Religion & Homosexuality

Well, the American Family Association's decision to add SpongeBob Squarepants to the "enemies of the traditional family" list has gotten play all over the internets.  Chuck Currie and Jesus' General are on the case, and you can find many more links here.  While we wait for that report on the "disturbing connection between Yogi Bear and Boo-Boo," let's look at this possible explanation for the brouhaha:

Dobson said SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside other children's television characters, including Barney, Blue's Clues, Clifford the Big Red Dog and Jimmy Neutron. The makers of the video, Dobson said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools this spring to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity."

The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit We Are Family, says Dobson's objection stemmed from a misunderstanding.

Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the Sept. 11 attacks to create a music video featuring 100 cartoon characters of many species dancing to his song to teach children about multiculturalism. Nothing on the video refers to sexual identity. The "tolerance pledge," available on the group's Web site, is not mentioned on the video.

Rodgers said Dobson and the American Family Association might have been confused because an unrelated Web site belonging to a group called "We Are Family" is owned by a Charleston, S.C., group that supports gay youth.

Meanwhile, the Advocate interviews John Thomas, the President of the United Church of Christ on the recent God Is Still Speaking ads.  Nice piece, if minor.  But guys?  We wish you wouldn't use the word "Crusade" in your headlines...The New Humanist offers its own appreciation of the GISS ads.