'Gays' put 'terrorist' label on Christians

Michael Steele

A leader of a homosexual faction of Republicans is lobbying the new party chairman, Michael Steele, to ignore the suggestions of a pro-family Christian group to support traditional marriage, because the Christians are "terrorists."

The attack comes from Jamie Ensley, president of the Georgia "Log Cabin Republicans," who also compared the Illinois-based Americans for Truth to Germany's Nazi party.

Ensley's comments followed a request by Americans for Truth that the GOP rebuild its conservative base by defending a definition of marriage limited to one man and one woman.

Now Peter LaBarbera, chief of Americans for Truth, says Republicans who seek a party without a special homosexual agenda should let Steele know what they believe.

The Georgia Republican Party responded with a statement from Doug Reineke, confirming the Log Cabin Republicans "are an independent group not officially associated with the Georgia Republican Party."

As such, the group does not speak for the state GOP.

"While a healthy debate on the issues can help strengthen us as a party, to use the word 'terrorist' to describe those that disagree with you is not appropriate," the party said.

There was no response to WND calls and e-mails to the national party offices.

But LaBarbera said the attack is a reason people of faith "must remain vigilant to expose and confront anti-Christian bigotry whenever and wherever it rears its ugly head."

He said the issue involves no more or less than the foundation of the party itself.

"The GOP cannot be pro-marriage and [pro]-family while radically undermining both at the same time," he said.

Ensley's message to Steele, which was publicized by Americans for Truth, urged Steele "not to allow small biggoted [sic], anti-American and anti-Christian fringe groups such as Americans for Truth to influence you."

"Most Americans and people of medical science believe that people do not choose their sexual orientation. Groups like Americans for Truth simply want to divide Americans, and truthfully their group would be more welcome as a mainstream Nazi Germany organization, than an organization which provides any value at all in 21st Century America," Ensley's message said.

"I hope you will continue to support the Log Cabin Republicans, and not listen to the radical christian extremist domestic terrorist groups such as Americans for Truth," he wrote.

LaBarbera said the message of "slash-and-burn homosexual extremism" is an example of what Christians face should "hate crime" laws ultimately be applied in the U.S.

Hate crimes laws, LaBarbera said, are written specifically to protect homosexuals from criticism that is based on biblical principles.

"'Gay' militants routinely equate the defense of Judeo-Christian teachings on sexual morality to 'hate' and argue that pro-family rhetoric against homosexuality contributes to a 'climate of violence' against homosexuals," LaBarbera said. "This will inevitably result in calls to curb 'anti-gay' speech."

LaBarbera urged his supporters to contact the GOP regarding the dispute.

"Michael Steele and the GOP need to do the math: it is foolish and impractical to risk alienating millions of pro-family, pro-life, conservative grass-roots Republicans to appease a tiny homosexual special interest group with fewer members than the population of Liberal, Kansas," LaBarbera said. "If the Republican Party is to turn itself around, it must reach out aggressively to real, pro-family minorities like Steele himself – not homosexual activists whose agenda would restrict our precious religious and First Amendment freedoms by using the government to promote aberrant sexual lifestyles."

According to a report in Southern Voice, Ensley, who is chairman of the 57th District of the Fulton County GOP, reported he was "infuriated" by LaBarbera's request the GOP reaffirm support for traditional marriage.

The Illinois Family Institute noted the argument and suggested Ensley ruminate on several facts. It said:

There is no research proving that homosexuality is biologically determined: none.
There is no research proving that homosexuality is ontologically equivalent to race or biological sex: none.
It is no more anti-American to believe that homosexual behavior is immoral than it is to believe that polyamorous or incestuous behavior is immoral.
There is a body of thought emerging from the homosexual community called "queer theory" that holds that homosexuality is neither inherent nor immutable.
The view that homosexual conduct is moral is an unproven, ethical belief – not a fact.
The belief that homosexual conduct is immoral does not constitute incitement to violence or hatred. It no more constitutes hatred toward homosexuals than does the belief that polyamory or selfish behavior is immoral constitutes hatred of polyamorists or selfish people.
The belief that volitional homosexual behavior is immoral is not an extreme position. Throughout history, it has been the dominant cultural view and remains so both in this country and many other countries throughout the world.

The Institute also insisted it is not bigotry to believe that homosexual behavior is immoral.

"The Merriam Webster Dictionary," the group said, "defines a bigot as a person who is 'obstinately or intolerantly devoted to his or her own opinions and prejudices; especially: one who regards or treats the members of a group (as a racial or ethnic group) with hatred and intolerance.' Clearly, there is a distinction between bigotry and moral views. Bigotry cannot simply refer to holding opinions or being in possession of moral precepts, for if it did, everyone but sociopaths would have to be considered bigots because everyone but sociopaths holds certain behaviors as moral and others as immoral."