The SpongeBob vs. Dobson smackdown continues with VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer weighing in, as well as the executive producers of Doug and (drum roll) Focus on the Family finally responds. (read the response or listen to the Jan. 25 & 26 shows)

In a nutshell, James Dobson accuses the media of misrepresenting him. He claims he has no problem with SpongeBob (or the 100+ other characters that appeared in the video) and insists that his main concern was the pro-homosexual bias of the We Are Family Foundation. Which as Vischer points out, really comes down to a question of whether or not “respecting sexual identity” is a problem. We’re supposed to love people, homosexuals and hypocrites included. But are we supposed to affirm them? Endorse them? Respect them? It’s an iffy line, one that Dobson seems to know pretty clearly, but I’m not so sure.

As Vischer asked, if you disagree with the We Are Family pledge, does that mean you endorse the inverse? Should we disrespect homosexuals? I don’t think Dobson would go that far, but his statements never seem to clearly state that that kind of approach is also out of line.

“Let me ask you, who would you rather go bowling with, SpongeBob and his friends or the Rev. James Dobson? Who would you rather go out with and have a few beers? Probably the only common ground I have with the Rev. James Dobson is that I haven’t seen the video, and I’ll bet he hasn’t either.”

-Tom Kenny, the voice of SpongeBob SquarePants, responding to accusations of a pro-homosexual agenda.

And the flurry continues…

Continue reading SpongeBob: Who would you rather go bowling with? →

“It’s hard for me to believe that Jesus’ first priorities would have been a capital gains tax cut and the occupation of Iraq.”

-Sojourner’s Jim Wallis on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (you can watch a clip of the show online for a limited time) talking about his new book, God’s Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn’t Get It.
(link via Dave Rogers)

The founder of Focus on the Family, James Dobson, singled out the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants for promoting homosexuality. Dobson was referring to a music video remake of the disco hit “We Are Family” which starred children’s television characters, including SpongeBob SquarePants, Barney, Big Bird, Elmo, Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Winnie the Pooh, Jimmy Neutron and dozens of others (it’s worth noting that SpongeBob only appears in background clips–he doesn’t actually sing like most other characters do). The We Are Family Foundation, which made the video, plans to distribute it to 61,000 elementary schools this spring along with educational lesson plans promoting tolerance and diversity, all in celebration of a proposed National We Are Family Day on March 11, 2005.

“We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids,” said Dobson’s assistant, Paul Batura. “It is a classic bait and switch.”

Mark Barondeso, general counsel for the We Are Family Foundation, suggested that anyone who says the video promotes homosexuality “needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased.”

The music video also includes cameo appearances by Billy Cosby, Whoopi Goldberg and Diana Ross. The organization’s attempt to establish National We Are Family Day has been supported by Senators Bob Dole and Orrin Hatch. The initiative also has broad backing from a range of partners and sponsors, including PBS, Nickelodeon, Disney, Sesame Workshop, Scholastic Entertainment, Fed-Ex and more.

With all those involved, Dobson choose to single out a fictional character that appears in the video for less than five seconds. It’s all painfully reminescent of Jerry Falwell accusing Tinky Winky the Teletubby of being gay in 1999.

Perhaps Dobson should team up with the one character who apparently didn’t appreciate his role in the music video: Oscar the Grouch, who declared in the middle of the song, “I’m in my worst nightmare! I’m in the middle of a heart-felt anthem!” Or perhaps Dobson has seen the John Hagee video, Pulling Down SpongeBob’s Squarepants: Exposing Satan’s Yellow Bellied Plan.

I think tomorrow has the potential to be the most important presidential election of my lifetime. Of course four years ago I would have said the same thing with the Florida fiasco.

So with that in mind, I present a few election observations:

What’s with all the fuss over counting votes? We’ve had four years since the last mess to get it right, but somehow that’s not enough? Could someone explain to me what’s so hard? One person, one vote. We have intricate systems to keep track of my money and make sure no one steals it, and I have a lot more than one dollar (hopefully). I even trade some of those dollars back and forth with multiple businesses, and the system is able to keep track of it all. Even the pennies. Yet counting a single person and their single vote is proving to be so worrisome. Sheesh about it.

I’m Kevin Hendricks and I approved this post. OK, this stupidest phrase of the year that has become part of the nation’s lexicon is lame enough, but can I ask why it needs to be tacked on to a commercial featuring the candidate talking to the camera? I can understand on these fanciful commercials that show nothing but wolves or the montage commercials full of stock photography. As stupid as the phrase is, it makes sense, helping separate a real message from the actual candidate from some group like the Swiftboat Veterans or MoveOn.

But when it’s just the candidate sitting in front of the camera talking for thirty seconds, does he really need to tell us he approved what he just said? Doesn’t that go without saying? I’m sure the Kerry campaign has been working on an animatronic George W. Bush to flick off the camera and scratch his butt, but I think the American population can tell the difference between the real Bush and an animatronic fake.

OK, that’s all I’ve got for now.

I’ve spent the last hour scouring the Internet for information about the political races that don’t exactly make headlines. The Minnesota District 4 U.S. House race, the District 66B Minnesota House race, the various Minnesota Supreme Court and Appeals Court races, and the crucial Ramsey County Soil and Water Supervisor.

I’m continually amazed at how difficult it is to find basic information about these lesser races. The state wide elections (U.S. House and state Supreme Court) garner web sites for candidates, but every other race gets barely a bio from the local paper. Is it too much to ask for a simple web site? $65 annually can get you a web site with all the frills you need. That seems cheaper than any newspaper ad or direct mail campaign.

And for the folks that do have web sites, I’m amazed at how pathetic the are. Only a few offer some simple, straight forward discussions of the issues. The others are too busy recruiting supporters or bashing their opponents.

It’s even more fun when you get to the judges’ races. Apparently judges aren’t allowed to talk about how they stand on issues, since judges are simply supposed to interpret the law. So you’re left to read self-important bios and somehow figure out whether or not the judge is honorable and worth electing.

And don’t get me started on the Soil and Water Supervisor. Soil needs supervising?

I believe I wrote-in Wes Halula for Soil and Water Supervisor the last time I voted. I might just do it again.

This entry shouldn’t even be filed under politics, but it’s an election year and I guess that’s the default category. But it’s so beyond politics.

Sojourners has an article from Dr. Glen Harold Stassen exploring how the number of abortions performed in the U.S. appears to have gone up during George W. Bush’s presidency, after a 24-year low. Read the article. It’s not a conclusive link, but it’s based on available data and written by a pro-life (backed up by life experience) statistician.

The basic conclusion is that more abortions seem to be happening because of economic reasons. Unemployment and lack of health care make having a baby prohibitively expensive, making abortion seem like a reasonable alternative.

My point here isn’t to argue politics or to rag on Bush. I’m not suggesting voting for Kerry would somehow be more pro-life (though that would make a funny argument). But I am suggesting that pro-lifers out there, especially the ones who look at me in shock when I tell them I won’t cast my vote solely based on abortion, need to look at other issues. What good does it do to tighten a few legal reins on abortion if the same government officials follow an economic policy that results in more abortions? Being pro-life has to mean caring about more than just what the law says. It has to mean caring about what happens to real people. And the current economic situation in this country is hurting real people and leading to more abortions. That should be at tragedy.

Pro-life voters, if next week you’ll be casting your votes simply based on the issue of abortion, then I urge you to let your voice be heard that economic policy must also be pro-life.

How sad it seems to imagine a country where a well-meaning and justified pro-life lobby succeeds in banning abortion, only to find a culture of death and loss thanks to economic policy that doesn’t help and nurture life.

Update: Steve Knight points us to a further discussion refuting and counter-refuting Stassen’s statement. And I must have subconsciously stolen Steve’s blog title. Sorry man.

Politics and faith are colliding with the election less than two weeks away, and it’s happening on the campus of my alma mater, Bethel University. Yesterday while on campus I noticed a giant G.O.P. rig in front of Heritage Hall (a dorm I called home my junior year), which apparently has caused quite a controversy.

Yesterday Sojourners posted an opinion piece from a current senior at Bethel describing the politically explosive campus:

“The College Republicans (CRs) had set up a table where students could register to vote in the upcoming election. … As a student walked by the table she was approached by one of the CRs. He enthusiastically asked her if she would like to show her support for the president by registering to vote. As she continued walking she politely turned to him and said, “Sorry, wrong party.” He immediately retorted, “Sorry, wrong school.” The implication was clear. You go to a Christian school. Whatever your faith inclinations are telling you are wrong. Christians vote Republican. Democrats have no place here.”

The article goes on to mention some efforts to create open political dialogue and a more accepting attitude on campus.

Brings back memories of the stir caused by my editorial during the 2000 election, “God is Not a Republican.” I didn’t have the tact or the political wisdom to appropriately address the issues, but now it seems they’re causing a bigger stir and much more is being done.

I find this exchange interesting on several levels:

Time: Faith is important to you. Have you ever prayed for Saddam?

Bush: No.

Time: There is that challenge to pray for your enemies.

Bush: Absolutely. But you asked me a personal question, Do I pray for him? No, I haven’t. I pray for a lot of things. I pray for the safety of our troops, I pray for those whose hearts are broken because of the decisions I made, I pray for strength, I pray for wisdom. Maybe I will [pray for Saddam], now that you’ve asked the question.
(Time, September 6, 2004)

I’m probably the last blogger to mention Sojourners’ Take Back Our Faith campaign, which seeks to make it known that Christian ethics and values do not align with one political party to the exclusion of others. Christians are not one issue voters.

This is definitely a point I’ve made before (here and here), but I’m glad to see others are carrying the torch. So far 75,000+ and counting.