Wal-Mart Won't Quit "Brokeback"

"Such a decision has prompted the Tupelo, Mississippi-based AFA to launch a campaign accusing Wal-Mart of backing a pro-gay agenda."

I may have just missed it (quite possible), but is the AFA protesting the fact that Wal Mart carries movies that portray pre-marital sex, adultery and graphic violence?

I haven't seen Brokeback Mountain and I don't plan to. Not my kind of movie. Do I agree with the premise of the movie? I suspect not, but there are plenty of movies out there whose premises I don't agree with.

Do I agree with the AFA's agenda? Here's their mission statement, taken from their website:
"The American Family Association exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth."
Shouldn't our goal as Christians be to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves? How did Jesus live this out? I recently wrote the following on my other blog about a show we played at a bar on our last tour:
"My favorite part of this show, however, was a conversation I overheard while running sound for our band. A bunch of people at the bar were talking about how the church can't expect them to show up on Sunday, so they're sending people into the bars.

Did Jesus just hang out in the synagogue hoping that everyone would come to Him? No, he didn't. He was called a drunkard and friend of sinners because he hung out with drunkards and sinners: see Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34. This challenged me. Am I a friend of sinners? Do I care enough for sinners to meet them on their own turf? At one point during the show I caught myself wishing I was somewhere more comfortable and then I remembered: I'm a sinner. A filthy sinner. There's no difference between me and the people in that bar, except that I've found Jesus, or rather, He found me. Grace is all that stands between me and that drunk English guy. I have no right to be uncomfortable. I have no right to feel self-righteous, because in my self there IS NO righteousness, but for that righteousness given to me by Christ."

So, no, I don't really agree with their agenda. I think that we as Christians often go about these things the wrong way - backwards, in fact. We are not going to effectively change our society by protesting and boycotting. We too often expect non-Christians to act like Christians. How ridiculous! We have a hard enough time acting like Christians ourselves! Because Christ lives in us, we should be letting His love pour out through us to those around us. What did Jesus protest in his day? The closest thing I can think of to a protest staged by Jesus was against the established church of the day: when He drove out the moneychangers in the temple. Jesus' harshest words were generally reserved for the pharisees (den of vipers, whitewashed tombs, etc.).

I understand the fear that drives the AFA - that our society will go to hell around us, but I don't believe that the solution is lobbying, protest and boycotting. The solution is the greatest of the commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" and "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Spreading the love of Christ is the answer.