Christians unite to crush brand-new ABC 'venom'

Already, a national campaign has been launched to persuade ABC to cancel plans for a television show loosely based on the life of Dan Savage, a homosexual activist known for his "hate-filled and despicable foul mouth."

The Media Research Center, the Family Research Council, the American Family Association and Catholic leaders have expressed opposition to "The Real O'Neals."

Now, a number of prominent evangelicals have joined the battle.

"Gay activist Dan Savage embodies the mainstream 'gay rights' movement, decrying 'discrimination' while spewing some of the most hateful and obscene venom," said Ryan Bomberger, chief creative officer of the Radiance Foundation. "Hollywood likes to pretend it battles against 'hate' when, in reality, it regularly churns out race-baiting, anti-Christian, anti-conservative, anti-Life propaganda every day."

Dan Savage

Tony Perkins, president of FRC, asked: "What does an X-rated gay sex columnist have in common with Walt Disney? Nothing. And that's exactly the problem."

"Most Americans have probably never heard of Dan Savage, but unfortunately, that's all about to change this fall," he said. "Despite massive outcry – thousands of phone calls, emails and petition signers – Disney's ABC is taking its LGBT activism to new lows with plans to bring the controversial Christian-basher to life in a sitcom called 'The Real O'Neals.'"

Savage did not respond to a WND request for comment Tuesday. ABC also declined to respond.

WND reported when the Hollywood Reporter lauded plans for the series, noting Savage's sex column and his founding of the activist group It Gets Better.

But missing from the report was any mention of Savage's many episodes of vulgar and bizarre attacks on Christians and others of opposing views, such as presidential candidates Gary Bauer, Sen. Rick Santorum and Gov. Sarah Palin.

Savage infamously has admitted that while suffering from the flu, he volunteered for Bauer's 2000 campaign, licked doorknobs and other objects at a campaign office, and handed Bauer a saliva-coated pen with the intent of passing on the virus to the candidate and his supporters.

When Santorum made a reference to bestiality in a discussion of homosexuality, Savage formed the website "Santorum.com" to create a "Google bomb" to smear the senator, using his name as the definition of a byproduct of anal sex. And he sent a tweet expressing his wish that Palin be stricken with cancer.

The Hollywood Reporter said the new ABC show is "a semi-autobiographical, single-camera comedy" that will follow Savage's younger years and his family's experience after his decision to "come out of the closet."

In a 2000 column, "Stalking Gary Bauer," Savage wrote of his fury over Bauer’s stance on homosexuality and described his own "malicious" – "even a little mean-spirited" plan – to volunteer at Bauer’s Iowa campaign headquarters and infect him and his co-workers.

When Bauer staff members were away from the office, wrote Savage, he started "licking doorknobs."

"The front door, office doors, even a bathroom door. When that was done, I started in on the staplers, phones and computer keyboards. Then I stood in the kitchen and licked the rims of all the clean coffee cups drying in the rack," in case his pen plan didn't work.

Savage then voted in the Iowa caucus after illegally completing a voter registration form that falsely listed a hotel as his residence.

Richard Land, president of Southern Evangelical Seminary, said the fact "that ABC, which is owned by Disney/ABC Television Group, would promote the grotesque vulgarity propagated by Mr. Savage strains credulity and further compromises what remains of Disney's credibility."

Alex McFarland of the Christian Worldview Center at North Greenville University said: "More and more, we are seeing not simply the open rejection of Christianity but an open mockery of God and his word. For any television network to promote a program based on the life of someone whose brand is making fun of Christians and of the Christian faith is something we as Americans and as Christians simply should not stand for.

"If Disney ABC moves forward in airing this program, the network will have established itself as an enemy to people of faith nationwide."

Sam Rohrer of the American Pastors Network said, "The fact that Disney ABC would even consider airing a program based on the life of someone who openly mocks Christianity is astounding and shameful."

Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel said Savage is "well-known for his hate-filled and despicable foul mouth."

"ABC should not provide a platform for a man who wishes death to people merely because they disagree with his hate. If ABC continues with Dan Savage we will assume that ABC endorses hate and death to the majority of decent Americans.'

Regina Griggs of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays & Gays said that because of "programs like this, children are losing their childhoods and being used as pawns to promote social experiments for sexuality and gender confusion."

"Savage, one of the cruelest, most vile political activists in America, has spared no one with whom he disagrees from his vitriolic hate speech," said Monica Cole, director of One Million Moms. "Despite Savage's extremism, vulgarity and unabashed encouragement of dangerous sexual practices, Disney ABC is planning to feature a man who has done nothing but bash Christians and bash the Bible."

Gary Bauer of American Values said: "During the 2000 presidential primaries, Savage joined my campaign under false pretenses. He later bragged about efforts to deliberately infect my staff with the flu by licking cups, pens, office equipment and doorknobs."

Joseph Backholm of the Family Policy Institute of Washington said, "No one should purposely encourage [this] brand of hate, intolerance and incivility."

And Christopher Doyle of Equality and Justice for All said, "The anti-Christian rhetoric that Dan Savage espouses is not suitable for mainstream America."

The Media Research Center and others already had written to Ben Sherwood of Disney Media Networks, listing some of the objectionable statements from Savage.

For example, on the resignation of the pope, he headlined an article "That Mother------- Power Hungry, Self-Aggrandized Bigot in the Stupid ------ Hate Announces his retirement."

"How is this comedic?" the letter asked.

A petition collected tens of thousands of signatures in opposition to the program.

But Disney ABC didn't respond.

Another 9,000 people telephoned the network.

"Dan Savage's brand of hate does not merit a platform on a supposedly pro-family network," said MRC President Brent Bozell. "Disney ABC's silence is not going unnoticed by faith and family advocates.

"That Disney ABC continues to take its viewers for granted is appalling."

WND previously reported Savage told the Daily Pennsylvanian in 2006 that Carl Romanelli, a U.S. Senate candidate he didn’t like, “should be dragged behind a pickup truck until there’s nothing left but the rope.” In the same interview, he said Romanelli "should go f--k himself.”

Savage also said on HBO that he “wished all Republicans were f---ing dead.”

In 2012, as WND reported, Savage told a group of high school journalism students, “We can learn to ignore the bullsh-- in the Bible about gay people,” then taunted the teens who stood and walked out of the room as he ranted.

“It’s funny to someone who is on the receiving end of beatings that are justified by the Bible how pansya--ed people react when you push back,” he said.

Some of the girls left in tears.

Savage has touted the White House website's listing of his It Get's Better project as proof that President Obama supports his message.

"That meant," Savage said in a video, "the president of the United States was telling queer kids, ‘There’s something wrong with your parents, there’s something wrong with your preachers, there’s something wrong with your teachers, and f--- those people!'"

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