Southern Baptists End 8-year Disney Boycott

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Southern Baptist Convention, which kick-started a widespread conservative religious boycott of Walt Disney Co. eight years ago, voted Wednesday to end the action but warned Disney that it was keeping its eye on the company.

The vote by the 11,000 "messengers" here at the convention’s annual meeting added the nation’s largest non-Catholic denomination to the list of conservative evangelical groups that have stood down from a confrontation that the American Family Association began in 1996. The AFA began the boycott to protest what it saw as Disney’s promotion of a gay agenda.

The AFA dropped its boycott last month, and Focus on the Family, the influential evangelical ministry led by James Dobson, quickly followed suit. Like them, however, the SBC said it would continue to “monitor the products and policies” at Disney, whose ABC television series “Desperate Housewives” has been criticized for its sexual content.

Critics said Christian groups were throwing in the towel, noting that Disney, which had no immediate comment Wednesday, maintained that it never changed any of its policies or practices in response to the boycott.

But the Southern Baptist resolution defended the boycott as having “rightly and appropriately” challenged Disney and said that for a boycott to work, “it must be specifically targeted and of limited duration.” It said the action had “communicated effectively our displeasure”; the convention noted an executive shuffle and the dissolution of Disney’s deal with the founders of the Miramax studio, whose film “Priest” was the touchpoint for the boycott in 1996.

That explanation echoed the reasons given last month by the AFA, the Tupelo, Miss.-based ministry run by the Rev. Donald Wildmon, which said that conservative Christians had made their point and that it was time to move on.

Gay Activists Welcome Vote

Activists for gay and lesbian causes welcomed the vote as a possible opening to what they hope will be a new dialogue with the SBC and other Christian-based opponents of gay and lesbian rights.

The vote was a “victory for our community,” Barbara Menard, director of the Human Rights Campaign Foundation, said at a news conference here. “Hate hurts and has no place in the hearts and minds of people of faith.”

Menard and other activists said they also saw signs of a thawing in the SBC toward gays and lesbians in the decision by a convention committee to significantly weaken a resolution that would have called upon Southern Baptists to withdraw their children from public schools.

The resolution in its final form denounced public schools as havens for “offensive materials and programs” promoting homosexuality, but it urged parents only to monitor the schools and work to change them from within.

The resolution represented a victory for convention President Bobby Welch, who has been criticized by some Southern Baptists for what they see as his insufficient attention to conservative Biblical injunctions. Welch told MSNBC.com that too many families lived in rural areas with no education alternative, while the Bible called upon Christians to remain engaged in society to serve as witnesses for Jesus.

Dr. Brad Bullock, a pediatrician in Nashville who is gay, said Wednesday that the rewording was at least a good start toward ending “the separation, alienation and demonization of ... our children.”

“I hope that not only the language of the resolution but also its spirit has been altered,” he said.

What is wrong with Christians? What is wrong with Mr. Bobby Welch? Disney is as godless as can be! No Christian should support Disney. By Mr. Welch, and the Southern Baptist Convention, lifting the ban AGAINST Walt Disney, they are encouraging millions of people to support Walt Disney. From the demonism of NARNIA, to the fornication of Desperate Housewives, to the continuing annual GAY DAY festival every June, Walt Disney is just another Sin City. Why in the name of our Saviour would any professed Christian not take a stand against Disney? Why has the AFA backed down? Why has James Dobson backed down? Who are you people following, each other or the Lord? I hate everything that the godless Walt Disney company represents and will stand against it until it's doors close one day when God shuts it down! Every Christian in America should boycott Disney permanently because they're NOT going to change their evil direction. Disney's vile show, Desperate Housewives, is making them tons of money...

The recent Disney movie NARNIA (more on NARNIA) features the demonic looking Pan, the witches' god of sexual perversion and rape. And Disney places this hideous beast with a little innocent girl, all alone inside the pervert's home. Who's kidding who? And Christians endorse this smut?

Read again what the homosexuals had to say when the "Christians" backed down by ending their ban against Disney...

Hate? This lesbian is labeling the SBC's ban of Walt Disney as "hate" against the homosexual community. This is the typical strategy for homosexuals. They know that God-fearing Christians hate homosexuality; but not the homosexuals themselves. Yet, the homosexuals accuse Christians of hating them. This is a big lie of Satan! There is nothing wrong with HATING sin. In fact, God expects it (Psalm 97:10, "Ye that love the Lord, hate evil..."). Yet, no professed Christian should ever hate the sinner. Hatred of people is sin. I realize that there are some religious people out there who ARE hateful towards others; but they are NOT obedient Christians who love the Lord. God loves humanity, so much that He died for all mankind (John 3:16; 1st John 2:2; 3:16). As Christ's followers, we should love sinners too; but, NEVER to the point of compromise or accepting sinfulness. Homosexuals REFUSE to accept this Biblical Truth, preferring to simply accuse Christians of being "hate-mongers"; rather than realizing that it is only the sin we hate, not the people.

Again, it is so tragic that one of the largest groups of Christian believers (the SBC) in America have dipped their sails, cowering in intimidation of some God-hating homosexuals (Romans 1:30). Why? The strange thing is that the AFA, Focus On The Family, and the Southern Baptist Convention all QUIT at about the same time in 2005. Thank God for the Independent Fundamentalist Baptists in America who don't follow anyone other than the Lord Jesus Christ and the precious incorruptible Word of God! I would greatly be ashamed to be called a "Southern Baptist" nowadays. I can hear people saying it now..."Oh yeah, you're the quitters!" Just like the Anti-Saloon League Quitters! It's not too late to get back into the ring, let's fight against the the Devil and his sinister gang until the Lord returns!!!