Cal Thomas: Battle Is Lost

Jim Burroway

April 7th, 2009

Conservative columnist Cal Thomas is most definitely against same-sex marriage, and more broadly he has little good to say about the gay rights movement (“They have taken advantage of a morally exhausted nation…”). He is pretty sure that the court decision in Iowa will “dismantle the foundations of our nation” and open the floodgates to polygamy. But with all that, he knows when the party’s over:

To those on the political and religious right who are intent on continuing the battle to preserve “traditional marriage” in a nation that is rapidly discarding its traditions, I would ask this question: What poses a greater threat to our remaining moral underpinnings? Is it two homosexuals living together, or is it the number of heterosexuals who are divorcing and the increasing number of children born to unmarried women, now at nearly 40 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention?

…The battle over same-sex marriage is on the way to being lost. For conservatives who still have faith in the political system to reverse the momentum, you are—to recall Harold Hill—”closing your eyes to a situation you do not wish to acknowledge.”

David

April 7th, 2009

I wouldn’t think the evangelical community and those wanting to “save traditional marriage” crowd so hypocritical if they were addressing the demise of heterosexual marriage within their own ranks. How can a minister advocate protecting heterosexual marriage when he divorces his wife and marries her best friend because God told him to, and then stays in the pulpit and on tv. To me it seems more of a money making ploy, because as soon as they tell you how bad the “gay menace” is and how much money they have they hit you up for a donation.

Attmay

April 7th, 2009

Yikes. He should have never have shaved his mustache.

These people spent so much time pointing out non-existent specks in others’ eyes when there were redwood logs in their own. It’s a wonder anyone gave them credibility on any issue.

Ben in Oakland

April 7th, 2009

“To those on the political and religious right who are intent on continuing the battle to preserve “traditional marriage” in a nation that is rapidly discarding its traditions, I would ask this question: What poses a greater threat to our remaining moral underpinnings? Is it two homosexuals living together, or is it the number of heterosexuals who are divorcing and the increasing number of children born to unmarried women, now at nearly 40 percent?”

Good for him. At least he was willing to tell the truth, and stop blaming gay people for what heterosexuals have been doing to The Holy Family.

His conclusion, however, was unfortunate. It is not that the political system has not been working, it was working all too well, fueled by hate and bigotry and religious intolerance, rather than knowledge, compassion, and progress.

Prop. 8 is the perfect example. It barely passed, and would never have passed has its supporters not resorted a campaign of lies and fear mongering, and had our side not run a campaign from the dark recesses of the closet.

What Mr. thomas is saying is that the tide is inexorably turning, and he doesn’t like it one bit. But barring a coup, maybe it’s time for good Christians to stop seeking the speck in their gay brothers’ and sisters’ eyes and start noticing the logs.

I find it interesting that while Mr. thomas is willing to accept heterosexual repsonsibility for the immorality of what they do to their families, somehow we immensely powerful and ever resourceful gay people have manged to pick on a morally exhausted nation like the bullies we clearly are, forcing them to abandon all principle or morality or something because They Just Couldn’t Take It Anymore.

Bad homos. Bad. Bad. Bad.

Or as I like to put it, heterosexuals behave badly, and gay people bear the blame or the punishment. but it’s a little twisted here, because heterosexists-rightwingers-homophobes-whathaveyou are acknowledging their responsibility. but they still want to blame gay people, because they are not behaving how they think they ought to, which is not about minding their own marriages, but about blaming gay people for every ill in society.

David Phillips

April 7th, 2009

All of that pissing and moaning, and he doesn’t have the courtesy to spontaneously combust for a finale??!! Glad to see one wingnut has come to his senses partly re sustaining married couples; now, if he’d just get over the hating.

Rick R. Reed

April 7th, 2009

However couched, it’s still nice to see that the more common sense marriage “problem” to work on is not keeping apart two people who love one another, but helping those who have already made the commitment sustain it.

Alex

April 7th, 2009

Did anyone else find it ironic that an anti-gay columnist compared the situation in Iowa to a musical?

Pender

April 7th, 2009

What’s hilarious to me is that he holds up Harold Hill from the Music Man as a model citizen for calling out corruption and degradation — when Hill was basically a scam artist trading on the town’s irrational hysteria to take advantage of them.

What an unintentionally perfect summary of the professional anti-gay organizations of America.

Ben in Oakland

April 7th, 2009

brilliant, pender. send that to Mr. thomas

Richard W. Fitch

April 7th, 2009

I only read Cal Thomas’ column AFTER I’ve taken my blood pressure medicine. He is one of the most smug, arrogant and condescending people in print. He did such a good job of stating the conditions, why the hell couldn’t he have stated the logical conclusion????

David C.

April 7th, 2009

He did such a good job of stating the conditions, why the hell couldn’t he have stated the logical conclusion????
—Richard W. Fitch

Perhaps because by doing so, he would have provided all that was needed to complete refutation of many if not all common arguments against same-sex marriage, and that attribution of moral decline to the extension of full civil protections to gay people was fallacious from the beginning.

Ben in Oakland

April 7th, 2009

Davcid: that is what I was trying to say. thank you for making it clear.

Lynn David

April 8th, 2009

At least he’s pragmatic; would that all the rest would be so.

Leave A Comment

All comments reflect the opinions of commenters only. They are not necessarily those of anyone associated with Box Turtle Bulletin. Comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

(Required)
(Required, never shared)

PLEASE NOTE: All comments are subject to our Comments Policy.

 

Latest Posts

The Things You Learn from the Internet

"The Intel On This Wasn't 100 Percent"

From Fake News To Real Bullets: This Is The New Normal

NC Gov McCrory Throws In The Towel

Colorado Store Manager Verbally Attacks "Faggot That Voted For Hillary" In Front of 4-Year-Old Son

Associated Press Updates "Alt-Right" Usage Guide

A Challenge for Blue Bubble Democrats

Baptist Churches in Dallas, Austin Expelled Over LGBT-Affirming Stance

Featured Reports

What Are Little Boys Made Of?

In this original BTB Investigation, we unveil the tragic story of Kirk Murphy, a four-year-old boy who was treated for “cross-gender disturbance” in 1970 by a young grad student by the name of George Rekers. This story is a stark reminder that there are severe and damaging consequences when therapists try to ensure that boys will be boys.

Slouching Towards Kampala: Uganda’s Deadly Embrace of Hate

When we first reported on three American anti-gay activists traveling to Kampala for a three-day conference, we had no idea that it would be the first report of a long string of events leading to a proposal to institute the death penalty for LGBT people. But that is exactly what happened. In this report, we review our collection of more than 500 posts to tell the story of one nation’s embrace of hatred toward gay people. This report will be updated continuously as events continue to unfold. Check here for the latest updates.

Paul Cameron’s World

In 2005, the Southern Poverty Law Center wrote that “[Paul] Cameron’s ‘science’ echoes Nazi Germany.” What the SPLC didn”t know was Cameron doesn’t just “echo” Nazi Germany. He quoted extensively from one of the Final Solution’s architects. This puts his fascination with quarantines, mandatory tattoos, and extermination being a “plausible idea” in a whole new and deeply disturbing light.

From the Inside: Focus on the Family’s “Love Won Out”

On February 10, I attended an all-day “Love Won Out” ex-gay conference in Phoenix, put on by Focus on the Family and Exodus International. In this series of reports, I talk about what I learned there: the people who go to these conferences, the things that they hear, and what this all means for them, their families and for the rest of us.

Prologue: Why I Went To “Love Won Out”
Part 1: What’s Love Got To Do With It?
Part 2: Parents Struggle With “No Exceptions”
Part 3: A Whole New Dialect
Part 4: It Depends On How The Meaning of the Word "Change" Changes
Part 5: A Candid Explanation For "Change"

The Heterosexual Agenda: Exposing The Myths

At last, the truth can now be told.

Using the same research methods employed by most anti-gay political pressure groups, we examine the statistics and the case studies that dispel many of the myths about heterosexuality. Download your copy today!

And don‘t miss our companion report, How To Write An Anti-Gay Tract In Fifteen Easy Steps.

Testing The Premise: Are Gays A Threat To Our Children?

Anti-gay activists often charge that gay men and women pose a threat to children. In this report, we explore the supposed connection between homosexuality and child sexual abuse, the conclusions reached by the most knowledgeable professionals in the field, and how anti-gay activists continue to ignore their findings. This has tremendous consequences, not just for gay men and women, but more importantly for the safety of all our children.

Straight From The Source: What the “Dutch Study” Really Says About Gay Couples

Anti-gay activists often cite the “Dutch Study” to claim that gay unions last only about 1½ years and that the these men have an average of eight additional partners per year outside of their steady relationship. In this report, we will take you step by step into the study to see whether the claims are true.

The FRC’s Briefs Are Showing

Tony Perkins’ Family Research Council submitted an Amicus Brief to the Maryland Court of Appeals as that court prepared to consider the issue of gay marriage. We examine just one small section of that brief to reveal the junk science and fraudulent claims of the Family “Research” Council.

Daniel Fetty Doesn’t Count

Daniel FettyThe FBI’s annual Hate Crime Statistics aren’t as complete as they ought to be, and their report for 2004 was no exception. In fact, their most recent report has quite a few glaring holes. Holes big enough for Daniel Fetty to fall through.