Hypocrisy, thy name be Wal*Mart (Selling ex-gay kid's book)

[mr_rubino]

He'll come out of this little phase soon enough. Let him have his fun and make his money.

 

[Danman1]

Frankly I'm a little pissed you were able to tie video games into this mess. But nonetheless, yeah. WalMart's kind of shitty like that.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

Apparently selling a product that completely disregards and subjects a group of people to ridicule is perfectly acceptable by their standards, yet release a "violent" video game and by the heavens, we have unleashed a plague. Furthermore, it is simply mind baffling how this horrendous piece of dribble ever made it into circulation. It is unfortunate we live in a society that cannot fathom the minimal considerable of keeping their business to themselves. No, we have to "save the gays!" Just... unreal. The only thing they need rescuing from is moronic fanatics such as the author of the aforementioned book.

Nonetheless, I figured it would be an interesting conversation piece and hey, it is search bar approved! And before someone queries, I had recently read an article about Wal*Mart and their looming over the gaming industry about violence in games. Thus, I related the two for means of discussion.

I bought an exorcism book at walmart. It literally contains prayers supposed to drive out demons, thoughts of pedophilia, and a bunch of other stuff. I was laughing so hard when I saw I just had to get it.

 

[Wintermoot]

this is just too stupid the ONLY way Walmart can sell these products is if they where owned by a conservative or something

 

[omicron1]

This isn't an issue of "not agreeing," this is an issue that it's blatantly labelling homosexuality as "evil" and "wrong". It's going to be insanely offensive, and it's insensitive, too. Even if it is just his opinion. Freedom of speech is one thing, but this is as close as you can get to propoganda. Spreading your opinion as "devine truth" is what's wrong about it, not that he has an opinion on it.

I'm well aware some of the people here are pretty hypocritical about it, myself included, but for the most part, the reason behind this is fairly logical - it puts down a group of people who should not be put down this way. Let's say a black man became white and said "I'm glad I'm not an evil black man anymore!", it'd be regarded as racism; so saying "I'm glad I'm not an evil gay man anymore," is prejeduice all the same.

I don't see the opinion (that homosexuals are evil) expressed either in the linked source or in the topic itself. What I see is "homosexuality is a sin" - which is not the same thing by a long shot. There's a phrase I've heard so often in the past few years it's become somewhat a cliche: "Hate the sin, love the sinner." Cliche though it may be, it still applies here. Saying that homosexuality is wrong - from the perspective of the Christian - is no different from saying that lying is wrong, or that adultery is wrong. It certainly doesn't make the person saying it prejudiced against a certain type of person, unless the act in question counts as a "type," which neither I nor a majority of Christians believe it does.

If considering homosexuality to be an evil act is a crime, will it next become a crime to consider premarital sex evil? Or abortion? This is absolutely an issue of freedom of speech. It's an attempt to shut the opposition up - to legislate their mouths shut so that a particular viewpoint on this issue can be made the law of the land. Or at least, that's how I see it.

This isn't some sort of "holier than thou" spiel on his part either, I believe. (Inferring from the summary) He's not saying "I'm no longer gay, so I'm no longer evil." He's saying "I've given up this sinful act in my life. I'm still a sinner, just no longer in that way." If a Christian is being a "goody two shoes" - acting superior on the basis of not sinning - he hasn't realized just how much sin is in his life. Feel free to direct him to Romans 3:23.


What I find most troubling here is that a book which "suggests that homosexuality can be overcome" is considered a bad thing. This suggests that the authors of said post have decided that it is not, and furthermore consider any argument with that viewpoint to be inherently bad. Of course, considering it's copied from the "Advocate," (which a quick google search reveals as a gay news portal) that's hardly surprising...

 

[ANImaniac89]

Yes its a sad fact the gay people are still treated poorly, I am a life-long Christan and I really feel bad when ever I hear about some red-neck-shit-head the felt it was necessary to commit a hate crime. I myself have never really cared about the "Gay issue" one way or another, Hell my father is what your could call Gay (but saying that would be highly disrespectful to the gay community).

Funny thing is possibly the most backwards evil anti-gay person I have ever met was a true blue God loathing atheist, He believed with all his heart that gay people are a flawed mutation of human evolution and they should be treated with Clockwork Orange style re-education and failing that death.

and you know what in my mind when comparing the Christan "Pray away the Gay" and the The Ludovico Technique/murder solution I think the Christan way just might be the less extreme of the two.


In the end I was alway told that God loves the sinner and that its not my place to judge (Because God knows I have done plenty of fucked up things myself) I really have a hard time see why other can't just do the same.

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

Honestly I'm not surprised. If any store was going to carry a book like that it would be Walmart. Probably Walmarts in Arkansas or Kentucky.

 

[Imat]

Aren't crazy church people SO funny. That's why I always answer the door to them.
Don't they understand the seperation between church and state

This has probably been said already, but I'm not entirely sure you understand the separation of church and state. Pretty sure that ain't your fault, however, seeing as how the US government doesn't understand it anymore either.

 

[ShadowsofHope]

What I find most troubling here is that a book which "suggests that homosexuality can be overcome" is considered a bad thing. This suggests that the authors of said post have decided that it is not, and furthermore consider any argument with that viewpoint to be inherently bad. Of course, considering it's copied from the "Advocate," (which a quick google search reveals as a gay news portal) that's hardly surprising...

Generally speaking, telling people that their sexuality is "wrong" and can be "overcome to become heterosexual" is rather demeaning to those people, regardless of the intent and belief's of those whom have that opinion. It's essentially telling them they are less of a human being to heterosexuals for simply being homosexual.

That's the jist of what some posters on here are saying, to my understanding.

 

[Callate]

The book sounds seven shades of stupid. But I can't really get on Wal-Mart for selling it. If we started demanding that retailers not sell materials because they're factually inaccurate, we lose most of the "non-fiction" bestseller list; if we demand they not sell them because we find them offensive, we open the door for throwing out whatever others find offensive, whether it's Playboy or Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart, period. Their business and labor practices have made it unconscionable for me to do so; their offering one stupid and abhorrent book certainly isn't going to make me any more likely I'll shop there. But while I could condemn the book and wish that people wouldn't buy it, I'm not any more likely to change their minds than it's likely that a student at freaking Brigham Young found gay sex without actively looking for it.

 

[Romblen]

A store is selling a book that some people do not approve of? SOMEONE CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD!

I don't see the issue here, if any other store that sold books sold this, no one would care.

 

[The_ModeRazor]

This is so fucked up, it's hilarious.

Next!

 

[Dfskelleton]

What the hell, why can't people just get over it already. Some people are just psychologically set to be homosexual, and thinking that you can cure it is stupidity in one of it's purest forms. Why does anyone care anymore? Some men like other men, some women like other women, big deal. I know it's looked down upon, but why? I'd say I'm pretty straight, but as a man I know how some must feel. Why won't they accept that they're different and live that way instead of blaming their university or family and trying to fix it? Only idiots really hate Homosexuals, and should be ignored.
(Also, those were mostly rhetorical questions, but someone will answer anyway.)

 

[WilliamRLBaker]

Um you've read the book right? and you can confirm it contains gay bashing, kill all homosexual speeches and other such things right?
you mean you haven't read it and don't know what it contains?

Seems to me if something isn't okay then nothing is okay, Wal-mart isn't being hypocritical you are your pissed at wal-mart for one thing, then when they carry another your pissed at that... seems to me if they did carry violent and sexual video games..you'd still be down on them for this book your using the book as a scapegoat to bring a point against Wal-mart.

 

[Kiju]

I dunno, if they want to write it for the sake of writing it; with the book being their view on homosexuality, go ahead and let them. Just be sure to file it under the 'Fantasy' aisle, because it sure as hell isn't Non-Fiction.

It's perfectly acceptable to let them publish and print the book, to sell it. People will buy it, lose a few points in their IQ, and suffer because of the lies being spread through it. It's not my problem, so why should I care? Free speech and whatnot. They're morons; people who buy it and believe it are morons, and the people who sell it are...businessmen. A little lower in my eyes, but that's just me.

Just to get it out of the way: If the people who wrote this book were in front of me right now, I'd probably spit in their face after drinking some grape soda. I absolutely hate people that treat homosexuality as a disease that can be cured. It is a genetic code that can no more be changed than your skin color.

And for the smart-asses who would like to comment on 'what about tanning?', then my answer is thus: you can certainly hide the fact you're gay, deny it, even try to prove to others that you aren't by marrying a straight woman and living a perfectly "normal" life. But you are gay, whether you like it or not.

I'd be willing to stake money on the fact that the son was never gay at all in the first place. He probably just got curious, found he didn't have a taste for it, and dropped it.

 

[Andy of Comix Inc]

I don't see the opinion (that homosexuals are evil) expressed either in the linked source or in the topic itself. What I see is "homosexuality is a sin" - which is not the same thing by a long shot. There's a phrase I've heard so often in the past few years it's become somewhat a cliche: "Hate the sin, love the sinner." Cliche though it may be, it still applies here. Saying that homosexuality is wrong - from the perspective of the Christian - is no different from saying that lying is wrong, or that adultery is wrong. It certainly doesn't make the person saying it prejudiced against a certain type of person, unless the act in question counts as a "type," which neither I nor a majority of Christians believe it does.

If considering homosexuality to be an evil act is a crime, will it next become a crime to consider premarital sex evil? Or abortion? This is absolutely an issue of freedom of speech. It's an attempt to shut the opposition up - to legislate their mouths shut so that a particular viewpoint on this issue can be made the law of the land. Or at least, that's how I see it.

This isn't some sort of "holier than thou" spiel on his part either, I believe. (Inferring from the summary) He's not saying "I'm no longer gay, so I'm no longer evil." He's saying "I've given up this sinful act in my life. I'm still a sinner, just no longer in that way." If a Christian is being a "goody two shoes" - acting superior on the basis of not sinning - he hasn't realized just how much sin is in his life. Feel free to direct him to Romans 3:23.


What I find most troubling here is that a book which "suggests that homosexuality can be overcome" is considered a bad thing. This suggests that the authors of said post have decided that it is not, and furthermore consider any argument with that viewpoint to be inherently bad. Of course, considering it's copied from the "Advocate," (which a quick google search reveals as a gay news portal) that's hardly surprising...

"Good and evil" is pretty black & white. People are people, you don't need to justify or reason why people do what they do; and this book does. It assumes that gays are "evil" and "should be saved," which is an opinion spread as a truth.

Is it wrong that these people have these viewpoints? Heavens no! And freedom of speech dictates that they have the right to spread these viewpoints. My problem is that this kind of thing really should have a disclaimer: "the opinions contained in this book are those of the author" kind of thing. Homosexuality is portrayed as a problem as a whole, rather than just to this one person (which is all well and good, if you're uncomfortable with your perceived orientation you may have read the signs wrong, or you could be pansexual or asexual or God knows what).

I have no problem with people have opinions. I have no problem with the opinions. I have a problem with people taking these opinions as red, and these opinions being spread as some sort of guidebook on how to do it. This sort of thing intimidates and scares a lot of people, and I hope you realise why. I know if this book were to start popping up in stores around my neighbourhood, I'd probably be dead by Wednesday.

 

[mr_rubino]

this is just too stupid the ONLY way Walmart can sell these products is if they where owned by a conservative or something

Not very familiar with the Walton family, are you?

The book sounds seven shades of stupid. But I can't really get on Wal-Mart for selling it. If we started demanding that retailers not sell materials because they're factually inaccurate, we lose most of the "non-fiction" bestseller list; if we demand they not sell them because we find them offensive, we open the door for throwing out whatever others find offensive, whether it's Playboy or Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret.

I don't shop at Wal-Mart, period. Their business and labor practices have made it unconscionable for me to do so; their offering one stupid and abhorrent book certainly isn't going to make me any more likely I'll shop there. But while I could condemn the book and wish that people wouldn't buy it, I'm not any more likely to change their minds than it's likely that a student at freaking Brigham Young found gay sex without actively looking for it.

I dunno. You ever seen the college boy stock over in Deseret? Hoo-boy. Gets the blood pumping.

 

[Krion_Vark]

Apparently selling a product that completely disregards and subjects a group of people to ridicule is perfectly acceptable by their standards, yet release a "violent" video game and by the heavens, we have unleashed a plague. Furthermore, it is simply mind baffling how this horrendous piece of dribble ever made it into circulation. It is unfortunate we live in a society that cannot fathom the minimal considerable of keeping their business to themselves. No, we have to "save the gays!" Just... unreal. The only thing they need rescuing from is moronic fanatics such as the author of the aforementioned book.

Nonetheless, I figured it would be an interesting conversation piece and hey, it is search bar approved! And before someone queries, I had recently read an article about Wal*Mart and their looming over the gaming industry about violence in games. Thus, I related the two for means of discussion.

I bought an exorcism book at walmart. It literally contains prayers supposed to drive out demons, thoughts of pedophilia, and a bunch of other stuff. I was laughing so hard when I saw I just had to get it.

Were the prayers in Latin because if not then you bought a complete and total scam.

 

[Throwitawaynow]

I bought an exorcism book at walmart. It literally contains prayers supposed to drive out demons, thoughts of pedophilia, and a bunch of other stuff. I was laughing so hard when I saw I just had to get it.

Were the prayers in Latin because if not then you bought a complete and total scam.

Of course it was a scam, and not in the I'm not Christian everything involving it is a scam sort of way, although I'm not Christian. And no, it wasn't in latin. It was in Spanish, dun dun dun! No, it was in English.

Spoiler: Complete contradiction of what I just said kinda

The book is extremely pagan. Chanting a prayer(Spell) to protect yourself against forces of darkness(magic).

I don't know where it is I was looking for it cause I wanted to post one of the prayers.