Kern vows not to apologize for remarks about homosexuals
Kern vows not to apologize for remarks against homosexuals
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By Michael McNutt
Published: March 10, 2008
Thousands have sent e-mails criticizing state Rep. Sally Kern for comments that were posted on the Internet in which she calls homosexuality "the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam," the legislator said today.
"The homosexual agenda is destroying this nation; it's just a fact," Kern is heard saying on a YouTube audio segment posted Friday.
"I honestly think it's the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam," Kern is heard saying on the Web site.
The Cimarron Alliance Foundation, an Oklahoma City-based group, has sent a letter to House Speaker Chris Benge stating that Kern, R-Oklahoma City, "must apologize or be censured by the House of Representatives."
Benge, R-Tulsa, has no comment on the letter, his spokeswoman said today.
Kern said today she does not plan to apologize nor does she think her fellow legislators would censure her.
Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said she has received more than 3,000 critical e-mails and hundreds of angry phone calls since her comments were posted on YouTube late last week.
Kern, a former social studies teacher in the Oklahoma City School District, said the e-mails to her office often have been vulgar.
"I heard what you said and you should be killed ... along with George W. Bush!" read one e-mail sent to Kern. "Christianity is the cancer in our society and should be eliminated."
The Cimarron Alliance Foundation issued a posting today on its Web site asking people not to send hate mail to Kern.
Kern said she told a gathering outside the Capitol recently about efforts by gay rights groups to target conservatives in recent elections.
"I said nothing that was not true, I said nothing out of hate and I don't believe my colleagues will censure me," Kern said today.
"I was speaking about the homosexual activists who are aggressively funding pro-homosexual candidates against conservative Republicans," Kern said. "In 2006, they targeted conservatives across the nation, mostly at the state and local levels. They took out 50 of them."
Kern said she was talking to "grassroots individuals who are Republicans."
Someone apparently taped her comments and they ended up on YouTube, sparking reaction from across the country.
"Representative Kern's secretive hate words made to a small group of about 50 people are now being heard and judged by millions of Americans," wrote Richard Ogden, chairman of the Cimarron Alliance Foundation. "These words are on YouTube and millions more Americans will hear her hateful words."
Kern often has opposed homosexuality
Kern has not been shy in her criticism of homosexuality during her nearly four years as a state legislator.
Elected to the House in 2004, Kern has led efforts to block state funding for libraries that did not segregate books with homosexual or sexually explicit material from children's sections. She also proposed a measure that would have allowed teachers across the state to teach a range of scientific views on the theory of evolution.
Neither measure passed.
"Most Oklahomans are socially conservative and believe marriage is a sacred institution, the union of one man and one woman, and that the traditional family is worth protecting and preserving," Kern said in a statement Monday. "When I campaigned for office, I promised my constituents to stand up for those values, and I do not apologize for keeping my word."
In 2006, Kern introduced House Bill 2158: Supporters said parents should decide whether their children can have access to these books. The bill would have required the state Board of Libraries to withhold state funding if a public library does not comply with the new regulations. Opponents said the legislation was too subjective and would cost libraries — especially those in rural areas with limited staff — money and time.
The House passed the measure, 60-33. It died in the Senate.
Also that year, she introduced HB 2107, a measure that would have allowed teachers across the state to teach a range of scientific views on the theory of evolution. Supporters said the change would have given teachers the academic freedom to present the scientific debate on evolution; then students could think critically about the views and form their own opinions. Critics said it was a veiled way to bring religion into the classroom and teach intelligent design, which supposes that the universe is the work of an "intelligent cause."
The House passed the bill, 77-10. It died in the Senate.
In 2005, her first year as a legislator, Kern introduced House Resolution 1039, which urged library officials to restrict children's access to books with homosexual themes. It states that Oklahoma libraries should "confine homosexually themed books and other age-inappropriate material to areas exclusively for adult access and distribution."
Kern said at the time she wanted to make public libraries aware of the "values that our state upholds" and make sure books are on the shelves "where they appropriately need to be."
Opponents said the measure was censorship and was an attempt to control what decisions people have the right to make on their own.
The resolution passed, 81-3.
This session, Kern is among the authors of HB 2211, called the Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act. Among other things it states students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork and other assignments "free from discrimination based on the religious content."
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To all the Kern haters out there: lighten up. She's entitled to speak freely her opinion, just as you are. If you don't like it, that's okay. She quoted the Bible, and she was accurate in her interpretation of scripture when it comes to homosexuality. Good for her. She isn't being hateful, she's being Biblical. That's a far cry from "hate speech" or whatever labels her detractors would love to pin on her. She's just stated the truth, according to the Word of God.
Or know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with men, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye were washed, but ye were sanctified, but ye were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and in the Spirit of our God. 1 Cor 6:9-11 (ASV)
Homosexuality is no worse or less a sin than murder, adultery, stealing, lying, etc. The only reason that I am even writing this is because of the movement to convince people that homosexuality is not wrong, or immoral, but is a legitimate lifestyle option. There is not, as far as I know, a concerted effort to promote stealing, adultery, lying, cheating, etc. as normal moral lifestyles for our society. There are no “Thief-Straight Alliances” that I know of. No “Adultery Action Committees” seeking to convince society that cheating on your spouse should be sanctioned by laws passed by the government. Lying and stealing are not being promoted as normal moral behavior to our children in schools or to our culture at large. And we are not being asked, for the most part, to accept them as normal. However; we are being asked to accept homosexuality as normal and we are often times attacked for expressing the view that we do not accept this lifestyle as normal.
I write out of love for the homosexual. If I believe the Bible declares that living a homosexual lifestyle is sinful, and separates us from God eternally, I would be wrong to NOT say anything about that belief. It would be like seeing that someone is about to walk off the edge of a cliff and not warning them of the danger.
Jesus loves everyone. We are all God’s children. But, when we reject His lordship and make our own rules, we alienate ourselves from Him and should not expect that He will ignore our rebellion.
God will accept the homosexual just the same as He accepts any other sinner. Jesus Christ died on the cross so that anyone who comes to Him on His terms will be cleansed of their sin and will be brought into a right relationship with God.
Because, if you say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and have faith in your heart that God has made him come back from the dead, you will have salvation: For with the heart man has faith to get righteousness, and with the mouth he says that Jesus is Lord to get salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (BBE)
Mrs. Kern, don't apologize, you have done nothing wrong. It is not your fault that people can't ignore what they don't like or disagree with.
Please take action against the anti-gay remarks by Oklahoma State Representative Sally Kern, wherein she said that the “homosexual lifestyle” is “the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism.”
This type of hateful and defamatory language from our public officials is completely unacceptable. Kern, pledged to serve ALL of the people of Oklahoma, not just the ones that share her religious beliefs.
Hold Kern accountable for her misinformed, inaccurate claims about gay and lesbian people. By publicly voicing her anti-gay attitudes and beliefs she endorses discrimination and violent physical, verbal attacks on Americans. If you replaced the word gay with any other attribute in humanity would you not consider that racism?
Move to impeach Kern today! Tell your Governor and representatives that her divisive, bigoted leadership has no place in America.
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/request-to-terminate-sally-kerns-position-house-of-representatives
During his earthly ministry . . .
Jesus never called a gay person a sinner.
Jesus never called a gay person immoral.
Jesus never asked a gay person to change.
Jesus never condemned a single gay person.
Jesus never judged a single gay person.
Jesus never quoted scripture against a single gay person
Proof that fundamentalists selectively quote the Bible:
A lesson about the book of Leviticus . . .
Homophobic fundamentalists often quote two particular verses that seem to be against gay people. These two verses, both of which appear in the book of Leviticus, are . . .
"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." (Leviticus 18:22)
and . . .
"If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them." (Leviticus 20:13)
Below, we'll take a look at other scripture verses that are in the exact same book (Leviticus) as the above verse. This exercise proves that those preachers who are so enthusiastic about quoting the book of Leviticus to affirm their personal prejudice against people who are gay or lesbian become awfully quiet when it comes to other verses that appear in the very same book.
Remember, this isn't about faith whatsoever. It's about people who have pre-existing anti-gay prejudice in their hearts. They choose the Christian Bible as the tool with which they attempt to affirm and legitimize that pre-existing prejudice.
Sadly, the truth is that they just don't like gay people.
"For everyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. He has cursed his father or his mother. His blood shall be upon him." (Leviticus 20:9)
Imagine what would happen today if we killed every child who was disrespectful to his parents. Fundamentalists explain this verse away, saying that it is part of the Old Levitical Holiness Code and is not meant to be taken literally.
But the above verse is just a mere 3 verses before Leviticus 20:13, one of their favorite anti-gay scriptures which, of course, they do choose to apply literally.
It's just incredible, isn't it?
Fundamentalists change their entire methodology of scriptural interpretation when it suits their purpose, even when dealing with verses that are a just couple of sentences away from each other!
"If a man lies with a woman during her sickness and uncovers her nakedness, he has discovered her flow, and she has uncovered the flow of her blood. Both of them shall be cut off from her people." (Leviticus 20:18)
Imagine what would happen today if we deported every man and woman who had ever had sex together while the woman was having her period. Fundamentalists decline the opportunity to take this verse literally, which is merely 5 verses after Leviticus 20:13.
"Your male and female slaves are to come from the nations around you; from them you may buy slaves. You may also buy some of the temporary residents living among you and members of their clans born in your country, and they will become your property." (Leviticus 25:44-45)
Did you ever wonder where racist, uneducated people in the 19th century got the idea that slaves were just property and not people? Directly from the above verse, which fundamentalists do not, of course, take literally.
"Do not cut the hair at the sides of your head or clip off the edges of your beard." (Leviticus 19:27)
"Bible-believing" fundamentalists never preach against the evils of shaving, as they do not take this verse literally for our day. Of course, they most certainly would do so if they had a personal bias against shaving, but apparently, they do not.
"...and the swine, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you." (Leviticus 11:7)
As you can see, the book of Leviticus also prohibits the eating of pork (a swine is a pig). Of course, fundamentalists do not choose to use this verse to preach against eating pork. Sadly, however, they have no problem abusing the Bible to condemn gay and lesbian people. Remember, it's about their personal prejudice against gay people, not about a true desire to understand what the Bible actually says.
"...do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. Do not wear material woven of two kinds of material." (Leviticus 19:19)
Farmers in this country almost always grow more than one kind of crop in their fields. In fact, they often must do so for ecological reasons. Fundamentalists do not apply this verse literally. If they were to preach against farmers, there would be an uproar, and rightfully so.
Fundamentalists also ignore the Biblical command to not wear clothes that have two different kinds of material. The shirts that many fundamentalists are often seen wearing must be a cotton/polyester blend, the most common in the United States of America. They may be "Bible believing" Christians, but this is yet another verse that they don't believe should be applied to today.
An "abomination?"
Fundamentalists also like to use Leviticus 18:22 to justify their anti-gay prejudice. That verse says, "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination." Perhaps you have heard some people refer to gay people as an "abomination." They get the idea directly from Leviticus 18:22. But did you know...
The Bible says that eating shrimp and lobster is an abomination:
"But all in the seas or in the rivers that do not have fins and scales, all that move in the water or any living thing which is in the water, they are an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:10)
"They (shellfish) shall be an abomination to you; you shall not eat their flesh, but you shall regard their carcasses as an abomination." (Leviticus 11:11)
"Whatever in the water does not have fins or scales; that shall be an abomination to you." (Leviticus 11:12)
In conclusion . . .
The above exercise proves that anti-gay fundamentalists selectively quote the Bible. They enthusiastically and openly embrace those parts of the Bible which affirm and justify their own personal, pre-existing prejudice against gay people, while declining to become as enthusiastic about verses like the ones listed above.
After all, how many times have you heard a fundamentalist say that eating shellfish was an abomination? But they sure don't hesitate to say it about gay people, do they? What does that tell you?
The danger of misinterpreting the Bible . . .
Around the time that Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed the slaves, a lot of preachers were urging him not to do so.
In a climate in which even the United States Supreme Court declared that African Americans were only three-fifths human, America's preachers were called to action. But instead of preaching against the evils of slavery and helping bring an end to that damnable institution, our preachers did something shocking.
They quoted the Bible in defense of slavery.
They declared that it was God's will that people be kept in chains, as furniture. They said that it was ordained by God to be this way, that white men should own black men.
And those religious slave masters quoted the Bible to back up their claim, both the old and new testaments . . .
"And as for your male and female slaves whom you may have, from the nations that are around you, from them you may buy male and female slaves. Moreover you may buy the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, and their families who are with you, which they beget in your land; and they shall become your property." (Leviticus 25:44,45 <Old Testament>)
"Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the cruel. " (1 Peter 2:18 <New Testament>)
Slavery never was God's Plan. But try telling that to those men of God in the mid-1800's. They quoted the Bible better than anyone ever could, and lots of people believed them.
They abused the Bible by using it as a tool to prevent a particular group of people from achieving full civil rights.
Today, some preachers are abusing the Bible the same way that those racists abused it. Except now, they are abusing it to marginalize people who are gay and lesbian.
They are using it to try to stop gay and lesbian people from gaining their equal rights. They call it "special rights", all the while standing on the street corner, abusing the Bible and turning it into what it was never intended to be; a weapon of intolerance.
Both bigoted people and preachers almost always follow the same path. They place special emphasis on and give a lot of attention to those parts of the Bible that they want to believe, while ignoring and staying quiet about the parts that they find inconvenient.
Most people do not read the Bible first and then decide what they believe.
Whether they know that they are doing it or not, they already have beliefs inside their minds and then go through the Bible, feeling an affinity for verses that seem to justify those beliefs.
Many Christians have favorite verses in the Bible. Just ask any Christian what their "favorite verse" is and they will undoubtedly have one. Now just consider this for a moment: what does it say about a person who feels a special affinity for those misused anti-gay Bible verses?