Republican presidential hopefuls responded Thursday to comments made by their Democratic counterparts with their take on a homosexual-themed story that was read to children at school.
-
(Photo: AP Images / Jim Cole)Democratic presidential hopefuls Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., left, and former Sen. John Edwards speak before a debate at Dartmouth College Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2007 in Hanover, N.H.
The book, King & King, is about a prince who searches for a princess bride but ends up marrying another prince instead. Two sets of parents had filed a lawsuit against Joseph Estabrook Elementary School in Lexington, Mass., and the school district after a teacher read the book to a 2nd grade class. The parents claimed that the book amounted to teaching sex ed without parental consent.
The question raised during Wednesday’s Democratic debate in New Hampshire was: "Would you be comfortable having this story read to your children as part of their school curriculum?"
Both Democratic hopefuls John Edwards and Barack Obama said they would want the book read to their children.
“Yes, absolutely,” responded Edwards. “What I want is I want my children to understand everything about the difficulties that gay and lesbian couples are faced with every day, the discrimination that they're faced with every single day of their lives.”
The former North Carolina senator admitted, however, that the book’s subject matter “might be a little tough” to be read to second graders. He also reaffirmed his position that he personally “is not in favor of same-sex marriage,” but added that he didn’t want to impose his view since “nobody made me God."
Obama said he was comfortable with having the book read to his children.
"[T]he fact is, my 9-year-old and my 6-year-old, I think, are already aware that there are same-sex couples,” said the Illinois senator. “And my wife and I have talked about it. And one of the things I want to communicate to my children is not to be afraid of people who are different, and because there have been times in our history where I was considered different, or Bill Richardson was considered different."
Clinton, on the other hand, did not directly answer the question but suggested in her response that the issue should be handled by parents.
“With respect to your individual children, that is such a matter of parental discretion,” said the New York senator and former first lady. “I think that obviously it is better to try to work with your children, to help your children to understand the many differences that are in the world and to really respect other people and the choices that other people make, and that goes far beyond sexual orientation."
She also added that the "issue of gays and lesbians and their rights will remain an important one in our country.”
Following Wednesday’s responses, Republican presidential candidates offered their take on the issue.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney issued a statement Thursday saying that the Democratic presidential candidates were “out of touch” with the American people.
"Not one candidate was uncomfortable with young children learning about same-sex marriage in the second grade," said Romney, who has vocalized his opposition to same-sex “marriage.” "This is a subject that should be left to parents, not public school teachers."
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani echoed Romney’s sentiment. He "believes this is something that should be left to parents to handle,” according to spokeswoman Maria Comella.
Meanwhile, Arizona Sen. John McCain disagreed with the book being taught at all in public schools.
"While I don’t believe that any group should experience discrimination, I also don’t believe that public schools should enter into this sort of instruction," he said in a statement.
Last year, a judge dropped the lawsuit brought by the parents in Lexington, Mass.
In North Carolina, a committee in New Hanover County restricted access to King & King after parents objected to having the book available in the school library at Freeman Elementary School. Children must now receive parental consent to view the book.
RSS
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
1 John 4:1
Excerpt taken from a commentary by Roger Oakland named The Inclusive Gospel from www.understandthetimes.org
".............The new evangelization program being promoted by the emerging church, while it may be in the name of Christ, is antichrist. A formula has been established to provide a bridge that has the potential to unite all religious beliefs in the name of Christ, by circumventing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
In the future we will see all faiths join together based on a common mystical experience accompanied by “lying signs and wonders”. The apostasy the Bible warned would be apparent in the Last Days is now fully underway. Only those who hold firm to God’s Word will be protected and delivered. This remnant of faithful believers will be viewed as old-fashioned narrow-minded holdouts who are a hindrance to the establishment of the “kingdom.” As Paul wrote to Timothy, in the Last Days:
Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived. [15]"
[15] 2 Timothy 3: 12-13
Only the Blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ can cleanse us of all unrighteousness and filthy sin - this does include many other things, but as it pertains to this article - adultery, fornication, and yes, homosexuality. Too many in today's church want to cover up sin, and be politically relevent to today's "culture". They water-down the Wrod of God, and twist it to make it seem more "pleasant" to the ears. Many people want to hear what feesds their ego; they don;t want to hear the truth that transforms lives for their own good and for God's pleasure.
The Bible tells us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. None of us are without sin. The Good News is that Jesus Christ became God in the flesh for us! He decended from his exalted heavenly place, and willfully shed His Prescious Blood and gave up His life so that we may have a relationship with God the Father our Creator.
We need to first acknowledge that we are all sinners; we need to repent - that is to literally and willfully choose to turn away from our old life of living in sins; we need to ask for forgiveness and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior of our lives (this means we hand over our free will to Him, and choose toi obey His commands and teachings). We must put our total trust and confidence ino Him, and then follow Him.
The question is, have we trully repented, and turned back from our sin. That is to say, if we're willfully, and rebelliously living in sin, have we made a conscious choice to turn from that sin, die to ourselves, pick up our crosses daily and follow Christ?
None of these sins are unpardonable, but God has given us a free choice. We must choose this day whom we will serve. Are we going to choose to gratify our flesh and live in sin, or are we going to die to ourselves, and choose to follow Christ Jesus?
Whoever doesn't truly know Christ on this site, please give your life to him. You will not regret it. He will never bring up your past. We all have pasts, but God can make you a new person, and as you continue to seek after Him and as you surrender your life to Him, He will continue to mold you and make you into the vessel of honor He wants you to be. I hope this touches someone out there, and may the Lord turn your heart to repentance. God Bless You.
I belive that sex should be tought by parents to their children ant not by the goverment run school system ( public schools ).I think the school system is too far off track,they dont teach enough about our history.The founding Fathers and why we have the freedoms , liberties etc...
and what about reading , english , math.
I can not ,will not agree with the gay life style.It is wrong,if it were wright we would all be men or women.There would be no different sex includeing animals.If you look at the animals ,domestic or wild,you never see them doing gay activeties ( sex ) .This gay life style is not natural.They never hear what the surgeon general said, their stuies and how its a dangerous life style.
Agreed DB, we are losing the battle because deep down mankind is still rebelling against his Creator. Like the Apostle Paul states, the lost are spiritually blind and from what I observe the church is filled with cowards. God calls us to pray without ceasing. But you cannot begin to imagine how much worse it is going to get in this country until we repent... Rome was not built in a day, but it was quickly destoryed.
Isn't it funny how 1 immigrant Muslim in America can be offended by Christianity and have Christmas shut down in the local school, but multiple parents disagree with this material being taught, and they are overruled in court. The only option seems to be home school, or our children will be taught all sorts of "lifestyle choices" that we feel are family issues, and better left alone by public school, especially at such an early age. Another was the Colorado teacher encouraging a student group to experiment with sex and drugs. Unfortunately, there are many other examples. I fear that it is a losing battle, and our country ultimately will pay the price, in more ways than one.
Oh I see... those who don't agree are Nazi's and hate mongers... Yes I am A Jew you just confirm my point. What Kirk and Madsen write is not some benign imperative. It is a combative call to challenge and demonize people who disagree with homosexuality. Teaching children about sex in their formative years is not acceptable. After watching a video produced by a Massachusetts school board about homosexuals your contention that it is just to make children more tolerant is WRONG. What ask what was different about gays verses children who had a mother and father the teacher stated nothing. When one boy was asked his thoughts (this is a second grade child) he said he'd be willing to try different things including homosexual acts. Which they were not explicit about... Now here you're introducing something a child has never had to ponder. This is not an attempt to teach tolerance this is an attempt of conversion. Planting seeds in a young mind that does not have the ability to think for itself. You can pull out all of the boring name calling of Nazi's and ignorance, swastikas and the like, but the only people talking about suppressing people's beliefs on this subject is people like your self. Next you'll be asking people to burn books that disagree with your positions on this issue and whatever other issue you decide the rest of us need to believe. Whose is the Nazi here? We just want the freedom to teach our children about human sexuality and not leave it up to the government. The German people during WW2 left their ideological freedom in the hands of government and look where that lead. So don't preach to us about tolerance until you understand was tolerance really looks like.
I should clarify one thing.I do not advocate being intolerant in the sense of hating anyone.I went to high school with a guy that everyone pretty much knew was homosexual.I treated him the same as everybody else.I did not hate him.I just simply disagreed with that lifestyle.I believe in treating everyone with dignity because they are made in the image of God.I found out that my friend from high school died from complications from AIDS a few years back.I did not celebrate this.I mourned his passing with everyone else.But I just disagreed with his lifestyle.He knew I was a Christian, but he just wanted to live his life as a homosexual.Did I stand in his way? No!! However, when we are talking about educating 2nd graders in it, I just think that is awfully young to expect them to make an informed decision about such things.
Whatever happened to teaching the 3 R's of reading, writing, and arithmetic? I don't recall ever being subjected to "Heather Has two Mommy's" or "Daddy's New Roommate" when I was in school, and I wouldn't want it force-fed to my kids, either.I never thought I would agree with Hillary, but I think parents should handle this.Schools use to teach us how to read, but now they are more interested in socializing our kids.We are far behind virtually every industrialized country in terms of education, but at least our kids know how to hug a tree and be tolerant.Try telling that to a prospective employer.I can't read, I can't write, I can't add.However, I tolerate everything.Anyway, that's just the opinion of a backward hayseed.
My goodness, there is a lot of hatred going on here. Should we break out the swastikas and pass them around for all of you to wear? "The agenda of homosexuals is sinister." "Gay conversion tactics"? And you wonder why people often see outspoken Christians as "backwood hayseeds" (GoldenEagle's terminology not mine)? Your understanding of gay conversion tactics is nothing more than building tolerance and acceptance of people who live differently than you do. At most they're trying to make children who may feel deep down that they are gay comfortable enough with that fact to be who they feel they are rather than suppress it.
You all see indoctrination and a gay agenda. I see an attempt to reach children before they've become hardened bigots, intollerant of those who are different. This is an attempt to foster a wide sense of acceptance among children which is clearly not present among their parents. Contrary to your personal and religious beliefs, which are objective contructs which do not apply to those outside your faith no matter how much you cry damnation and hellfire, people are people and absent premeditated malice against another person each is free to live his or her life freely. King & King is not about graphic depictions of the intricacies of gay sexual conduct, rather it's focusing on the potential for a relationship to exist between two consenting individuals. Love is a beautiful thing regardless of the form in which it comes, absent pedophilia (in that it is pushing sexuality on a child who is not ready for such conduct nor capable of legally consenting). Mixed race couples faced similar opposition earlier in our American history, even still facing disdain from certain members of society.
So what's the real fear here? Kids might listen to this story read and suddenly run home and tell their parents, "I wasn't gay before but now suddenly I am?" Or maybe it's just the fear that they won't hold the same hatred towards gays that their parents do? No one is preventing parents from molding their children and imparting their worldview, within reasonable bounds. This is merely an attempt (and a laudible one at that) by the government to temper that view and lead to a future where members of society might actually get along and tolerate each other and their choices.
If someone chose to read my daughter this story, I would hire the gayest lawyer around and sue the pants off (no pun intended) of the school and the state. I do not care if you are gay or a lesbian... I do not condone it and I will never endorse it, but for a school to think that they can teach anything they like with no consequences is just plain idiotic.
We would of course, win :-)
Liberals are all about teaching their kids about sodomy....
I know this is off topic, but I'm tired of Christians being seen as morons for opposing the indoctrination of our kids with this horrible material.One of the most genius-prone people I have ever known was a Christian I went to church with years ago(his name was Dan Sloan).The media loves to portray us as a bunch of backwood hayseeds, but after knowing him and seeing the thoughtful responses from believers on this sight, I am even more convinced that this an enormous error.You have my respect, theseer01.
Sorry Doomed, you began your response by asking me what I would know about a gay agenda, and that there was no agenda. I was just pointing out what powerful individuals within the gay community have said about what they wish to do in this country's children when it comes to gay conversion tactics. Just thought I was answering your question.
To answer your question do I remember the Salem Witch trials? No I don't because I was not there. I do know what my liberal professors at the university told me and every other liberal that wanted to make a point about some social issue. The witch trails as history reports are definately a cautionary tale about what can happen when a community will not listen to reason or logic, but again this has nothing to do with this article
theseer01:
I NEVER insulted anyone in my words. I just simply said this is what would need to happen to protect your children from this. And also I NEVER said any group advocates this but when persecution, fear and panic spread, people will do things they wouldn't normally do. Remember the Salem Witch Trials?
Well Doom you must not be well read. The agenda has been propagated by homosexual activists within the fourth estate (mass media) government run schools (public schools), and various other forms of media. By their own admission Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen authors of AFTER THE BALL (1989) state that they want to "conquer" (their words not mine) American's resistance to Gays. This in order to normalize what is not normal by demonizing those they cannot desensitize. They go on to explain how this will be done... "Propagandist advertisement can depict homophobic and homo-hating bigots as crude loudmouths and a-holes... It can show them being criticized, hated, shunned. It can depict gays experiencing horrific suffering as the direct result of the homo-hatred - suffering of which even most bigots would be ashamed to be the cause. It can, in short link homo-hating bigotry with all sorts of attributes the bigot would be ashamed to possess.”(end quote)
Should I go on? I think so. Since the late 1980's to the present homosexual activists have targeted our children because they realize the nature of their innocence and their vulnerability. They don’t want to be left out, sign me up. And these people are glad to do it. It is a perverted form of evangelism. In your response to me you did everything Kirk and Madsen stated you: stereotyped (chip on my shoulder e.g. homo-hater), called me a backwoods home schooling moron (unless you live in the middle of no where, your children are home schooled, and no technology is allowed in the house) and implied that people who don’t agree with you advocate mass murder or genocide. I live in a major metropolitan area, kids attend public schools, and obviously own a computer I even have the internet too! And I even have a few homosexual friends, isn’t that just amazing how a bigoted, backwoods, homophobe could accomplish all that?
Understand this in the final analysis it is everyone who refuses to respect others views on this subject (e.g. not exposing our children to the scared topic of human sexuality) that are the bigots and fascists.
And man, Dumberton I hope you're being facetious...
I think that clearly the government is in a better position to decide what children need to know about sexuality and when they should know it. We need to stop giving parents the right to teach their children according to their own idiosyncratic set of beliefs. The government is the only entity which should be indoctrinating our kids.
theseer01:
Since when do you know the "GAY" agenda??? What agenda is there??? There is nothing sinister about any of this except the attitudes and the chips that people carry around on their shoulders. Anyway regardless children are going to be exposed to this regardless unless of course your family never leaves the house for anything more than to visit family and go to the store, you live in the middle of no where, your children are homeschooled, and no technology is allowed in the house or if it is all use is monitored 24/7. Whether people like it or not it is around and here to stay unless of course we see a genocide or mass murder of people who are homosexual. Even then if homosexuality is something pre-determined, well it will still be around but people will just keep quiet about it.
Let me clarify, Citizen is another blogger on this site, who judging from his entires is an ardent atheist. I was being sarcastic about science having the final say. The agenda of homosexuals is sinister. NO ONE and I mean NO ONE should be allowed to expose our children to this so-called lifestyle in the guise of civil rights. NO ONE should be talking to our children about anything like this ever! If parents wish to discuss the merits of homosexuality to their OWN children fine. I'm not into group think and science does not have the final say
Leave the issue up to what is touted as "science" in America and you get nonsense like evolution taught is fact, wen there is NOT ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE FOR THE IDEA. So it is no wonder sin is taught as a right and an "alternative lifestyle."
ok yeah a little inappropriate for children as young as 2nd grade but still there is nothing wrong w/the story in itself...and its probably best to leave this kinda thing 2 parents but its better to have exposure to it instead of hating what you fear and have no knowledge of...
Citizen: Science must have the final say...