Odd, Outrageous and Over the Top!

January 2002

Dear Friends:

Greetings from Focus on the Family, and a "Happy New Year" to you and your loved ones! I’d like to help kick off 2002 by taking a look back at the year just passed and reflecting on some of the significant cultural events that held relevance for the family. Some are shocking, some are shameful and others are simply silly. Clearly, one of the most disturbing stories — not only in the past 12 months, but since Pearl Harbor in 1941— was the terrorist attacks of September 11 and their ongoing repercussions for our nation. These events dominated the headlines to such an extent in the closing months of 2001 that one might have gotten the impression that nothing else was going on in the world.

But while the war on terrorism has stayed at the forefront of our minds (and rightly so, considering its implications for our society), a struggle of a different kind has continued behind the scenes. I’m talking about what has been called the "civil war of values" — the longstanding conflict between time-honored, Judeo-Christian principles and postmodern, morally relativistic thinking. Those who would seek to destroy the traditional family and promote immorality were hard at work in 2001, both before and after September 11. In case you might have missed some of the most disturbing assaults on biblical principles last year, I have compiled a short description of them for you. While there are countless examples that could be cited, I have selected only the most wacky and wrong-headed among them. So, without further ado, I offer a few of the Truly Outrageous News Stories of 2001.

"Art" at the Boulder Public Library. Late last year, the public library in Boulder, Colorado, featured an art project called "Hung Out to Dry," which presented 21 ceramic male sex organs hanging on a clothesline.1 It pretended to be an exhibit about domestic violence, but the inclusion of such a distasteful and obscene display overshadowed its purported references to abused women. (One man reported seeing a young boy staring at the exhibit and hearing his mother say, "No dear, they’re corn cobs."2) Around the same time that the brightly painted organs were unveiled, Library Director Marcelee Gralapp refused a staff request to suspend a large American flag from the ceiling of the facility because, in her own words, "It could compromise our objectivity."3 A few days after the controversy made local and national news, a man tore down the exhibit and replaced it with an American flag.4 You can call Ms. Gralapp at the Boulder Public Library, Boulder, Colorado.

New York and California embrace homosexuality. In October, New York Governor George Pataki diluted the definition of "family" by giving gay partners the same access to terrorist relief benefits that married couples have.5 Meanwhile, California lawmakers continued their relentless campaign to undermine the institution of the family, passing a barrage of bills this year that advanced the pro-gay and pro-abortion agendas — eight of which were signed into law by Governor Gray Davis.6 The most egregious of these new laws takes the state just a step away from same-sex marriage by expanding benefits to unmarried "domestic partners" and legally equating homosexual relationships with marriage.7 The California decision is particularly troubling because in 2000, voters in the Golden State overwhelmingly approved a ballot initiative stating that marriage is to be considered a relationship between one man and one woman.8 Eight pieces of pro-gay legislation have become law in California in the past two years.9

Planned Parenthood and the UN use relief efforts to advance anti-family causes. The United Nations Population Fund recently distributed "reproductive health care" items to Afghan women in refugee camps in Iran and Pakistan. A Catholic research organization, the Population Research Institute, more accurately described the products as "abortion kits" containing the morning-after pill.10 Meanwhile, on the home front, Planned Parenthood offices in New York City announced that they would be providing free "reproductive health care" services — including abortion — to women affected by the World Trade Center attack.11 A spokesman for Planned Parenthood said, "Our phones have been ringing off the hook . . . basically, this is just our way of being able to contribute."12 It is a mystery to me how offering to terminate the lives of unborn babies constitutes a "contribution" to disaster relief efforts, but such is the logic of the folks at Planned Parenthood. And to top it off, in a dubious expression of patriotic fervor, the organization began offering red, white and blue condoms in Virginia.13 I suppose this type of activity isn’t surprising, coming from a group that has been giving teens "Prom Survival Kits" which include breath mints, confetti and condoms.14 Planned Parenthood, you will recall, and its sister organizations, are supported by hundreds of millions of dollars from your taxes and mine.15

New York schools and religious discrimination. Last fall, New York City Public Schools Chancellor Harold Levy instituted a policy allowing Muslim students to rearrange their class schedule to pray during the month of Ramadan. Special rooms on campus were even to be set aside for this purpose. Mr. Levy, a vigorous opponent of Christian prayer in schools, didn’t see the hypocrisy of his decision until Catholic League President William Donohue requested that Jewish and Christian students be extended the same courtesy.16 However, rather than offering the same prayer privileges to members of other religions, Mr. Levy rescinded his invitation to Muslim students!17

PBS and "Evolution." The Public Broadcasting System aired its new series "Evolution" in September. According to a PBS affiliate’s internal memo, its goal was to preach Darwinian evolution in a manner that would "reach millions of students, parents, teachers, scientists, religious leaders, community groups and government leaders in an accessible, compelling way."18 Several dramatic recreations depicted creationists as Bible-thumping dimwits who care nothing for science. Despite being presented as a "documentary," "Evolution" focused only on the views of scientists who subscribe to Darwinian theory, with no effort made to solicit the opinions of biochemists, embryologists and other scientists who have made compelling arguments against evolutionary theory.19 This is despite the fact there is a burgeoning body of such people active in academia today. Thanks to PBS, an entire new generation of children will now go to school and learn how men evolved from tadpoles without a design or a Designer—and why anyone who disagrees with that notion is a religious weirdo. By the way, PBS and its leftist agenda is also funded significantly with our tax dollars.

Oregon fights Ashcroft on physician-assisted suicide. In what started out as a positive development, Attorney General John Ashcroft issued a statement in early November warning doctors nationwide that they risked losing their drug prescription licenses if they used federally-controlled substances to help patients commit suicide.20 However, Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers accused Ashcroft of dictating the state’s medical policies and requested that the directive be blocked. A U.S. district judge predictably granted a temporary restraining order until a hearing could be scheduled.21 Stay tuned.

Powerball mania. Supporters of gambling have long argued that, like lottery tickets and lotto drawings, Powerball provides a boost to the economy and helps states pay for roads, recreational areas and so forth. However, the so-called economic benefits are rarely realized, and even if they did exist, they wouldn’t begin to justify the damage that gambling inflicts on individuals and families.22 In addition to opening the door to more addictive forms of gambling, Powerball preys upon the poorest members of society with the lure of fantastic sums of money. Many of them beg, borrow and steal, only to gamble away what little they have. Not only is gambling contrary to biblical principle—but it’s also the poor man’s tax. Consider that the odds of winning the jackpot in Powerball are a ridiculous 1 in 80 million.23 And the concept of "winning" is open to interpretation anyway, since about one-third of all state lottery winners eventually end up filing for bankruptcy.24 Why? Because they gamble it all away.

Peter Singer, Princeton University’s "bioethicist." Professor Singer is the bioethics "expert" from Princeton University who also happens to be one of the world’s biggest advocates of euthanasia, abortion rights and even bestiality (in an essay earlier this year, Singer envisioned a day when sex between humans and animals will cease "to be an offense to our status and dignity as human beings").25 Singer is also a proponent of outright infanticide, writing in his book Practical Ethics, "Very often it is not wrong at all,"26 and also saying in a now-infamous debate, "I do not think it is always wrong to kill an innocent human being." He further added, "Simply killing an infant is never equivalent to killing a person."27 The man espousing these ghoulish views was given dubious credibility last year when Jeanne Shaheen, the governor of New Hampshire, invited him to give the keynote speech at a state conference on disability! If it’s any consolation, not all of the leaders in New Hampshire agreed with the governor’s decision to invite Singer. Thomas Colantuono, a member of the state’s executive council, summed it up best when he said, "Frankly, I think he’s a weirdo nut."28 Well said, Mr. Colantuono!

"Death to heterosexuals?" Late last year, a pro-gay Web site called usQueers.com published a list of "Het Supremacists" (i.e., heterosexual men and women who oppose homosexuality on religious or moral grounds) that included a "wanted poster" calling for "a horrible death by any means soon" to "all well-known Het Supremacists."29 Web site administrator B. Allan Ross, who promises to publish the addresses, phone numbers and other personal information of those who appear on the list, also says, "If a person on this list dies (preferably a horrible death), a line will be drawn through their name (and they will probably be added to our Good Riddance! list.)"30 The Wall Street Journal suggested that Ross’ site was only a parody, but later conceded that it should be cast "in a much creepier light" after learning that Mr. Ross was arrested in June for taking a San Diego church janitor hostage and threatening him with the jagged bottom of a glass bottle.31

So what sort of diabolical characters has Ross targeted? Well, there is Dr. D. James Kennedy (who has "earned at least terminal leprosy" for his opposition to homosexuality), Ronald Reagan (who "couldn’t remember to deal with the growing AIDS pandemic" as president and who is "getting what he deserves" by suffering with Alzheimer’s disease). I also made the list of those who should die, along with Senator Jesse Helms, Senator Strom Thurmond, Gary Bauer, et al. The Web site describes me as a "lizard." Evil, hateful epithets are also hurled at a host of other religious and pro-family leaders. How blatantly hypocritical that those who preach tolerance to the rest of the world are often the most intolerant! Prominent First Amendment attorney John B. Thompson recently called on the Justice Department to investigate the site, calling it a clear example of "left-wing domestic terrorism."32

The continued decadence of popular culture. Here are a few examples of what passed for "entertainment" in 2001, most of it marketed to children and teens.

In movies, audiences were treated to American Pie 2, the sequel to the raunchy teen sex comedy that featured depictions of or references to lesbianism, phone sex and more.33 In addition to marketing R-rated movies to teens, studios also included more and more depravity in PG-13 movies, making them virtually indistinguishable from adult fare. Nowhere was this more evident than in the PG-13-rated Out Cold, which featured sexual perversion ranging from homosexuality to bestiality and mutilation.34

In music, the thrash-metal band Slipknot entered the charts at #3 with their album Iowa, the lyrics of which graphically describe sexual homicide and include lines such as, "You ----in’ touch me I will rip you apart; I’ll reach in [and] take a bite out of that s--- you call a heart."35 R&B artist Afroman hit the Top 10 with an album heavily emphasizing smoking marijuana and dealing drugs.36 Similarly, the latest release from Kid Rock (his previous album sold more than 10 million copies)37 glamorizes cocaine and features a song with the delicate title "You Never Met a Mother ----er Quite Like Me."38

On TV, Aaron Sorkin, executive producer of NBC’s "The West Wing," has lobbied the network for permission to script more profane uses of the Lord’s name into upcoming episodes.39 In addition, CBS writers have submitted several scripts for primetime broadcasts that include the f-word,40 and a recent episode of ABC’s "Philly" depicted a character repeatedly making an obscene hand gesture.41 Finally, a 16-year-old broke his leg in April while trying to jump over an oncoming car, and a 19-year-old Minnesota male stopped traffic by running around with a chain saw in the rain while wearing a hospital gown.42 Both incidents were reportedly inspired by "stunts" depicted on MTV’s "Jackass" program. (By the way, you may find our Web site, www.pluggedinmag.com, especially helpful in keeping an eye on the entertainment industry.)

Cloning mania. Scientists told us it was inevitable, and last November it happened: a biotechnology company called Advanced Cell Technology announced that it had created the first human embryos ever to be produced by cloning.43 Despite incredible opposition from religious leaders and even most mainstream scientists, it was only a matter of time before those on the fringes attempted to "play God" by cloning a human. The scientists involved did not admit that cloning reduces human beings to nothing more than lab rats to be experimented and "improved" upon. If they are not stopped, human beings will be grown to be sacrificed for their body parts! This is a form of cannibalism that takes us to a new level of depravity. Cloning could also open the door to eugenics—the "purifying" of the population through the genetic manipulation of future generations.

No room for God in the Canadian army. In July, military leaders north of the border ordered their chaplains to avoid all specific Christian references during public ceremonies. The directive prevents Canadian chaplains from using phrases such as "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" and "in Jesus’ name," and from reciting the Lord’s Prayer. Chaplains are now only allowed to offer prayers that take into account the sensitivities of non-Christians who might be present in their audience. The Canadian government has suggested that the policy shows respect for Canada’s growing religious diversity.44 But how can a policy that specifically targets Christians from proclaiming the foundational teachings of their faith be considered "tolerant"? This offensive mandate may have been intended to promote religious diversity, but in practice all it really does is muzzle Christians. Is this where such leftist organizations as the American Civil Liberties Union, People for the American Way, and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State would like to take the United States? Clearly, the emphatic answer is yes!

The National Education Association and "queer curriculum." At the NEA’s national convention in July, union President Bob Chase and other leaders put forth a dangerous proposal called "Resolution New B." This resolution would have pressured every school in the country, at every grade level, to develop and use curricula that promote the homosexual lifestyle and encourage homosexual adults to serve as "role models" for young children.45 As more and more NEA delegates found out about the proposal, opposition grew. Focus on the Family worked with the California-based Capitol Resource Institute to get the word out to the general public, coordinating a rally outside the convention center in Los Angeles. I’m pleased to report that, as a result, NEA officials withdrew the resolution, for now. It was a small victory for children, but the battle is far from over. Mr. Chase and the NEA’s gay activists will be back. Count on it!

California has already implemented such disturbing curricula. Consider, for example, the picture book Jesse’s Dream Skirt. It includes a story for children in kindergarten through grade three that centers around a young boy who enjoys dressing in his mom’s clothing and who eventually asks her to make him his own skirt. She obliges, and he wears the skirt to school and teaches his peers a lesson on acceptance. The boy’s father objects, and he is made to be the villain of the story. The final illustration depicts the young boy, with underwear exposed, twirling enthusiastically around the classroom in his beautiful skirt.46

The National Education Association’s obsession with promoting homosexuality becomes even more outrageous when we consider the dismal academic state of our nation’s schools. For example, fully 68 percent of fourth-graders cannot read at a proficient level,47 and a recent article in the New York Post proclaimed, "Failing students are being taught by instructors who can barely write in English."48 In California, where the pro-homosexual fervor in schools is at a fever pitch, students scored dead last in a study of science literacy conducted among schools in 40 states.49 Delaine Eastin, California’s superintendent of Public Instruction, is on record as saying that science is simply not taught very much in California school districts.50 And yet, earlier this year, Ms. Eastin herself set up the task force that drafted a radical set of 12 recommendations designed to force all public school students in the state to validate the homosexual lifestyle.51 The indoctrination of children is now underway, beginning with 5-year-olds, while the academic program languishes.

The Department of Education misplaces millions. The NEA isn’t the only educational institution facing problems. According to the chief inspector of the U.S. Department of Education, the agency cannot account for $450 million they "lost" through waste, fraud and errors in the past three years of the Clinton administration.52 Nevertheless, the Senate-approved version of the 2002 education bill calls for $13.3 billion in new funding to the bureaucratically-laden department — a whopping 72 percent increase over fiscal 2001.53

PCUSA and gay clergy. In its general assembly last year, the Presbyterian Church–USA voted to dispense with its requirement for "fidelity and chastity" among clergy members, opening the door to the ordination of gays and lesbians.54 This is but one example of the trend by some mainline denominations to allow the ordination of homosexuals. How can any form of sexual immorality be wrong, including premarital intercourse, if pastors and church leaders engage in unrepentant homosexual acts?

"Safe sex" and the CDC. A government report produced by physicians and scientists last summer, revealed that condoms were not observed to be effective at preventing most sexually transmitted diseases, including syphilis, chlamydia, human papilloma virus, hepatitis, herpes, etc.55 The study’s findings were alarming and should have made front-page news. Instead, there’s evidence the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) — the federal agency charged with helping medical professionals save lives—suppressed those findings for a year while continuing to encourage condom use as a means of "safe sex."56 On a related note, former Surgeon General David Satcher — a holdover from the Clinton administration — issued a shocking report, "The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Promote Sexual Health and Responsible Sexual Behavior." In "promoting sexual health," Dr. Satcher claimed that homosexuality is not a reversible condition and downplayed the importance of abstinence education programs.57

FBI exonerates man who sold baby body parts. Kansas pathologist Miles Jones was paid by a local Planned Parenthood abortion clinic to dispose of aborted babies. He allegedly turned an additional profit by running a company that sold fetal body parts to researchers. Prices were hefty — $999 for brains, $325 for spinal cords and $550 for a reproductive organ, according to documents obtained by ABC’s 20/20. In fact, Jones bragged to undercover reporters that he made some $50,000 a week.58

The NSV ("New Supermodel Version") of the Bible. God’s Word is just too stodgy for a group of Swedish entrepreneurs who are planning to create a "God’s Coffee Table Book" of sorts. "Instead of boring drawings of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, we may well have a couple walking down a New York street kissing," said businessman Gustaf-Wilhelm Hellstedt. He promises that some of the pictures will be downright racy. "There will be some nudity," he explains, "because the Bible is very sensual and we are going to exploit that."59

The Bay City does it again. San Francisco officials in April voted 9-2 to make their city the first in the nation to pay for sex-change operations for city employees. The cost to taxpayers will be considerable. The increase in premiums will mean an estimated $683,000 in new city labor costs.60 San Francisco continues to lead the nation in outrageous public policies.

Home Depot’s double standard. Home-improvement giant Home Depot entered the fray of homosexual politics earlier this year by making a $2,500 grant to Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG), a homosexual advocacy group.61 Roughly six months later, however, the company denied a request from Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays (PFOX)—a support group for former homosexuals — for $3,000 to set up a library for those seeking answers about homosexuality.62 Do I hear anyone suggesting that perhaps disgusted patrons should shop elsewhere?

More outrageousness. A few other crazy developments merit brief mention, not so much for their threat to the family, but for their sheer silliness and wrong-headedness. First, the Wisconsin legislature passed a state budget (that was later vetoed) of $40,000. to set up voice mailboxes for homeless people. In response, The Wall Street Journal posed an excellent question: "What’s next, Palm Pilots for panhandlers?"63

Meanwhile, in Florida, a public librarian recognized some of the suspected hijackers in the 9/11 attacks as men who had used the computers in her library. She immediately called the police, only to learn that she had broken a civil law. Civil libertarians and the state law agree that, absent of a court order, a librarian should never give information about who uses library facilities.64

On a related 9/11 note, the Los Angeles Times reported that some female patients in Kabul, Afghanistan, have died because male surgeons were forbidden to look at them. One physician, Dr. Mohammed Hashem, said that he often stands in the hospital hallway and shouts instructions to a junior, female doctor through an open door. Hashem told the Times that "if they caught us while talking with a woman without a burka, we would be put in prison for two months."65

Brace yourselves for this one: Late last year, the peaceful environs of Escondido, California, were shattered when the local library’s resident cat attacked a patron’s dog! Richard Espinosa filed a $1.5 million suit against the library after his 50-pound Labrador mix was mauled by the cantankerous 12-pound feline (Espinosa says that he suffers from anxiety attacks and that the dog accompanies him to help him deal with them). Treatment for the injured canine (who undoubtedly had an anxiety attack of its own while being raked and clawed by a cat less than half its size) cost a modest $46.49, leaving $1,499,953.51 for the plaintiff.66 Yet Mr. Espinosa, who says he has also been diagnosed with disorders ranging from gout and asthma to bilateral pulmonary emboli and chronic pain syndrome, insists that "I’m no lawsuit happy kook."67

Those of you who were around in the ‘60s might remember the Indian guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who taught the Beatles and the Rolling Stones the wonders of transcendental meditation. His latest project involves gathering 40,000 yogis in India to "hop" while simultaneously assuming the lotus position. As a result, according to Newsday, the yogis will "create a force field that can repel hatred and spread happiness in the world’s collective consciousness."68 The campaign, which was started well before the events of September 11, had already raised more than $40 million by October of 2001.69 All told, the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi hopes to raise $1 billion from "peace-loving billionaires in America" to help cover housing costs and other expenses for his hopping meditators. It is unsettling to consider that the Maharishi Yogi could raise $40 million so effortlessly, while many other charities and nonprofit organizations (including Focus on the Family) often have to struggle just to make ends meet!

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And now, the good news! Events in 2001 did not consist entirely of crazy developments such as these. In addition to the small victory for families at the NEA convention mentioned above, we were extremely encouraged by the Salvation Army’s decision to reverse its policy on extending domestic partner benefits to unmarried and homosexual partners of its employees.70 The original decision to extend domestic partnership rights was disheartening, coming from a trusted organization known not only for its social outreach, but for its Christian foundations. However, after loud protests from a broad spectrum within the Christian community and from Salvation Army officials and constituents, the Army reversed its decision. The organization released a statement clarifying that it had "established a national policy to extend health benefit access to an employee’s spouse and dependent children only," further adding that "We will not sign any government contract or any other funding contracts that contain domestic partner benefit requirements."71 We applaud the Salvation Army’s bold decision, and we’re thankful that what could have topped the list of Outrageous New Stories of 2001 has instead become a cause for celebration.

Similarly, we were tremendously pleased with President Bush’s bold decision last August to uphold the current law prohibiting federal funding of destructive embryonic stem cell research.72 Mr. Bush faced tremendous political pressure to betray his pro-life commitment, but in the end, he stood firm. While we still have concerns about what lies ahead in the stem cell debate, we were encouraged by our president’s strength of character on such a critical issue. And, on a related note, President Bush was quick to proclaim that human cloning is "morally wrong"73 after learning of the aforementioned announcement that human embryos had been cloned for the first time. The president went on to say, "We should not as a society grow life to destroy it, and that’s exactly what’s taking place."74 Mr. Bush is also to be commended for reinstating the Reagan-era "Mexico City Policy" (which prohibits federal funding of abortions overseas),75 for fighting for tax cuts that will help families, and for appointing Wade Horn, longtime president of the National Fatherhood Initiative, to head a $315 million initiative that promotes marriage as a means of reducing poverty.76 Liberals in Congress are still fighting tooth and nail over this issue.

Other positive developments include the 9-4 decision by a federal appeals court that Ohio’s state motto, "With God, All Things Are Possible," is protected by the Constitution,77 and the U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 vote proclaiming that a New York school district was wrong to prohibit a Christian youth group — the Good News Club — from using a public school.78

And I can’t close without noting, as I have on numerous occasions in recent months, the incredible resurgence of faith and patriotism that gripped our nation in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It was moving to see so many men, women and children across the country embracing the flag and calling out to God in the midst of their sorrow. I’m also thankful that, out of the ashes of the 9/11 tragedy, the church was presented with a wonderful opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ with those who were questioning their existence during that trying time. May we continue to do so in the days and weeks ahead as the effects of the terrorist attacks continue to be felt around the world.

Thanks for joining me on this month’s exploration of some of the significant events that affected the institution of the family in 2001. I know that some of these stories are sobering or downright depressing, but I believe I have a commitment to you, my readers, to share the hard facts and keep you up to date. Rest assured that everyone here at Focus remains committed to nurturing the traditional family and fighting for biblical values. We would welcome your feedback and support in these endeavors — please drop us a line when you have a chance to let us know that you’re out there. Here’s our prayerful hope that when

P.S. Just a reminder that January is also Sanctity of Human Life month. Be sure to check out our magazine and tune in to the daily "Focus on the Family" radio broadcast as we discuss issues related to abortion, eldercare, euthanasia and more. You might also want to investigate whether your local church is participating in Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, which takes place on the 20th of this month.

*(Note: Referrals to Web sites not produced by Focus on the Family are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute an endorsement of the sites' content.)