Israel,Gays And The RNC Have Had Enough: Bryan Fischer Gets Fired, But Not Silenced.

The Rachel Maddow Show (see below) had quite a field day with the news that AFA spokesperson Bryan Fischer has been released from his position as Director of Issues Analysis (whatever that means) from the American Family Association.

It came down to this: the RNC's upcoming junket to Israel is being bankrolled by the American Family Association, a listed hate group according to the Southern Poverty Law Center primarily because of its distorted views on gays. Debra Nussbaum Cohen of HAARETZ broke the story.

Then all hell broke loose - in Israel.

Evangelical political operative planned 9-day freebie trip for national committee members, on behalf of the conservative Christian AFA group which blasts Muslims, gays. SPLC rights group staffer: Our issue is not with the trip, but with the 'heinous beliefs' of those sponsoring it.

The problem, as the AFA knew it however, was Bryan Fischer and his statements about America being such a Christian nation that no other religion had any rights at all:

Crooks & Liars:

On his radio show last Monday, right-wing embarrassment to humanity Bryan Fischer offered complete, definitive proof that America is a Christian nation: Delicious bacon, which he claims would not be sold in America if it was not a Christian nation.

But the reason given for Mr. Fischer's demise in that position? 

Maddow quoted AFA President Tim Wildmon as dismissing Fischer as “just a talk show host” who is no longer associated with the AFA. When asked specifically what bothered him about Fischer, he cited “the soundbite quotes, you know, the Hitler and the homosexuality one… we reject that.”

Rejoicing On The Left AND The Right

John Amato (C&L) had it right: Bryan Fischer has long been an embarrassment to humanity and also to the Right, the more centered, legitimate Right. Although politicos like Rick Santorum have appeared on his show before, his presence at the 2012 Values Voter Summit was highly criticized. So much so that he was never asked to speak again. He has excoriated Native Americans, Muslims (of course), and African Americans. He has been the strident voice of pseudo-historian David Barton whose Seven Mountains theology is as political as it gets and comes dangerously close to theocracy: America must not simply be a Christian nation but a Christian ONLY nation. Fischer has appeared in the writings of this author numerous times, notably HERE, HERE, and HERE. He has been dissed by The New Yorker and has told gays to fund "their own disease (AIDS)" for research.

Yes, he has talked against gays, it seems, from his first moment of life - even more than abortion, that other darling of demonizing Christofascists. If the reason for the SPLC hate designation is the AFA's rhetoric against gays, Bryan Fischer has spouted 99% of that rhetoric. 

Fischer is a hate group in himself. 

His rhetoric, in fact, has been so toxic that the Left might breath a sigh of relief than shout "hallelujah". Being pummeled by Fischer ad infinitum makes one numb. Oh, the pundits will say "finally!" and "thank God!" but many will miss following his name with the odd title of Director of Issues Analysis. 

"Just A Talk Show Host"

For years, the AFA has been fending off criticisms of Fischer, treating them as trifling whimpers from a disgruntled Left. For years, Fischer has been depicting gays as "terrorists "nazis" "fascists" and pawns of Satan. So why has the AFA suddenly "rejected" his years of hate speech? It is obvious that Tim Wildman (president and founder) can countenance anti-gay speech but not anti-Semitism, especially when that anti-Semitism is broadcast before a very expensive gift to the GOP. 

It is also obvious that the AFA just can't bring itself to tell the truth: it "fired" Bryan Fischer, but it didn't silence him. It still needs him and he realizes that. Fischer has been their mouthpiece of hate. He just can't be their OFFICIAL mouthpiece of hate. 

So Bryan Fischer will still be with us on the airwaves spewing venom for all the people he deems not Christian enough for him to praise (or just leave alone). He will still be offending a majority of America. He will still be the odd specter of Fred Phelps. 

Now if Fischer ever loses his show on the AFA's channel ...

Boy Scouts May Accept Gays. Christian Right Heads Explode. News At 10.

Beware A Severe Outbreak of Pedophilia!

Shock waves are running through churches and pastors across the country are redrafting their Sunday Sermons.

The Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation’s largest private youth organizations, is actively considering an end to its decades-long policy of banning gay scouts or scout leaders, according to scouting officials and outsiders familiar with internal discussions.

If adopted by the organization’s board of directors, it would represent a profound change on an issue that has been highly controversial -- one that even went to the US Supreme Court. The new policy, now under discussion, would eliminate the ban from the national organization’s rules, leaving local sponsoring organizations free to decide for themselves whether to admit gay scouts.

It was a WTF moment with wailing, rending of garments, and gnashing of teeth never seen since Biblical times. For some, it has taken a full 24 hours for the shock to attach itself to reality, while others have been quick to respond:

American Family Association:

     "You're signing a death warrant when you say you're going to allow open homosexuals to participate in a program with young boys."

Southern Baptist Convention:

    "This decision will lead to a mass exodus of traditional, orthodox Christianity from Boy Scouts, including thousands of Catholic, Baptist and other traditional faith congregations."

Americans for Truth About Homosexuality ("Porno Pete" Peter Labarbera):

     "If you capitulate to the homosexual lobby, you're capitulating to immorality; and you're not being 'morally straight,' as the Boy Scout Creed says."

Family Research Council:

     "If the Board capitulates to the bullying of homosexual activists, the Boy Scouts' legacy of producing great leaders will become yet another casualty of moral compromise."

And while the above may represent the most homophobic of the lot on the side of the Christian Right, there are sure to be responses from the likes of:

Pat Robertson, "Bishop" Harry Jackson, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone (San Francisco), Cardinal Timothy Doyle (New York), Former Governor Mike Huckabee, Linda Harvey (Mission America), James Dobson (Focus on the Family), Cindy Japan-is-shaped-like-a-dragon Jacobs (Prophetess), Lou Engle (Prophet), Scott Lively (instigator, Kill-the-gays bill in Uganda), Rick Joyner (went to heaven and told everyone about it), Bradlee Dean (wants gays executed, like in Iran), Michele and (oh-so-masculine husband) Marcus Bachmann, "Bishop" Eddie Long, Janet Porter (Faith2Action), fake historian David Barton, World Net Daily,

... and ALL of FOX News (with the exception of Shep Smith). 

What Prompted The Shift?

      "The move also shows the growing influence of gay-rights groups and their backers. Throughout 2012, the Scouts were lobbied by organizations that collected more than one million signatures asking it to overturn the ban. Amid the tumult, several major corporate donors pulled their support from scouting organizations."

One million signatures on a petition. The pullout of corporate donors. 

And the need for transparency? 

OpEdNews reported the cover-up in child abuse last September, a factor that may have led to the proposed revision in policy: the BSA needs more transparency than ever to regain those corporate donors.



Gay Scout Troops?

"BSA spokesman Deron Smith said "the Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. ... BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit which best meets the needs of their families,” the BSA told Fox News Latino in a statement."

Reaction to the news of the policy shift has been surprisingly optimistic on the local levels:

OMAHA:

• "I think we are missing out on a lot of kids who are gay that just want to have the Boy Scout experience and I don't think that's fair. As far as leaders, there are a lot more problems coming out about straight leaders who are pedophiles than any problems with gay leaders." -- Mikki Nagel, a Lincoln parent of a Boy Scout nearing Eagle Scout

It certainly seems there is plenty of "wiggle room" in the policy change: Christian Right groups can put pressure on troops locally to their heart's content and create "no gay no way" troops. Certainly states like Tennessee will not likely be known for any gay-inclusive troops (nor Texas, nor North Carolina, etc). Ditto sponsors like the Catholic Knights of Columbus, a mainstay of Catholic scouts. But many local congregations see active discrimination as another necessary evil and a chore: a blanket "no gay" policy was easier to site.

Also easier to litigate: local lawsuits are quite the possibility.

Parodies of the "gayness" of scout troops have existed for a long while (see below), but totally gay BSA units are certainly far off in the future. And another problem: how would a totally gay unit fare in national conventions and events dominated by "family oriented" Christian Right units? The Christian Right has a lot of ferocity to distribute. It just can't do it nationally anymore.

Intolerance in the BSA will still exist. After all, the Christian Right will not be far behind.