American Family Asociation's Christmas "Ornament"

[MarginOfError]

Like I said, I don't think this was deliberate, and I sense no maliciousness from the AFA in doing this. When you know these are produced by the AFA, it's pretty easy to understand what the intended message is. But if you had no idea who made these, or for what reason, it becomes ambiguous, and sort of obscures your intended message. This is one case in which perception is probably more important than message.

[ADoyle90815]

It does look a bit like a burning cross, but I don't think it was deliberate, just bad design on their part. I have no problems with crosses in general, but I think a Nativity scene would be better for Christmas.

[DeborahC]

Originally Posted by Wingnut

They are?

Yes, they are.
I hear them all the time from my non-LDS friends, especially the fundamentalist Christian ones.

[MarginOfError]

Originally Posted by DeborahC

I mean, people are always making disparaging remarks about the symbolism of the moon on the LDS Temples.

Interesting. I've never heard that one before. PM me and tell me what they say.

In other interesting things about mormons, I found out this weekend that Christ was crucified in Utah. Why don't they tell us this stuff in Sunday School?

[DigitalShadow]

It took me a few seconds of staring at the picture wondering why you had a problem with it before it finally hit me as to why it was such a bad idea. I doubt it was intentional, but I do think it would be a responsible action for AFA to quietly stop selling them, especially considering the temporarly increased racial tension that has come about as a result of the election.

[Wingnut]

Originally Posted by DeborahC

Yes, they are.
I hear them all the time from my non-LDS friends, especially the fundamentalist Christian ones.

I think it's interesting that you say that people are asking "all the time" about it, because (1) I've never heard anyone ask about it; and (2) other than Salt Lake (and maybe Nauvoo, though I'm not sure), I didn't even know that LDS temples had moons on them.

Regardless, questions asked about a moonstone on a temple are hardly comparable to the hatred that a burning cross evokes.

[Elgama]

I just have problem with them not spotting it but guess from the posts here its not that obvious to everyone - it could just be a bad photo

-Charley

[Elgama]

Originally Posted by Wingnut

I think it's interesting that you say that people are asking "all the time" about it, because (1) I've never heard anyone ask about it; and (2) other than Salt Lake (and maybe Nauvoo, though I'm not sure), I didn't even know that LDS temples had moons on them.

Regardless, questions asked about a moonstone on a temple are hardly comparable to the hatred that a burning cross evokes.

Preston England Temple has the star, moon and sun on it. Don't remember them on the London Temple. Some of the symbols used on the Temples are viewed as Pagan so for many fundamentlist Christians even more evil than a burning cross'

-Charley

[Elphaba]

I keep writing, and re-writing a post to the responses in my thread, and it's just not coming together yet.

But I will say this: There is absolutely no way the employees of the American Family Association did not know the image its product could convey.

The AFA is located in Tupelo, Mississippi. The same Mississippi where fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was murdered after the monsters had beaten him and gouged his eyes out.

The same Neshoba County, Mississippi where three young men working for civil rights were murdered by the Klan in 1964. The movie "Mississippi Burning" is based on this incident.

The same Mississippi where racism is still insidious. The same Mississippi where the Ku Klux Klan is still going strong.

The same Mississippi where the AFA is located, where at least some of its employees must know what the KKK burning crosses look like, and that their product looks almost exactly the same, only smaller.

Was it malicious to include the cross in their product line? No, I don't think it was.

Was it callous to include the cross in their product line? I think so.

Was it immoral to include the cross, considering they're in Mississippi where they had to have known the image the cross could convey? In this atheist's opinion, absolutely.

Perhaps it's benign on a person's porch, as shown in the photo. I don't know.

But I guarantee the cross will also be planted next to the Confederate flag whose owner thinks it makes a statement, or because it's funny, or both.

And I do not believe this possibility never occurred to anyone in the company.

Not if they're from Mississippi.

Elphaba

[Moksha]

Originally Posted by Elgama

I got the burning cross reference but I don't know who the American Family Association are - ...

-Charley

I did find this on their website. They were one of the groups strongly supporting Proposition 8.



New Film Reveals Evidence Against Mormons' Historical Account

• ...AFA Headline - Wednesday, December 03, 2003
  A Utah-based Christian ministry is trying to make the public aware of new DNA research that could spell disaster for the Mormon Church.
  American Family Association - AgapePress news
  Last Updated: 12/3/2003 2:05:57 PM

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