The petition is up and running

[Joe Brummer]

I was worried that my last post about this got lost in a thread.....


I have finally posted an online petition to ask Stephen and Irene Bennett of Straight Talk Radio to stop their words of violence against gays. I ask that you all sign on and help me stop this maddness and lies against gays.

Please be polite and respectful in your comments. I really don't want people to sink to his level of hate speech.


The link is here:

http://www.petitiononline.com/StopSTR/petition.html

or




more info is available on my website... www.joebrummer.com

[SolInvictus]

I already signed it. Hope more people sign it & our voices are heard.

[pnggrad79]

Joe,
I signed it and hope everyone who visits this site will follow suit. It is very well written and I can tell you put a lot of thought and much prayer into it. Good job.

[Jennifer5]

I signed it and I had a couple family members do the same. What link should I give out to try and let other people know?

[Joe Brummer]

Originally Posted by Jennifer5

I signed it and I had a couple family members do the same. What link should I give out to try and let other people know?

The one is the first post here:

this one: http://www.petitiononline.com/StopSTR/petition.html


The more signatures that are there, the more it shows Stephen that his message is hurting more people than he is helping.

Thanks so much for signing it! Please spread the word so others will sign it.

I have also been listening to his radio show and doing a daily critque on my blog. I am pretty sure that Stephen is reading it as well. I can't tell him to stop what he is doing but I can certainly let him know others don't support him and his message.

[Jennifer5]

Thanks. I sent it out to a bunch of people including the person in charge of our church's website and asked her to post the link.

[ps403]

Great job, Joe. Articulate and well-thought out!

[Joe Brummer]

Cut and paste this into an email and send it to everyone you know!

Stephen Bennett Ministries, along with its radio program “Straight Talk Radio” have called gay unions a stench in god’s nostrils. He has advised parents of gay children to not allow them to bring their partners home for holiday dinner. He has compared gays to alcoholics and drug users, and claims gays can be cured. These claims defy every mainstream psychological and medical association in the world.

He claims he lived for 11 years as a homosexual. He tells people that he has the inside scoop on being gay, now that he is “ex-gay” and married to a woman. His radio program has featured topics such as, “The Medical Dangers of Homosexuality” or “A heart for the Homosexual”. His shows have painted an image that gays are child predators, drug addicts, sexual maniacs, all bound to die of AIDS. He uses the bible to back up his hateful messages and claims he is protecting children.

He thinks in his mind that he is helping people, but reality is he is hurting more people than he helps. He needs to know who it is he hurts with this message.I urge you to join with me in speaking out against these words of violence. Sign the Stop Stephen Bennett petition today, Let him know that you don’t approve of words being used as violence against gays and lesbians or their families. Be sure to be nice in your comments. Don’t sink to his level, be kind in your words but let him know he is WRONG.

Sign the Petition

[Jennifer5]

The thing that I don't understand is, why aren't more people signing? I sent to two about 20 people and only 3 signed how do we spread this information farther?

[Joe Brummer]

Originally Posted by Jennifer5

The thing that I don't understand is, why aren't more people signing? I sent to two about 20 people and only 3 signed how do we spread this information farther?

Wish I knew, I also have been wondering if the petition is too strong armed. Will it just make Stephen Bennett feel pressured into speaking with me. In the end I think the only way he will ever talk to anyone about his misuse of science is if he is strong armed or pressured in someway, but I sometimes question my own tactics. I wish more people would sign the petition but maybe they don't get it.

[Zerbie]

As per usual, I am being a downer on this thread, but it's a reflection of what I think possible, and impossible, with someone like Bennett.

Coupla things:

As mentioned earlier, I nearly decided not to sign. Do I recall correctly that any signatory is automatically listed by name on the list that's available to any and all web viewers? I remember thinking, 'oh, is there no way to remain anonymous on this list?' If I understood that part of technology correctly, there may be plenty of people who were going to sign but changed their minds believing their names would be made public on the internet for all to see, for all posterity. Then again - I could have simply misunderstood that part - computers are not among my talents. If not however, consider that many people have strong personal views which they are not happy sharing in public.

As far as the petition motivating SB to meet with you, Joe, I have to admit I have serious doubts about the effectiveness of any petition. For instance, if I were on air with my friends sharing our motivation in support of LGBT rights, and someone along the lines of a Bennett mailed me a petition full of signatures of ex-gays testifiying that I am somehow doing a disservice to ex-gays by supporting LGBT rights, would that make me say, "Oh hey, here's a bunch of signatures of ex-gays who oppose my viewpoint. Gee, let's hear what they have to say."??? Or am I going to say, "Oh lookie here, a petition signed by a bunch of ex-gays asking me to change my views. Yeah right, when the moon is made of green cheese."???

SB knows there is serious disagreement out there - he knows this is a contentious issue. He has chosen a "side" to stand with, and I suspect that in his mind, he has already decided what you, Joe, would have to say to him about it.

Yes, I doubt that any action on our part is going to be able to force him to a new stance. It's always possible that something may come along in his life that will be a catalyst for enormous change - but I don't expect it's something we could ever plan, or consciously cause to happen. There are people to whom we can say all the right things, who will nevertheless NEVER hear us.
Likelihood is, SB is one of those people. Keep remembering what is at stake for him if he even considers that his mission could be making mistakes. One tiny hole in that armor could bring his whole life to a crashing halt. I don't even want to imagine the fear and pain it would bring with it. Remember that is what Bennett is armored against, so a few polite words of truth will be met with rationalizations and "evidence" to the contrary.

I strongly doubt that a petition (or even dozens of petitions) no matter how many signatures, would motivate Bennett to give up this whole entire contruct and driving force of his life.