“That’s bad for gays but, just as important, that’s bad for Christianity. It’s making a mockery out of the phrase “Christian love.”"
Well said! It is one of several mockeries of Christianity that drive people away from churches.
I do not know John Eldridge, but James Dobson and Sarah Palin make a mockery of Christianity.

I cannot even believe than Christianity Today is interviewing this nitwit. Who cares what he thinks? He doesn’t know anything about politics nor does he know anything about Christianity.
What in the heck is wrong with all these people?

Good article Steve! Every time “Joe the Plumber” opens his mouth it just confirms how ignorant he is. (By the way, shouldn’t his 15 minutes of fame be over by now? Why do people keep interviewing him and asking his opinion?)
I particularly liked the part where he said that he had gays friends and they know he wouldn’t allow them “anywhere near” his children. Yeah I am sure his gay friends really appreciate his paranoia. What does he think they are gonna do? Molest his kids? Oh wait, he said he “HAD” gay friends. I guess they must have parted ways huh?
Christians love to say “love the sinner but hate the sin”. But in the real world that translates as hate the sinner too. I have met many evangelicals who loathe gays but yet say they really love them.
I just want to know how you can demonize a whole group of people and then say you care about them. That makes no sense to me.
Until Christians start to act like Jesus and really love the outcasts of society they will continue to be nothing more than a club for moralists.

Gotta love Joe the Plumber! He’s so right about everything and there’s no getting around that fact! Palin / Plumber 2012!

I wonder how I’d feel if a gay person said the same thing about me.
“I love you but your marriage disgusts me so much I don’t trust you around my kids. And I’m going to call you a name but it’s o.k. because it’s in the dictionary.”
Somehow I don’t really believe gay-haters actually “love”.

“Queer means strange and unusual. It’s not like a slur, like you would call a white person a honky or something like that.”
The last words I heard before I felt the fist hit me from behind were, “Hey, queer. Turn around and LOOK at me. I’m talkin’ to YOU, queer!”
Mr. Wurzelbuerger and his ilk are largely responsible for the rampant gay-bashing that permeates America today. Puke-making. Absolutely vile.
“You know, God is pretty explicit in what we’re supposed to do–what man and woman are for.”
Well, that may be what heterosexual men and women are ‘for’. This attitude clearly says he doesn’t think gay peole even exist – or, at the very least, probably shouldn’t.
“Now, at the same time, we’re supposed to love everybody and accept people”
Yeah, r-i-i-i-g-h-t! Call ‘em “queers” – such “love” – NOT!
“I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children.”
The “christian” “right” sure has som funny ideas about what “friends” are – call them hateful names (I wonder if he does that to their face?) and don’t let your kids near ‘em. God, please spare us all from having such “friends” as Mr. Wurzelburger.
He is a study in what it mean to hate.
“Part of what I like about this quote is it makes clear why gays are not, and should not, be assuaged when evangelicals say they “love them.”
Trust me, Steve, we are not assuaged, because we can see quite clearly through such blatant hypocrisy. Always could. And the fundies (puh-leeze, the word “evangelical” means to spread good news, and there ain’t NOTHIN’ ‘good’ about such sickening ‘love’) just hate us even more now because we refuse to sit back and be good little “queers” and take their hate and their lies and their bigotry. We call ‘em as we see ‘em and they’re gtting exposed for the hateful, lying b@st@rds they really are beneath their no-longer-so-genteel ‘veneer’ of “christian” “love”.
“I’m not saying that it’s impossible for someone to be against gay marriage and still accept gays as people. And there are some Christian leaders who seem to genuinely do both.”
Kindly name one. Just one. Please.
“Many, however, say they “love” gays and then illustrate that they actually hold them in contempt.”
Like Rick Warren? Or were you speaking of James Dobson? Or was it the late-and-not-lamented Jerry Falwell? Or Pat Robertson? Or Tony Perkins? Or Ted Haggard? Or … well, the list of those is long indeed, n’est-ce pas?
“That’s bad for gays but, just as important, that’s bad for Christianity. It’s making a mockery out of the phrase “Christian love.”
Heck, Steve, it’s bad for society. But as you say, such “love” is already a mockery.

Joe’s forgetting the one rule that you can’t escape: Whoever you hate will end up in your family. Just wait for it.

Can he just go away now. He really isn’t helping.

Actually, Lyle, I am rather glad he and Palin and the runner-up to Miss America with her silicon this and her sucked-out that are in the public spotlight.
They are all the hateful, spiteful christianists have left.
And it is good for people to see them for what they are.
Husband is right, the word “evangelical” has also been kidnapped and held hostage by these horrible people. Time to take it back.
We are not going back into the closet, not ever.
Husband, I am so sorry you were attacked. Truly sorry.

Christians are not haters, get of the libbie talking points. What if you say it enough it becomes true? nope sorry . don’t cut it!!! Took a little cruise around the web today-that’s how i ended up hear. did my own research. The biggest nastiest vilest hating is on the Left , by far!! Check it out yourself. You guys are haters calling Christians haters.Hypocrits!! We have 2 gave nephews.1 sex change girl to boy neice/nephew.love them to pieces. don’t agree witht their choice-hey they are fine with that –It is America !! You don’t agree with Christians fine!! Move on!!! If i or anybody I know(mostly christian) say a gay or any person getting harrassed -we would not stand for it!!! Come on –we are followers of Christ-no compromise. Marriage is a Judeo Christian institution!! Look it up!!! Why would you want our term for a union anyway !! You hate us,were vile, all the other stuff libbies say about Christian!! We love you!! We do believe that homosexuality is a sin, and we will not change that view, because you have hurt feelings. Respect our believes. They are also shared by muslims,jews,sceintology,hindu,etc. Are all these groups haters. get a new mantra!! My family members in this gay culture are accepting of why we believe, because maybe they are really the open minded non haters of this bunch!!

Just to add to my earlier comment. Husband. My daughter was beat up badly in middle school. It was horrible 5 people kicking and pummeling her. She got no justice. The next week a gay teenager at the same school got harrassed, the kids were sent to jail for a hate crime. tell me something. How did the gay kid have more hate involved when he got beat up, than my daughter? Tell me!! She only got beat up because she had red hair!! Is their a hate crime for that!! see the more you try to make it equal the more you makeit grossly unequal!!!

Let’s see…
States the “wrongness” of homosexuality as if it were completely obvious…check!
A variation on that classic “love the sinner and hate the sin”…check!
A reminder that gays need to be kept where they can’t get their evil, child-molesting hands on our precious youth…check!
And a reminder that he has “gay friends” to let us know us know that he doesn’t hate gay people per se, just what makes them gay people to begin with…check!
In short, a pretty standard homophobic rant from Joe the Cable Guy-sorry, Plumber.
I’m with Husband on this. The fundies can’t stand it that “queers”, “f*ggots”, “d*kes”, “fairies”, “trannies”, etc. won’t be quiet anymore. Because when we were quiet, they could paint us anyway they chose (their personal preference being to portray us as cartoon-like villains – evil for the sake of being evil). But now that the tables have turned, the so called good guys aren’t acting so heroic. They’ve resorted to fear mongering, conspiracy theories, and outright lies to maintain power. Frankly, being vilified by these people is a badge of honor.

Joe said,
“I’ve had some friends that are actually homosexual. And, I mean, they know where I stand, and they know that I wouldn’t have them anywhere near my children.”
I’m sure “had” is the operative word. Once he found out, more than likely, he dissolved any friendship he had with them. Fair weather friend comes to mind…not the type of friend I’d personally want. Friends are there, through thick and thin, not someone who’d stab you in the back when it was convenient.
He then states that he wouldn’t want them anywhere near his children. Obviously Joe, you don’t know or care that the most of child molesters, and a high percentage at that, are heterosexual.
You’re a wonderful reason people leave Christianity. You claim to be Christian, which means to be Christ like but you fall short of the mark. Jesus spent time with the people you obviously wouldn’t care about.
Your Name,
“we are followers of Christ-no compromise. Marriage is a Judeo Christian institution!!”
Marriage never was, is or will ever be a Christian institution. Where’d you’d pull this definition? You have nothing to stand on as this is simply another ruse to claim ownership of something your religion doesn’t own.
Here’s a link to the history of marriage:
http://www.washblade.com/2004/4-16/news/national/antrho.cfm
Marriage has always been an ever evolving institution and now, with what will eventually be the addition of Gay Marriage to its definition, it will evolve again and as countries who already have Gay Marriage as a part of their laws, nothing changed, people live their lives in peace and happiness and the world continues, in spite of all the doom sayers.

Well, I have a different take. Joe the Plumber for President 2012!!!!

…and the funniest part of the whole thing is the Joe the Plumber is the biggest “in the closet gay” act out there right now! he’ll be resurrecting the old “village people” act once he does his “coming out” thing late this summer.
gotta stay in that media spot light, sammy boy!

Husband and Panthera,
I’m sorry for the hatred you have both been made to endure at the hands of horrid men, all in the name of Jesus. I assure you that He doesn’t know them, and will not on the Last Day.
Our many differences aside, I wish you lives filled with God’s Peace. You deserve no less.
God Bless!

evolution=wrong
intelligent design=right
homosexuality=wrong
Christianity=right
2 wrongs don’t make a right

Go Joe!!!!! America needs more people like you and Miss America. Less people like per e-z hilton

a believer: “Go Joe!!!!! America needs more people like you and Miss America.”
America deserves better heroes than a whiny beauty queen and a plumber who can’t remember what his own first name is.

Look, this is simple. Homophobia is fear´based hatred. Homophobia is every bit as sinful as racism. Opposition to gay and lesbian equality, including marriage for same-sex couples, is homophobic. This is not a matter of opinion or faith, but a matter of right and wrong. For the record, I am a Christian. The Christianist Right, which embraces the ignorance of Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin and the soon-to-defrocked Miss California, is a thinly veiled KKK.

Do you think that Joe The-Wannabe-Plumber has any idea that his kids are far more likely to be abused by close family and relatives than they are “the gays”?
I wonder if he’s ever read the part of the Bible about taking the name of God in vain OR using/publicly pedaling religion for $$$$ gain.
Of course we live in a country where he can do those very things, but it doesn’t mean that he’s not one of far too many people for whom Christianity is a title and adjective used to place them above everyone else and not a verb that they practice in their lives.

Not all conservative Christians embrace the ignorance of Joe the Plumber, Sarah Palin or Miss California (who gave the same response to same-sex marriage as then Pres Elect Obama talking out of both sides of her mouth, yet you don’t find any flaming drama queens calling him a stupid b**ch on their blogs). Never the less we don’t believe that same-sex relations should be sanctioned by society as a whole (naturalization rights, inheritance, adoption, etc) If that makes us bigoted homophobes then so be it (and I don’t have a problem with children being around gays or lesbians).

“Do you think that Joe The-Wannabe-Plumber has any idea that his kids are far more likely to be abused by close family and relatives than they are “the gays”?”
Yeah…and God help him if he ever sends them to a Catholic institution.

Tom, yes, that makes you a bigoted homophobe. Thank you for owning up to it. More than Rick Warren, et al., are likely to do.

Tom,
“Miss California (who gave the same response to same-sex marriage as then Pres Elect Obama talking out of both sides of her mouth”
Sorry, but I have never heard the President refer to “opposite marriage”. Nor have I heard him claim (falsely) that in America, people have that choice [SSM], since we clearly do not.
And yet you, yourself, choose to call Ms soon-to-be-Ex California “ignorant”. Hmmm. Conflicted?
Frankly both she and Miss Hilton (and yes, he is a stupid b!tch – there, now you have found a flaming drama queen calling him that. Happy?) misspoke. That, and the whole thing is well beyond its 15 minutes of fame. Miss Prejean will get a nice salary from the anti-equality folk, so I’m not particularly worried either way.
“Never the less we don’t believe that same-sex relations should be sanctioned by society as a whole (naturalization rights, inheritance, adoption, etc) If that makes us bigoted homophobes then so be it”
So tell me, in a world such as it seems you would prefer, exactly who should inherit my (or my husband’s) estate when one of us dies, after 24+ years together, 5+ of them legally marrried? Tell us why you think gay pople should not be allowed to adopt if you actually “don’t have a problem with children being around gays or lesbians”, or why they shouldn’t be allowed to sponsor their spouse?
Because, frankly, if you do not believe in our legal equality, then yes, you are a ‘bigoted homophobe’, just on the mild side though. At least you didn’t compare us to child-rapists or pigs or bicycles. But definitely, conflicted.

YN,
“Marriage is a Judeo Christian institution!! Look it up!!!”
Apart from Gwyddion9′s succinct deconstruction of this myth/lie (complete with a reference link, no less! YAYYY, Gwyddion9), you might want to take a closer look at the ‘Judeo’ part.
Same-sex marriages are performed in both the Reformed branch and the (ahem) Conservative branch of ‘Judeo’-ism.
Oh, and on the ‘Christian’ side, let’s see, there’s the United Church of Christ, there’s the Quakers (!), there’s the Metropolitan Community Church, there’s the Universalist/Unitarian branch. Why heck, there’s even an offshoot of the Pentecostal Church that do them. As do many Anglican dioceses. The list contines to grow.
So, clearly “The Church” (TM) is not of one accord on this.
Try again,but do better.

Sharon,
“Just to add to my earlier comment. Husband. My daughter was beat up badly in middle school. It was horrible 5 people kicking and pummeling her. She got no justice. The next week a gay teenager at the same school got harrassed, the kids were sent to jail for a hate crime. tell me something. How did the gay kid have more hate involved when he got beat up, than my daughter? Tell me!! She only got beat up because she had red hair!! Is their a hate crime for that!! see the more you try to make it equal the more you makeit grossly unequal!!!”
Sorry, but I can find no “earlier comment” on this thread from a “Sharon”.
I am extremely sorry to hear of your daughter’s assault, and that she got no justice. I would need to know more details – were charges pressed? And if not, why not? Who were her assailants? Did anything provoke them, aside from hair-color? (Sounds like a bunch of children.)
Being beaten up merely for having red hair sounds terrible, especially since it’s a strange reason for violence. But of course, it is no stranger than being beaten up merely for being gay (or for being perceived to be gay). I wonder if the hate crimes list shows how many people get beaten up for their hair color? Or, for that matter, exactly how many people actually hate red-heads? Hate them enough to not only assault them, but to spread lies about them? And how may red-heads get called “SINNER!!!” by their attackers? Will red-heads inherit the kingdom of God? Are they equally “an ABOMINATION” unto The Lord (TM)? Should red-heads be allowed to marry blondes? Or another red-head? Or at all, for that matter? Or is hair color a sickness in need of healing? Do red-heads have electrodes attached to their genitals in order to “cure” them? Is red-headedness “natural”? Was she an un-repentant red-head? Can red-heads encounter Christ? Can redheads even BE Christian? (‘Cuz Christians already have hate-crimes protections, dontcha know.)
See how twisted hate can get?
If people really did treat others as they want to be treated (the core of the Gospel), this would all be moot.

Loox like the queers are winning anyway …
http://www.365gay.com/news/gay-marriage-becomes-law-in-maine/

Tom: “I don’t have a problem with children being around gays or lesbians”
Well, why is that? You just said you don’t believe they should be allowed to adopt, so you must perceive some threat that would warrant separating them somehow. Is it that you’re concerned gay parents might not teach their kids that they are evil sinners who will burn in hell for eternity? Can’t have that, can we?

And we really give a D***what “Joe the Plumber”says? If he is supposed to be a representative of the sad shape Republicans, they’re in deeper doo-doo than I thought!
As much as some (by no means all) of the Christians and others who are thinking that homosexuals are “sinful” etc. and shouldn’t be allowed to marry…well..yet another state has “seen the light”, Maine, so slowly but surely equality is coming to ALL of the citizens of this country. It’s going to take awhile but it will happen. In the future folks will find it as normal as they do inter-racial marriages. That too was forbidden in the not too distant past.

Hey Pagansister,
I agree with you about Joe the Plumber. It was great that he caused Obama to slip and reveal his true intentions on redistribution of wealth. But what next? Joe the Plumber’s prognostications on the upcoming INDY 500? Joe the Plumber judging blueberry pies at state fairs, or predicting pork bellies at the Commodity Exchange? Isn’t his 15 minutes of fame up by now?
Now I’ve done it. The RNC is going to confiscate my card! I made fun of Joe.
Queer isn’t a slur? It sure was when we called one another ‘queer’ in Boy Scouts in the 70′s. That was the worst challenge to a young guy’s emerging masculinity back in that simpler, yet less enlightened time. Who’s Joe kidding?
Great, now the Democrat’s won’t have me either. Reformed juvenile homophobe. One post and I’m a man without a country! I’m going to bed before I say something else and get myself kicked out of the Church!
God Bless.

In repy to this post……”I cannot even believe than Christianity Today is interviewing this nitwit. Who cares what he thinks? He doesn’t know anything about politics nor does he know anything about Christianity.”
How many Hollywood starts and musicians get into politics and how much do they know? They take advantage of their stardome. So Joe has just as much right to speak out as anyone else does.

churchmouse: “Joe has just as much right to speak out as anyone else does.”
And we have the right to disagree with him.

Churchmouse,
You are quite right.
Just, think about it for a minute.
The four biggest advocates of conservative Christian/Republican policies right now:
Palin
Jindal
Prejean
Wurzelbacher
Truly, we disagree on nearly everything, but, well, wow.
Is this really the best your side has to offer as leadership?
Of course, from my perspective, this is as good as it gets. These four have done more to drive independents and business conservatives out of the Republican party than anyone else.
Carry on.

Sorry if I failed to put my earlier comments into context. Raising children and being around children are two completely different things. I don’t think that “gayness” or some disease like AIDS will rub off on children simply by being around gays, so in this context I disagree with ‘Joe the Plumber’. I drink the cool-aid that children are better off with both male and female parents since both typically have different attributes to offer (ie they were created differently in my opinion). And no I don’t have animosity towards homosexuals for a propensity which is largely involuntary.

I wonder how involved Joe is with his children. Who you let them be around is a big issue because if you’re paying attention, you’re going to become very protective. My daughter never had a friend from a gay household so I cannot honestly say what I would have felt but there were friends we wouldn’t let her visit with in their home or even decided to end the friendship unilaterally. Kids who were mean, kids whose parents were never paying any attention, kids whose parents let them roam around the street, alcoholic parents.

We are all in this together! We must take care of each other! We must Love each other! That love commandant was left with us from Jesus Christ, himself…
What are we going to do about that? I choose love and life…

I am saying that it is impossible to love and hate at the same time; coming from the same heart…..Go visit Love again! Learn about it. It’s complete. Have any of you ever been in love? Joe, the plummer
what does it feel like/what did it feel like? Well, I’ve been in love, and it possesed my very heart soul and body, thoughts, feelings, etc. There were no parts of me that hated!

Why do we care what Joe the Plumber says? He was used by the Republican Party last fall. His fame is over….I could care less what he says about gays…..
What he says about gays just shows how ignorant and intolerant he is. He is pandering to the Christian Right on most issues but here he is doing the complete opposite and all Christians should be against. Against prejudice and ignorance. They should be accepting to ALL people. PERIOD.

Acceptance of ,or love, for a person, does not mean that you condone all their behaviors. I once had a friend who was a cleptomaniac. What a sad thing, and it hurt to see it happen, but did I love or value that person less? No. Did she have a serious problem that I was concerned about? You bet. Being cautious is not being hateful, don’t confuse yourselves.

N-i-i-i-c-e! Comparing gay relationships to kleptomania. S-O-O-O ‘Christian’. NOT!