100 Pastors Sign Letter Protesting Gay Activist Cast in Movie!!!

Because this is the MOST important issue to take up these minister's time right now... Heh. A gay actor. What's next???
:crazy:
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MEDIA ADVISORY, Jan. 18 /Christian Wire Service/ -- On January 13, Jason Janz at the blog located at www.sharperiron.org posted an article stating his concerns that Mart Green and Every Tribe Entertainment cast a gay activist in the role of Nate Saint in the upcoming movie, "The End of the Spear."

Since the article was posted, it has been viewed over 20,000 times. He asked concerned pastors to put their name on a letter to Mart Green and Every Tribe Entertainment expressing their concerns. The letter has been sent. Over 100 pastors signed the letter. The letter is included below.

Original article can be found here: http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?t=2244

Online letter can be found here: http://www.sharperiron.org

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January 19, 2006

Dear Mart Green and Every Tribe Entertainment,

We are writing to you to express our deep disappointment in your selection of a gay activist to play the role of Nate Saint in the movie, The End of the Spear. We believe it is our biblical responsibility to confront a fellow believer when he is overtaken in a fault.

We look forward to hearing how you plan to rectify this unfortunate situation. The article is attached that details our concerns.

In Him,

List of pastors available at http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?t=2275

http://www.earnedmedia.org/janz0118.htm

My head just exploded. Thank you. :P :wtf:

It details the whole story. Jim Elliot's wife Elizabeth goes on to work with the tribes. And you know, I have a feeling she wouldn't have cared if Nate's part was played by a gay guy. I don't see her as one of THOSE kind of "Christians."

or are only gays so evil they shouldn't be in a Christian movie?

I suspect other cast members have broken commandments here and there...where's the outrage?

Right, fundies? :eyes:

Apparently even the mean old god of the old testament didn't consider it more than a minor peccadillo, not nearly as bad as coveting somebody else's property, including the female human being he's using for breeding stock.

The priests were the ones who had the big problem with the mean old gay guys loving each other instead of finding some woman to oppress. God didn't care, nor did Jesus.

But I agree with warpy. It isn't in the top ten.

to seek out and get all the details about every act of homosexuality performed (or even contemplated) in this country. Then, our lord would want us to discuss these acts incessantly.

Really. It's what Jesus wants.

:evilgrin:

#1 priority - hate and persecute the gays
#2 hate and persecute the gays

continue through #100.

Their religious agenda mocks Christ's teaching.

They have no time for the poor, ill, or hungry.

on DU a few days ago had an e-mail that a DUer received from one of their fundy relatives about how The End of the Spear was such a wonderful Christian movie and would be used by God to reach many people and cause them to become born-again believers. Now this kerfafle about the director casting a <gasp> gay actor in one of the roles. I love the line "We look forward to hearing how you plan to rectify this unfortunate situation." What the hell do they want the director to do? Re-edit the movie to remove this character? Re-shoot the movie with a different, fundy-approved straight actor? Can't these people get a life? Why do they always have to worry and pitch fits over who someone is attracted to?

these 'pastors' might have some sort of pseudo-religious connection to the Saints, but Nate was MY Cousin. (technically, my Dad's cousin) and my family doesn't seem to have any problem with it at all. But what do a bunch of relatives know about anything, after all? Nate was a missionary in the best sense of the word, he wanted to help make people's lives better. And yes, part of that was prostlytizing, but it wasn't Spanish Inquisition prostylizing, and it wasn't what got him killed. But feel free to use it for your own political gain, everyone else in the bible-thumping missionary community has.

you know...a state with employment non-discrimination laws protecting gays, and this guy gets fired because of this letter, I'm wondering if there would be something actionable. . .

More than that - isn't it possible, given the wording and tone of this letter, the if there was a firing that the activist could also file a civil suit against the 100 ministers who essentially are faulting someone for HIRING a gay man? Unless these ministers, for example, are directly and financially responsible for the production, this seems like unwarranted religious interference and an attempt to coerce employment decisions based solely on religious beliefs and sexual orientation.

Like I said, I'm not expert. . .but I sure wouldn't mind slapping them silly with the state constitution and laws that prohibit discrimination in hiring both on the basis of religion and sexual orientation.

Their "biblical" responsibility ends at the border of their own lives.

Pastor Jason Janz, Lakewood, CO
Pastor Gary Small, Lynden, WA
Pastor Jason Clark, West Bend, WI
Pastor Tom Fuller, Whitewater, WI
Pastor Bob Meredith, Golden Valley, MN
Pastor Kirk Mellen, Corinth, ME
Pastor Scott Townsend, Warren ME
Pastor Matt McCarthy, Winston-Salem, SC
Pastor Thad Gunderson, Loveland, CO
Pastor Brian Norman, Gloversville, NY
Pastor Keith E. South, Nephi, UT
Pastor Paul Poppe, Chetek, WI
Pastor Joe Roof, Albany, NY
Pastor Dean Taylor, Simpsonville, SC
Pastor Mike Mann, Sylvania, GA
Pastor Charles Rambeau, Jr., Selma, NC
Pastor Ben Layer, Poland
Pastor Stephen King, Magdeburg, Germany
Pastor Rick Cross, Longmont, CO
Pastor Joel Tetreau, Chandler, AZ
Pastor Greg Linscott, Skowhegan, ME
Pastor Jim Newcomer, Virginia Beach, VA
Pastor Dan McGhee, Plymouth, MI
Pastor Jim Morgan, Statesville, NC
Pastor Kenny Clark, La Mirada, CA
Pastor Daniel Boyce, Warwick, NY
Pastor Don Johnston, Grinnell, IA
Pastor Bob Bixby, Rockford, IL
Pastor Chip Van Emmerik, Queen Creek, AZ
Pastor Brian Barber, Santa Maria, CA
Pastor Richard Parelli, Moravia, NY
Pastor Josh Crockett, Anderson, IN
Pastor Leigh Crockett, Anderson, IN
Pastor Stephen Racite, Cornwall, NY
Pastor Dean Olive, Madison, AL
Pastor J. Brian McKillop, Columbia, SC
Pastor Tom Brennan, Chicago, IL
Pastor Rich Dobrowolski, East Bangor, PA
Pastor Dennis Meador, Tulsa, OK
Pastor Phillip M. May, Round Rock, TX
Pastor Richard Snider, WI
Pastor Mike Stout, Groton, NY
Pastor Aaron Sturgill, Plover, WI
Pastor Tim Shumaker, Hopewell, OH
Pastor M. Lee Taylor, Whitmore Lake, MI
Pastor Cameron Cloud, Dillwyn, VA
Pastor Carl Herbster, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Jim Bishop, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Troy Campbell, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Kevin Williams, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Ron White, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Gary Robnett, MO
Pastor Jim Rice, Loveland, CO
Pastor Eric Mowen, Loveland, CO
Pastor Art Sinski, Kent, WA
Pastor Sam Hendrickson, Georgetown Township, MI
Pastor Andrew Henderson, Buford, GA
Pastor Chris Leavell, Ashton, ID
Pastor Byron D. Harvey, Mercer, PA
Pastor Bruce Buchanan, Cortland, NY
Pastor Les Heinze, Lakewood, CO
Pastor Josh Larsen, Lakewood, CO
Pastor Sean Cole, Sterling, CO
Pastor Bob Fuller, New Ulm, MN
Pastor Joel Mikkelson, Santa Maria, CA
Pastor Cary Grant, Cumming, GA
Pastor Damian Ahrens, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Bob Christensen, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Rob Campbell, Sellersville, PA
Pastor Douglas B. Neiner, Pittsfield, MA
Pastor John C. Dancer, Sommerville, ME
Pastor Alan R. Cobb, Kansas City, MO
Pastor Tim Park, KS
Pastor Gary L. Williams, Gillette, WY
Pastor Scott Christensen, Mancos, CO
Pastor Mike Knight, Clayton, NC
Pastor Frank Sansone, Salisbury, MD
Pastor Patrick Dill, St. Marys, GA
Pastor John M. Horgen, Bowmansville, PA.
Pastor Kenny Clark, La Mirada, CA
Pastor Randall Shanks, Antioch, CA
Pastor Larry Rogier, River Rouge, MI
Pastor Bob Nutzhorn, Altona, IL
Pastor Michael S. Durning, Goodells, MI
Pastor Todd Carnes, Columbia, SC
Pastor Don Lykins, Lake Traverse, South Dakota
Pastor Charles Fisher, Burns, KS
Pastor Ron Kenny, Battle Creek, MI
Pastor Chris Anderson, Austinburg, Ohio
Pastor Brad Jury, Indianapolis, IN
Pastor Anthony Slutz, Indianapolis, IN
Pastor Kraig Keck, Lakewood, CO
Pastor Derek Muth, Monroe, MI
Pastor Jeff Dobesh, Durango, CO
Pastor Christian Markle, Phillips, WI
Pastor Ernie Godshall, Evansville, IN
Pastor Jeffrey R. Brown, Erlangen, Germany
Pastor Matthew Coons, West Stewartstown, NH
Pastor Mark Clements, Greenville, SC
Pastor Lukus Counterman, Wichita Falls, TX
Pastor Jonathan Tillman, Middletown, PA
Pastor Joe Blankenship, Tulsa, OK
Pastor Jack Austin, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Pastor Steve Hill
Pastor Jerry Ascher
Pastor John H. Banks
Pastor Ben Evans

http://www.sharperiron.org/showthread.php?s=fac88b9aa2c6b38fdd10728ca7e09eeb&t=2275

First, he is an actor. Second, these "ministers" are not the only recognized representatives of christianity. Third, there is no law - nor constitutional amendment, which declares that no gay American cannot also be a christian.

I see nothing on that web page which indicates they don't like his acting ability, the depth of his faith, or anything else beyond his "homosexuality." If they are trying to say that a gay actor and/or gay activist cannot grasp the role of a evangelical minister, perhaps we need to get 100 police officers to send a letter to these ministers outlining how Pastor Latham seemed to do quite a fine job portraying the role of a gay man soliciting oral sex at a gay resort in Oklahoma City.

Frankly, you would think they'd take a pass on the gay issue. After all, several hundred...er...or was it thousand...Catholic priests managed to portray effective christians enough to marry people, baptize babies, and preside over funerals while molesting children. Seems to me the "christians" who averted their eyes to that criminal behavior for over 50 years should be more than used to seeing different sexualities in the pews of their church.

There "fear" is that a gay activist/actor cannot portray an evangelical is more than tiresome - it is a threat to employment and professional qualifications. As many gays can attest, there are plenty of gay evangelicals - just ask the son of Beverly LaHaye.