exclusivity to a group.
If Harp and Bennett had to take an ethics test…they would fail it miserably.
And for people in the position of counseling, they need to go back to school.
There are distinguishing characteristics necessary to weigh social and political issues.
Not just conscious, but real and certain effect.
Not imagined or theoretical effect.
People who are committing themselves to travel and LECTURE to the masses, have a responsibility that Harp and Bennett fail as well.
Being right has it’s own tests. One has to be willing for the tests to be allowed. For results, for conclusions.
Bennett and Harp et al, AVOID the tests.
AVOID having their OWN conclusions and theories tested.
Even in doing that, it speaks to a lack of confidence in their conclusions.
Being stubborn or evasive aren’t worthy of people who feel they represent god and godly interpretation.
Their FAITH is supposed to GIVE them the courage to welcome tests, often and always.
August 18th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Joe:
This was a really good bit of writing! I wonder if Steven sees that it’s the difference in his approach that caused the difference in the reaction he received? I hope so!
j.