Focus on the Family Faced With More Layoffs

[UpInArms]

Source: The Advocate

The antigay ministry Focus on the Family announced on Friday it will eliminate 49 more jobs, reports Denver Post.

The Colorado Springs-based organization had a $105 million budget this fiscal year ending September 30, but its officials now estimate it will receive donations of only $90 million to $95 million.

"God has never promised us a certain budget number," Gary Schneeberger, Focus Vice President says. "We're sad today but not distraught about the future. Even in these bad economic times people who care about the ministry gave us more than $90 million. We've been able to help tens of thousands of families with their marriages, raising their kids and walking in their faith. Our commitment to that mission is unabated."

At its height in 2002, Focus on the Family employed 1,400, but has been trimming its workforce since 2008.

Read more: http://www.advocate.com/News/Daily_News/2011/09/18/Focus_on_the_Family_Faced_With_Layoffs/

[movonne]

1. God is angry with them...

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. when I started a thread about Hooters going into bankruptcy, I was bashed for

being unsympathetic about people losing their jobs. Let's see where this thread goes.

[Turbineguy]

5. Hooters bankrupt?

This is serious.

[dballance]

9. I'm sad for the workers

But I could give a crap for the corporate creeps that put women in those outfits and exploit them to make money.

[newamericanpatriot]

37. hmm....

You say "put women in those clothes" as if they don't dress themselves. Come on, that's doing a disservice to the women who actually choose to work there. My beef with Hooters isn't that it's exploitative (so is Spartacus, if you want to go there), but that it's stupid. A restaurant themed around big tits. Stupid.

But there are much more pressing issues you should be directing your energies toward. The marginalization of the working class, the dismantling of the Constitution and the destruction of the environment spring to mind.

[No Elephants]

42. How many suicides, "shunnings" of one's own children and the like result from what Hooters does?

Apple, meet orange.

[Ian David]

51. Hooters donates to Republicans. n/t

[BR_Parkway]

52. Well, since Hooters has never made it's mission in life trying to make

everyone conform to their world views, according to their religion and changing the laws that affect other people to match up with their religious beliefs - I would hope it would be a very different response.

Yes, it sucks that someone is losing their job. And yes, it sucks that someone makes a living doing things like supporting amendments to State constitutions to keep people from being treated equally. Or keeping legislation from passing that would make it illegal for other people to lose their jobs based on things like their sexual orientation. It's sorta like being the bookkeeper for the KKK - if they don't need you to count their money or inventory their sheets any more, I'm not going to feel too badly about it. Maybe the break in their lives might cause a few of them to question who they are and how what they were doing really syncs up with what they claim to believe.

[hyphenate]

54. There is a huge difference

between people losing their jobs in a restaurant, and those bastards who work for the religious right and all the contamination of their sick and perverted cult of worship. THAT's what makes the difference.

[SpiralHawk]

3. Sign of the End Times* ?

* End of RepubliWackO FundaTotalitarianism?

[Turbineguy]

4. "God has never promised us a certain budget number,"

Did God promise hate?

[InkAddict]

13. Actually, hate was indeed New Testament prophecy:

Matthew 10:21-22

"Now brother will deliver up brother to death, and a father his child; and children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake."


2 Timothy 3:1-5, 10-14

"But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…. And from such people turn away!

"…all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned ..."

=====================================================================================================

Ah...the Free Will of character Judgement...and who should be "forgiven."
They are masters of spin.

[jwirr]

22. And while the rw will interpret the "men will be lovers of themselves"

as a references to homosexuality I think these times do reflect that phrase very well - "men will be selfish and consider only themselves". That last verse is a perfect example of the gop and the Tbaggers. But they never use the Bible as it was meant to be - a mirror to judge our own actions not the actions of others.

[InkAddict]

30. Sacred life in-utero; afterwards sinners all. Mirrors be damned

as a hubristic vanity; hind-sight is 20/20; look forward in forgiveness of wrongdoing TBTF, huh? Don't regulate their immoral ways, huh, cuz God's gonna get 'em?

For the most part, families (of whatever definition) don't last long without incomes or safety nets that protect the least among us all. The cruelty of leaving them to the elements is unthinkable barbarianism. What we often do for love can become criminal and hateful very quickly.

Until the day of judgement, I have to live in this world, not the hereafter, by the Grace of God.

Is there any charity or wisdom left for the old, the disabled, or even the babes when fools cry "Let em Die?" Something truly perverted has occurred among the God-loving/God-fearing, but it wasn't because in the twinkling of conception or during the nurturing attention in childhood something different happened to some human's sexual orientation.

What is so WRONG with love between any two people that encourages their worldly gifts but yet doesn't result in fact or in potential reproduction? Under the norms of hetero-ness, it's getting to be a very crowded while becoming a more technologically enhanced isolated world, so I just don't get the intolerance of "love."

:shrug:

[hyphenate]

56. I think the problem

is that the "haters" are the ones claiming to be on "Go'ds side," not those who oppose them. I don't think anyone, inclusing myself as an atheist, cares about what the "Christians" (as in the religious right) do if they'd only mind their own damned business, but time and time again, they have waged wars against other religious people, chosen to kill, maim and torture those who don't believe in their narrowmindedness, who preach hatred as part of their bully pulpit, and create situations, in other countries, mind you, where intolerance and bigotry are causing utter destruction and mindless killing (Uganda comes to mind).

Hatred is a major part of evangelical christianity of the religious right kind. It's not only evil, it runs counter to everything that the messiah taught in his life.

I was raised Catholic, and I know the amount of indoctrination that is part of the whole religious life. People must learn that there are other religions and philosophies out there that are truly peaceful, truly compassionate and fall in sync with Jesus Christ's thoughts and ideas. Christianity, as in the religious right, is not one of those.

[sakabatou]

6. Maybe God will put them out of business.

:P

[quakerboy]

7. Come on now, surely there is enough

Govt funded Faith Based Payola to sustain this organization. Someone hasn't been doing their grant writing properly.

[NAO]

8. AMEN!! Hallelujah, and Pass the Pink Slips

BTW, why are they called "pink slips"? Is it part of the dreaded Homosexual Agenda?

After all, the Gay Escort hiring Pastor Ted Haggard was closely associated with Dobson and FOTF.

Seeing an empire built around the idea of beating children (that was Dobson's original pitch; his first breakthrough bestseller was titled "Dare to Discipline") was tragic.

Watching it morph into a ultra-right wing reactionary theocratic propaganda machine with multiple massive media outlets was horrifying.

Seeing it's gradual demise has been pleasant.

It is tragic to see that they are still swindling people out of nearly $100,000,000 per year.

[jmowreader]

21. Why they're called pink slips

Big heartless corporations in the days before computers generally printed their HR paperwork on three-part paper. Three-part paper, whether it be carbon-required or carbonless, comes in three colors: the top one's white, then yellow and finally pink. (When you buy a box of it to print forms on, it comes stacked that way.)

In these same big heartless corporations, when they need to dismiss a lot of people at once, they write up the termination notices and stick them in the affected employees' pay envelopes. The top one goes to payroll, the middle one in the employee's file and the bottom one, which is pink, goes in the pay envelope.

[No Elephants]

44. According to wiki, that is a theory.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip_%28employment%29

[jmowreader]

59. It's the most plausible theory going...

And having printed enough tons of NCR, it's most likely exactly how they came up with it.

[NAO]

58. I was just poking fun at FocusOTF's obsession with "The Homosexual Agenda"

Thanks for the reality-based account of the term "Pink Slip", but I was just poking fun at Focus On the Family's burning obsession with "The Homosexual Agenda"

They are constantly on the lookout for areas where "The Homosexual Agenda" - by which I think they mean the general acceptance of the idea that it is ok to be gay - is being covertly propagated to undermine and destroy "The Traditional Family", "God's Great Nation" (aka The United States), and Western Civilization as we know it.

[No Elephants]

43. I thought pink was associated with females, but here ya go.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip_%28employment%29

[Smilo]

10. It is nice to see some good news for a change.

Hopefully, they will get the rest of the message that God doesn't like biggoted, sanctimonious prigs telling others what to do.

[sarcasmo]

11. Are they blaming the Gays?

[luv_mykatz]

12. THIS is good news.

Down with sexism, down with Patriarchy, down with RepUGLYwackofundtalitarianism!

[Plucketeer]

14. Aw GEEZ.......

even GOD'S work is a victim of the overall slump!

[SoapBox]

15. Pay back CAN be a real bitch!

For all the misery that they have brought to people.

Hilarious.

[tsuki]

16. Beggar your congregation, this is what happens. The Republicons

have no use for them any more. That culture war is over.

[No Elephants]

45. It is?

[atreides1]

17. "...and walking in their faith."

I never realized that they paid people to be faithful...:evilgrin:

[pepperbear]

18. One does wonder if 49 people actually costs 10-15 million, which is to say that even in the...

...hate industry, theis is a hierarchy.

[InkAddict]

36. Well, what with pensions, healthcare, airfare/mileage et al perks...perhaps

over time until vested retirement this may be the case, but I wouldn't be surprised if the 49 deselected from FOTF are just too expensive "office slugs," so named despite the quantity/quality of their work. Sorry, Nothing Personal.

The families that received their so tender focus mostly had real problems with stable employment; too much/too little income, costly education, mental/physical health problems themselves...too bad. Suffer the little children their entitlements and all...

Guess what went around, came around...

It's just too dang difficult to get at the TBTF folks because they have a real and abiding Faith in their virtuous hedge fund managers and moguls of global capitalism. :sarcasm:

Oh wait - for everything/one else, there's persecution before Resurrection. Just accept it, okay? There's nothing new under the sun, indeed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DejUPN4SksU

Wasn't it Martin Luther that griped about the tradition of indulgences? - 31 October 1517 - Holy Ghost!

[No Elephants]

49. Over $306,000 a year a piece? I don't think so, but maybe programs were also cut.

[VaYallaDawg]

57. And don't forget the rising cost of "escorts." ...

[nobodyspecial]

19. All the people they've been scamming for years

and convincing to vote GOP now don't have jobs, run out of UE and have no prospects in site. Their effectiveness is their undoing.

[XanaDUer]

20. As usual, the workers will be screwed and some guy in a suit

will walk away with a nice payoff.

[Taverner]

23. HA HA!

[xxqqqzme]

24. 90 MILLION!

Our 30 yr old non-profit, Child's Pace provides after school care for 135 families @ 3 centers w/ certified teachers and staff. Until CA bowed to grover norquist we did it on $500,000/yr. Next year we get to do it all on $420,000

Ninety million to spread hatred and fear. I'm going to be sick!

[matt819]

25. God is bringing these layoffs because of their anti-gay positions

And, gosh and golly, I guess when their unemployment benefits run out, well, that will be okay with the ex-FotF employees because a) God would want it that way and b) they really are opposed to big government and stuff.

[dbackjon]

26. Awesome!!

[Vogon_Glory]

27. I'm Hoping For Spiritual Change

I'm hoping that for spiritual change. I hope that the spirit moves FotF's remaining donors to stop donating to FotF and start donating to their local food pantries and homeless shelters, whether those pantries and shelters are faith-based or not.

[emilyg]

28. Sad - people without jobs.

[Bluenorthwest]

29. Well you know, I'm not the one who said all that 'reap what you

sew' stuff, or the stuff about casting your bread on the waters and how you can not eat a soggy sandwich. I did not say it, some else did.

[JI7]

32. let people take a shit on the street anywhere and they can get jobs cleaning it up

[Ikonoklast]

39. Fuck 'em, they worked for an organization based on hate.

They either agreed with the basic premise of FoF and deserve what they got, or chose their place of employment poorly because they didn't care that spreading hate was part of the job...and deserve what they got.

Either way, I fail to sympathize with their plight.

[fishwax]

41. jobs for an organization that promotes hate and bigotry

[Mr Deltoid]

31. "Let em die!"

As they would say

[Zambero]

33. As old prejudices die out, new money dries up

"The gay" is determined before birth. Blanket hatred of an entire class of people can only be learned after one is born. The second condition cannot and will not eradicate the first one. Society as a whole has become more tolerant in recent years. As a consequence, FOTF's primary mission has been a dismal failure, and it's safe to say there was no other possible outcome.

[No Elephants]

47. Maybe society has multiple personality disorder? If I am not mistaken, more

states have constitutional amendments forbidding same gender marriage than recognize same gender marriage. And those changes have come about in relatively recent years.

They usually take in $105 million a year in donations and took in %95 million in donation after years of recession and high unemployment. I don't think that you cite that as evidence that attitudes changed a lot from 2009 to 2010.

[Zambero]

60. Granted, it's been a slow evolutionary process

Year to year it's difficult to measure, and using contributed $$$ trends vis-a-vis economic conditions as a means to guage public perception toward same gender marriage equality is an approach that might have some validity. But if one has a point of reference 25 or 30 years back, I sense that significant progress has been made. Mere tolerance certainly is no indicator of full and equal rights. We're still not where we need to be, and until there are voting majorities in place willing to stand up and support full equality, "success" will continue to be elusive.

[truthisfreedom]

34. I wonder how much money goes to the executives.

I'd love to see the lavish pay they receive for spreading so much hatred for people they simply don't understand.

[Historic NY]

35. It takes lots of money to spread hate.

[Imagevision]

38. Just more reason to tax the rich...

[benld74]

40. 90 million spent on?? Cant they CUT? instead of layoff? I mean PUleeze!!!!

[Tom Ripley]

46. WWJF?

[No Elephants]

48. According to the church and the Church, no one.

Didn't masturbate, either.

[No Elephants]

50. Here's hoping they find jobs that don't involve soul-killing, or worse.

I wish the same to all unemployed people, especially those who have been unemployed a long time.

Blessings.

[hyphenate]

53. Good

Those bastards are half the problem of the religious right, with Dobson and other members of "The Family." I hate those fuckers.

I try to be nice, sometimes, to the dimwits on the RR, but Dobson and his crew make me sick. Dobson is a cruel, hateful, malicious asshole who needs to be brought down to his knees, and I know it will never happen. His power plays brought us Sarah Palin, and no one should ever forget that.

[Rambis]

55. God will provide?

:think: