Agape Press - a study of a slick contradiction

The October 20th edition of anti-gay Agape Press features an article on a Virginia food plant employee who was allegedly fired for supporting one of those "marriage amendments" via a written message on his truck (http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/202006a.asp):

Luis Padilla was reportedly terminated from his employment at a Cargill Foods plant in Harrisonburg because of a written message on the rear window of his pickup truck that read: "Please, vote for marriage on Nov. 7." That is the day when voters in Virginia will be considering a proposed amendment to the state constitution protecting traditional marriage.

According to the Daily-News Record in Harrisonburg, Padilla -- who worked in Cargill's human resources office -- was dismissed for insubordination when he refused to remove the message, which company officials could be considered harassment. He apparently had removed the sign when first requested, then later posted it again and parked his truck outside the company parking lot. The newspaper report indicates the former Cargill employee was trying to reach an accommodation with the company about the message when he was fired.

Now apparently, Mr. Padilla has been hired back and will be compensated for the three weeks he was out from work (http://www.wdbj7.com/Global/story.asp?S=5606139&nav=S6aK).

Of course, Agape Press will push Mr. Padilla as yet another "manufactured martyr" in its war against the gay community. The article contained all sorts of platitudes about "those who want tolerance can't show tolerance" and the like without even considering the fact that this may have been an incident of a overzealous employer. No gay representative was even quoted in the article, even though it pretty much accused the Virginia's gay community of getting Mr. Padilla fired.

Personally, I am glad Mr. Padilla got his job back. He clearly was not harassing anyone with his message, therefore he should have a right to state his opinions. Like it or not, not everyone feels that gays have the right to have their relationships protected.

But four days later, Agape Press featured this article, AFA: Online Queries Reveal Wal-Mart's Promotion of Homosexuality (http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/10/242006c.asp) :

. . .the American Family Association (AFA), one of the groups that has called on Christian consumers to spend their dollars elsewhere as a sign of their displeasure with Wal-Mart's pro-homosexual leanings, says the nation's largest retailer is not just working with the homosexual agenda of the NGLCC, it is promoting it. As proof, AFA offers up examples of books available for purchase through Wal-Mart's online bookstore -- books the pro-family group contends support or defend homosexuality. . .

(AFA 's Randy) Sharp also notes that Wal-Mart is now considering same-sex "partner" benefits, bolstering AFA's notion that the retailer has moved from neutrality to actively promoting the homosexual lifestyle. "Through their services, through their benefits, through their products -- all of these things lead to only one analysis," says the special projects director, "and that is that Wal-Mart is supportive of homosexual marriage in America."

One more fact you should know: Agape Press is owned and distributed by the American Family Association.

So in other words, according to the American Family Association, it is terrible that a man is fired for expressing potentially anti-gay beliefs but a company that caters to its gay customers and establishes benefits for its gay employees is even worse.

That is just plain wrong.

If Mr. Padilla has a right to state his opinion about homosexuality then Wal-Mart should have that same right to seek out gay money and protect its gay employees.

Why does the American Family Association think that Mr. Padilla should have his rights but Wal-Mart shouldn't have the same rights?

Hypocrisy is NOT a Christian value.