| About this site |
| About us |
| Our beliefs |
| Your first visit? |
| Contact us |
| External links |
| Good books |
| Visitor essays |
| Our forum |
| New essays |
| Other site features |
| Buy a CD |
| Vital notes |
| Spiritual/ethics |
| Spirituality |
| Morality/ethics |
| Absolute truth |
| Peace/conflict |
| Attaining peace |
| Religious tolerance |
| Religious hatred |
| Religious conflict |
| Religious violence |
| Laws and news |
| Religious laws |
| Religious news |
|
DECRIMINALIZING SAME-SEX BEHAVIOR:
|
 | What some consider racist comments by Senator Trent Lott (R_MS), and |
| What others considered anti-semitic comments by Jim Moran (D-VA). |
Although the White House earlier criticized the comments of Lott and Moran, they remained silent on Santorum's statement. 2,3,4
Other comments were:
| The Log Cabin Republicans, an organization of gay Republicans criticized Santorum's comments. |
| Howard Dean (D), a presidential candidate called on Santorum to resign from his Senate leadership post. Dean said: "Gay-bashing is not a legitimate public policy discussion; it is immoral. Rick Santorum's failure to recognize that attacking people because of who they are is morally wrong makes him unfit for a leadership position in the United States Senate. Today, I call on Rick Santorum to resign from his post as Republican Conference chairman." |
| Santorum has defended his comments, saying that "all are equal under the Constitution" and that his remarks in the interview were not meant to be a statement on "individual lifestyles." He also said that his comments were "taken out of context." |
| Concerned Women for America, a Fundamentalist Christian group criticized the "gay thought police" and said that Santorum was "exactly right." |
| Genevieve Wood of the Fundamentalist Christian Family Research Council, said: "I think the Republican party would do well to follow Senator Santorum if they want to see pro-family voters show up on Election Day." |
| At a town hall meeting, a 23-year-old man who identified himself as "a proud, gay Pennsylvanian" and said he was offended by the remarks. He commented: "You attacked me for who I am....How could you compare my sexuality and what I do in the privacy of my home to bigamy or incest." 2,3 |
| Robert Knight of the conservative Culture and Family Institute said that the president's refusal to support Sen. Santorum "looks like a suicide move." 4 |
| The Family Research Council, a Fundamentalist Christian social action group, complained in their Washington Update news release that "...the leadership of the Republican Party is AWOL..." on the Senator Santorum situation. They wrote: "...no prominent national GOP leader seems willing or able to mount a spirited, principled defense of marriage and family. The question naturally arises: Have Republican leaders been so intimidated by the smear tactics of the homosexual lobby and its Democratic attack dogs that they are cowering in silence? If Republican leaders cannot mount a vigorous defense of marriage, then pro-family voters perhaps should begin to reconsider their loyalty to the party." 5 |
| Ken Connor of the Family Research Council, and James Dobson of Focus on the Family -- both Fundamentalist Christian organizations, discussed Senator Santorum's attacks on gays and lesbians, and the reaction to those attacks, on the Focus on the Family daily program of 2003-APR-25. They were supportive of Senator Santorum. 6 |
| Ken Connor, President of the Family Research Council (FRC) was critical of the failure by the Republican leadership to come to the defense of Senator Santorum. He sees it as a part of a larger issue: continuing the denial of equal rights to gays and lesbians. In the FRC "Washington Update." he wrote, in part: "The unwillingness of Republican leaders to stand up and offer a spirited defense of marriage against an aggressive homosexual lobby unmasked a deep rift in the GOP. Despite the Republican Platform's defense of marriage as the union of one man and one woman, party leaders were unwilling or unable to defend one of their own on the issue. Some Republican leaders clearly want to finesse the issue in an effort to pander to the homosexual lobby....Apparently, many Republican leaders believe that pro-family voters can betaken for granted." 7 |
References:
- Charles Lane, "Court to Hear Texas Case on Gay Rights: Challenge to State's Sodomy
Statute Could Lead to Landmark Ruling," Washington Post, 2002-DEC-3,
Page A12. Online at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ You need software to read these files. It can be obtained free from:
- Sean Loughlin, "Santorum defends comments on homosexuality; White House maintains silence on issue," CNN.com at: http://www.cnn.com/2003/
- "Santorum: 'I have a problem with homosexual acts'," Recorded 2003-APR-22, CNN.com, at: http://www.cnn.com/2003/
- "Bush has 'confidence' in Santorum. But Fleischer says president's view not based on religion," WorldNetDaily, 2003-APR-25, at: http://wnd.com/news/
- "Where Are the Republicans?," Family Research Council "Washington Update," 2003-APR-25.
- "In Support of Senator Santorum: Focus on the Family, Dr. James Dobson and Ken Connor discuss the recent attacks against Senator Rick Santorum," 2003-APR-25, at: http://www.oneplace.com/ This is a temporary listing.
- Ken Connor, "The GOP's 'Cold Feet' on Marriage," Family Research Council, Washington Update. 2003-APR-28.
|
Home > "Hot" religious topics > Homosexuality > Laws > here |
|
Home > "Hot" religious topics > Homosexuality > Homophobia > here |
|
Home > "Religious laws > Homosexual laws > here |
Copyright © 2003 & 2004 by Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance
Originally written: 2003-APR-28
Latest update: 2004-APR-10
Author: B.A. Robinson
|
|
