Focus on the Family is Pro-Bullying

[Sophus]

What if Christians were the minority subject to bullying? Should they then be the only ones required to "keep the religion they identify with to themselves" until in college? What you are claiming is a ridiculous double-standard of bigotry.

[skwurll]

Can't we all just get along?  

[Asmodean]

Can't we all just get along?  

[Tank]

Can't we all just get along?  

Well yes, but forums don't tend to be the place where people do get along. Friendships are for real life. You might bump into somebody here that you go on to get on with in real life, but trust me on this, the vast majority of on-line 'friendships' have all the resilience of fog in the sahara. I'll count 1 good one an a handful of acquaintances. And the top dozen biggest bastards, arseholes and bitches I've ever come across I came across on-line and at some point called them friend. And they were all atheists, although that element is probably because I tend to hang around on atheist forums.

[The Magic Pudding]

I'm not anti-gay. Though you'll no doubt accuse me of it. But the fact is really simple: in school, for your own protection, you probably need to keep your sexuality to yourself and with yourself. Just stay in the closet until you get to college

I've heard a comedian who does a thing on racists who say "I'm not a racist, but"
Well everything that comes after the but just confirms they're a racist.
Just stay in the closet?
You don't actually have to be gay to be bullied, just the mere suspicion will do.
Not joining in the gay bashing is enough to arouse suspicion.
It also helps to cut your hair like a marine, follow football and act obnoxious.

[Velma]

I'm not anti-gay. Though you'll no doubt accuse me of it. But the fact is really simple: in school, for your own protection, you probably need to keep your sexuality to yourself and with yourself. Just stay in the closet until you get to college

I've heard a comedian who does a thing on racists who say "I'm not a racist, but"
Well everything that comes after the but just confirms they're a racist.
Just stay in the closet?
You don't actually have to be gay to be bullied, just the mere suspicion will do.
Not joining in the gay bashing is enough to arouse suspicion.
It also helps to cut your hair like a marine, follow football and act obnoxious.

According to that logic, Edward the Theist, kids who are teased for their looks should put a bag over their heads, kids who are teased for being smart should pretend they aren't, kids who are teased for being socially awkward should not go to school, etc, etc, etc.  The problem isn't the fact that everyone is different, the problem is the bullies who target those they see as different.  That is where we need to focus our efforts - on the bullies, not on telling the victims to become better at hiding.

[Big Mac]

Focus on the Family, American Family Association, and all the other organizations that have radio shows are often hateful, mean-spirited, covertly racist, war mongering, sexually repressed, fascist loving, psychotic little monkeys.

I used to listen to FOF station when I worked the night shift because it was the only thing that kept me awake at night (got me worked up on how stupid it was) and the only thing that came in to the boonies.

I remember one lady complained that she couldn't see what her daughter was reading at her school library. She was bitching for over 20 minutes about how she had complete and utter control over what her kids do in their lives. Something tells me her kids are going to go crazy and have an ungodly amount of unprotected sex and get knocked up like Bristol Palin.

I remember another one was complaining about how Atheists have no room to complain about bullying from Christians because Christians go get murdered when they proselytize to other people in other countries.

Focus on the Family is also very very racist but they are so good at masking it you have to really try and read between the lines. They openly are homophobic but since racism is so out of favor they have worked on their ways of conveying it.

[Asmodean]

According to that logic, Edward the Theist, kids who are teased for their looks should put a bag over their heads,

Nah... God did, after all, create cosmethic surgery.

kids who are teased for being smart should pretend they aren't

Copious amounts of alcohol can help too.

kids who are teased for being socially awkward should not go to school

OR, they can just do some honest Columbinin' and have the school for themselves... Until the cops show up.

The problem isn't the fact that everyone is different, the problem is the bullies who target those they see as different

Jokes aside, I think those who stand by and watch are just as big a part of the problem. If you tolerate bullying, someone will always try.

That is where we need to focus our efforts - on the bullies, not on telling the victims to become better at hiding.

How about focusing on our general attitude towards fellow students or coworkers being abused by their peers first?

[Sophus]

According to that logic, Edward the Theist, kids who are teased for their looks should put a bag over their heads, kids who are teased for being smart should pretend they aren't, kids who are teased for being socially awkward should not go to school, etc, etc, etc.

:hail:  :hail:

That is where we need to focus our efforts - on the bullies, not on telling the victims to become better at hiding.

How about focusing on our general attitude towards fellow students or coworkers being abused by their peers first?

Both are important. The bullied, of course, to see to it their lives aren't a living hell. The bullies (or bullying rather) to prevent it from happening again or to others.

[Asmodean]

Both are important. The bullied, of course, to see to it their lives aren't a living hell. The bullies (or bullying rather) to prevent it from happening again or to others.

Of course. However, you can't abolish crime just by concentrating on rehabilitating or putting away the criminals. Just as big a part of it is the collective response of the society to crime. And by response, I mean deeds rather than empty phrases.

[Thumpalumpacus]

I'm not anti-gay. Though you'll no doubt accuse me of it. But the fact is really simple: in school, for your own protection, you probably need to keep your sexuality to yourself and with yourself. Just stay in the closet until you get to college

I've heard a comedian who does a thing on racists who say "I'm not a racist, but"
Well everything that comes after the but just confirms they're a racist.
Just stay in the closet?
You don't actually have to be gay to be bullied, just the mere suspicion will do.
Not joining in the gay bashing is enough to arouse suspicion.
It also helps to cut your hair like a marine, follow football and act obnoxious.

I bet "some of his best friends" are gay.

No, really.

[Velma]

Both are important. The bullied, of course, to see to it their lives aren't a living hell. The bullies (or bullying rather) to prevent it from happening again or to others.

Of course. However, you can't abolish crime just by concentrating on rehabilitating or putting away the criminals. Just as big a part of it is the collective response of the society to crime. And by response, I mean deeds rather than empty phrases.

To make my point, I did oversimplify a bit.  Any approach that only focuses on one aspect of the problem is almost guaranteed to fail.  However, Edward the Theist's approach of telling the victims they have to do a better job of hiding certainly isn't going to solve a thing.

[Asmodean]

We are all in agreement then.  

[deekayfry]

And the top dozen biggest bastards, arseholes and bitches I've ever come across I came across on-line and at some point called them friend. And they were all atheists, although that element is probably because I tend to hang around on atheist forums.

 lol  

[Velma]

And the top dozen biggest bastards, arseholes and bitches I've ever come across I came across on-line and at some point called them friend. And they were all atheists, although that element is probably because I tend to hang around on atheist forums.

 lol  

Tank didn't mean that as a joke.