Microsoft's gay rights efforts targeted

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer

A conservative Christian pastor plans to launch a high-profile campaign Tuesday urging religious followers to load up on Microsoft Corp. stock, in an attempt to force the company to "stop financing ungodly ventures."

The Rev. Ken Hutcherson, who leads Antioch Bible Church in Microsoft's hometown of Redmond, says that he will create a global and powerful group to promote traditional family values, including marriage exclusively between a man and a woman.

Hutcherson, joined by some of the country's most influential Christian leaders, has created a new organization, AGN Financial Network, to finance the effort. The worldwide venture asks people to buy three shares of company stock and donate one to AGN. Its Web site tells visitors, "You have the power to change the world," and contains tips on how to open a brokerage account. Among the listed supporters are Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention and religious pundit Gary Bauer.

"We're not trying to hurt Microsoft or their shareholders, nor are we calling for a boycott of their products," volunteer spokesman Dennis Sullivan said. "We are trying to get Christians to buy their shares."

Read more: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/346431_antiochmsft08.html

not really but if I was more of a tinfoil hatter

after I saw an article about this guy a while back, it made me consider buying Microsoft shares

Both he and Steve Ballmer are pretty solid on equal rights, and put the company's money where their mouth is on that. The problem regarding not endorsing the now passed civil rights bill to include GLBT folks was based on a their top corporate lawyer, Brad Smith, going off the farm on the issue. Over 12K employees protested when it was brought to light, but too late for the bill's passage. Steve and Bill righted the situation ASAP once it got publicity. The bill later passed during the next session, with MS's full support. They are solid on diversity.

Gates is a pretty solid liberal socially. Unfortunately he votes with his wallet, and likes corporate tax breaks more than the environment or gay rights.

There's no way they're ever going to become a majority shareholder, so there's no point in that. They're just encouraging Microsoft to continue supporting gay rights.

More power to them i guess :)

"Hutcherson said it's not Microsoft's job to influence the public agenda, and that it should be left to others, like him.

"That's what my job is," he said. "I'm a pastor." "

It seems Pastor Hutcherson would like to become an honest taxpayer.

they get dumped on.

I have a number of people who work for Microsoft and Microsoft treats their employees well.

Yes, his church is fairly large congregation wise. I would attribute that to the fact that there aren't that many places for the fundies to go around here. But get this, they don't even own a church building. They rent out the gym of a local high school every Sunday, and they have some offices in an industrial park in Redmond. He has about as much chance of impacting MS policy on diversity as I have of being made the next CEO of the company.

Funny story about Hutcherson to show you how stupid he is.... he was testifying against passage of the state civil rights bill here in WA state to include sexual orientation to the protected classes listed in the existing law (prior to when it passed), and in testifying he said (and I'm paraphrasing, but his objection was clear) "Why should gay people have civil rights protections? What we need is civil rights protections about religious beliefs."

One of our esteemed state senators let him finish, but was compelled to point out that discrimination against people for their religious beliefs was illegal, and had been included in the original bill, passed eons ago (just like the federal laws). I swear, it was all most people in the audience could do not to just laugh him out of the room. Now you would think that a guy that is allowed to rent a public school gymnasium every Sunday for the past 10 years to spew his bigotry could have figured that out, but you'd be wrong. He really is dumb as a rock.

Apparantly he doesn't have time to help the poor or hungry...there is something foul about this guy...it's gonna come out sooner or later.

All I am saying is when this guy gets on Television in a purple polyester track suit...somethin aint' right in nogginvillle..

"Lets punish these greedy underhanded heathens by sending a tidal wave of money at them!"

No donating a ton of Linux machines to underprivileged communities, or even buying an ad campain to highlight said greedy underhanded business practices.

But I'm sure the congregation will think it's a great idea.

by buying up every copy we can find and burning them!

Burning every copy WITHOUT buying them.
No, I'm sorry, recycle them. :web:

....that even the BushCo WH had to disavow.




- Too many shots to the head when he played football. That's what I'm guessing....

K&R

There's the one and only sentence in the whole article you even have to read - How do we separate the sheep from their money?

The worldwide venture asks people to buy three shares of company stock and donate one to AGN.

to MAKE everyone live by legislatively, or within the corporate world -- how long before they take a gun and make same sex parters separate or bomb an institution for it's nondiscriminatory practices?

Then remind the fundies that every time they press Ctrl + Alt + Del, they're making the sign of the Devil with their left hands.

You'll never get another email from any of them again.

Ken, I think you're mistaken about the nature of your job.

You just know that's the next time you'll see his name in a press account, don't you?

It's hard for me to believe that a few hundred share bloc of stock would affect any of Microsoft's HR policies.

I might also add that I believe this is a violation of the church's anti-tax status. Perhaps Mr. Hutcherson would like to put his money where his mouth is and pay taxes if he wants to play footsie with the policies of publicly held corporations.

Julie

and if I recall correctly, the brokerage company he has set up is strictly for profit and will be taxed. 501 non-profit corporations are permitted to have for-profit subsidiaries. And churches are permitted to accept donations of stock, money and other items. What they have to do is plow any profits made, say from stock dividends, back into their non-profit activities. Right now Microsoft is trading at a hair over $34 a share. So, Hutcherson might be successful at getting some people to buy shares and donate some to his church. Stranger things have happened.

they need to spread it. disgusting.

It always works for other "Pastors" in the past. Why, look at the mileage Jerry Falwell got out of hating the Gays."