May 2012

A Strong Delusion

Photo 1 Outreach Photos 023

Young people listen to Tim Moon in Berkeley.

Dear Christian friends,

Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be condemned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” 2 Thess. 2:10-12.

Since 1972, that National Opinion Research Center has conducted an annual survey regarding American’s views on homosexuality. One question that they asked was whether people believed that homosexual relations between adults were right or wrong. In 1972, 73% of Americans believed they were always wrong. In 1992, the results were exactly the same. However, by 2010, only 44% of Americans believed they were always wrong and 49% believed they were at least sometimes right.

A Pew research poll showed that in 1996, 27% of the public supported same-sex marriage. By 2011, that had increased to 46%. Meanwhile, opposition to same-sex marriage decreased from 65% to 44%.

If these surveys are correct, and I have no reason to doubt them, there has been an amazing change in American public opinion on this issue in a very short time. How did it happen?

I believe that one major factor is the execution of a public relations strategy that was published in November 1987: The Overhauling of Straight America by Marshall Kirk and Hunter Madsen. This was later published in greater detail as a book: After the Ball—How America will conquer its fear and hatred of Gays in the 1990’s. Here are some of the details (I am quoting directly from the article):

“[1] TALK ABOUT GAYS AND GAYNESS AS LOUDLY AND AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE.

And when we say talk about homosexuality, we mean just that. In the early stages of any campaign to reach straight America, the masses should not be shocked and repelled by premature exposure to homosexual behavior itself. Instead, the imagery of sex should be downplayed and gay rights should be reduced to an abstract social question as much as possible. First let the camel get his nose inside the tent–only later his unsightly derriere!

Where we talk is important. The visual media, film and television, are plainly the most powerful image-makers in Western civilization. The average American household watches over seven hours of TV daily. Those hours open up a gateway into the private world of straights, through which a Trojan horse might be passed. As far as desensitization is concerned, the medium is the message–of normalcy. So far, gay Hollywood has provided our best covert weapon in the battle to desensitize the mainstream. Bit by bit over the past ten years, gay characters and gay themes have been introduced into TV programs and films…

When conservative churches condemn gays, there are only two things we can do to confound the homophobia of true believers. First, we can use talk to muddy the moral waters. This means publicizing support for gays by more moderate churches, raising theological objections of our own about conservative interpretations of biblical teachings, and exposing hatred and inconsistency. Second, we can undermine the moral authority of homophobic churches by portraying them as antiquated backwaters, badly out of step with the times and with the latest findings of psychology. Against the mighty pull of institutional Religion one must set the mightier draw of Science & Public Opinion (the shield and sword of that accursed “secular humanism”). Such an unholy alliance has worked well against churches before, on such topics as divorce and abortion. With enough open talk about the prevalence and acceptability of homosexuality, that alliance can work again here.

[2] PORTRAY GAYS AS VICTIMS, NOT AS AGGRESSIVE CHALLENGERS.

In any campaign to win over the public, gays must be cast as victims in need of protection so that straights will be inclined by reflex to assume the role of protector…. Straight viewers must be able to identify with gays as victims. Mr. and Mrs. Public must be given no extra excuses to say, “they are not like us.” To this end, the persons featured in the public campaign should be decent and upright, appealing and admirable by straight standards, completely unexceptionable in appearance

First, the mainstream should be told that gays are victims of fate, in the sense that most never had a choice to accept or reject their sexual preference. The message must read: “As far as gays can tell, they were born gay, just as you were born heterosexual or white or black or bright or athletic. Nobody ever tricked or seduced them; they never made a choice, and are not morally blameworthy. What they do isn’t willfully contrary – it’s only natural for them. This twist of fate could as easily have happened to you!”

[3] GIVE PROTECTORS A JUST CAUSE.

Our campaign should not demand direct support for homosexual practices, should instead take anti-discrimination as its theme. The right to free speech, freedom of beliefs, freedom of association, due process and equal protection of laws-these should be the concerns brought to mind by our campaign.

[4] MAKE GAYS LOOK GOOD.

In order to make a Gay Victim sympathetic to straights you have to portray him as Everyman. But an additional theme of the campaign should be more aggressive and upbeat: to offset the increasingly bad press that these times have brought to homosexual men and women, the campaign should paint gays as superior pillars of society. Yes, yes, we know–this trick is so old it creaks. Other minorities use it all the time in ads that announce proudly, “Did you know that this Great Man (or Woman) was _________?”

[5] MAKE THE VICTIMIZERS LOOK BAD.

At a later stage of the media campaign for gay rights-long after other gay ads have become commonplace-it will be time to get tough with remaining opponents. To be blunt, they must be vilified…Our goal is here is twofold. First, we seek to replace the mainstream’s self-righteous pride about its homophobia with shame and guilt. Second, we intend to make the antigays look so nasty that average Americans will want to dissociate themselves from such types.

The public should be shown images of ranting homophobes whose secondary traits and beliefs disgust middle America. These images might include: the Ku Klux Klan demanding that gays be burned alive or castrated; bigoted southern ministers drooling with hysterical hatred to a degree that looks both comical and deranged; menacing punks, thugs, and convicts speaking coolly about the “fags” they have killed or would like to kill; a tour of Nazi concentration camps where homosexuals were tortured and gassed… [to be continued]

On the Streets

On Friday March 30, we witnessed at Powell & Market St. Dave S. witnessed to Aria, a Hollywood actor who was here interviewing for parts. He was a Catholic and quite receptive to the gospel. He also witnessed to Alan, a backslidden Christian who was addicted to drugs. He was quite humble, and realized he needed to get free from drugs and right with God.

Several of us witnessed to Christian, who is 13, lives in the Tenderloin, and attends Catholic school. Initially we offered him a Bible, but he refused it. After talking with him, he became more receptive and he took a Bible and allowed us to pray with him.

The next day, we witnessed in Berkeley. Heavy rain had been forecast, and it was raining as we arrived. As we set up our canopies, it stopped raining and it didn’t rain all afternoon. Richard Griffin and Dave Gould played music. Amanda witnessed to a Hindu couple from India. She spoke with them in detail about the differences between Hinduism and Christianity. She also witnessed to Kim, who asked for a Bible. Finally, she witnessed to a young man from South Africa who was a philosophy major in a Florida college. She explained the gospel to him and prayed with him.

Coming Events

Note: Outreaches are subject to change. Call (510) 282-5629 to confirm outreaches or for more information.

Friday May 4, 11, 18 7:30 – 10 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.

Sat. May 5 11 AM – 1 PM San Francisco Outreach, Fisherman’s Wharf (Jefferson St. near Mason) 3-5 PM Union Square (Powell & Geary St.)

Sat. May 12 1-5 PM San Francisco Outreach, Dolores Park (19th St. and Dolores)

Sat. May 19 12:30-4:30 PM Berkeley Outreach (Telegraph & Haste St.)

Ministry News

We have another new member of our evangelism house. Eddie Shields is 24 and has only been saved two years. He loves to witness for Jesus and is a good preacher. Please pray that he will find work.

Two months ago I shared about Serena, whom I met at Fisherman’s Wharf. She was a meth addict and we prayed with her seven years ago at UN Plaza. She has been following Jesus since then, and is free from drugs. Last month, I spoke with Don, who lives in Reno. 35 years ago he sailed from Hawaii to San Francisco on a 37 foot sailboat with three friends. Before he left, he told God that if he made it safely, he would serve Him. However, when he arrived, he forgot about his prayer.

I met Don on the streets soon after he arrived, and witnessed to him. I brought him to a Bible study I was attending and he committed his life to Christ. He was with us for 6 months before moving to Reno. He is involved with a Catholic prayer meeting and, after resisting for years, has recently started praying the rosary. I shared with him my concern about looking for a mediator to God other than Jesus and seeking to communicate with someone who has gone on to be with the Lord. I reminded him of the story of Saul, who used a witch to communicate with Samuel. Please pray for Don.

I hope many of you will join us for an outreach this next month.