{"id":4127,"date":"2011-07-12T13:56:35","date_gmt":"2011-07-12T17:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/news\/?p=4127"},"modified":"2011-07-12T13:56:35","modified_gmt":"2011-07-12T17:56:35","slug":"homosexual-internet-campaign-pressures-toms-shoes-founder-to-denounce-christian-ministry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2011\/07\/homosexual-internet-campaign-pressures-toms-shoes-founder-to-denounce-christian-ministry","title":{"rendered":"Homosexual internet campaign pressures TOMS shoes founder to denounce Christian ministry"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Catherine Snow<\/em><\/p>\n

Gay activists didn\u2019t like that a popular shoe company was sharing the work it does with a Christian ministry that affirms biblical marriage. So, they set off an online firestorm \u2014 and ultimately pressured the founder of TOMS Shoes to issue an apology on Saturday for ever having appeared at an event with Focus on the Family.<\/p>\n

At issue? Blake Mycoskie, TOMS founder and \u201cchief shoe giver,\u201d appeared alongside Focus President Jim Daly at the June 30 \u201cFeet on the Ground\u201d event and shared how his Christian faith led him to start the company. The sold-out event raised awareness \u2014 and shoes \u2014 for people in need around the world. TOMS, a for-profit company, donates a pair of shoes for every pair purchased. The espadrille-like shoes appeal particularly to social justice-minded Millennials.<\/p>\n

Mycoskie\u2019s mea culpa said in part:<\/p>\n

\u201cHad I known the full extent of Focus on the Family\u2019s beliefs, I would not have accepted the invitation to speak at their event. It was an oversight on my part and the company\u2019s part and one we regret. In the last 18 months we have presented at over 70 different engagements and we do our best to make sure we choose our engagements wisely, on this one we chose poorly.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo there is no misunderstanding created by this mistake, let me clearly state that both TOMS, and I as the founder, are passionate believers in equal human and civil rights for all. That belief is a core value of the company and of which we are most proud.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Gary Schneeberger, vice president of Ministry Communications for Focus, said the whole turn-of-events was surprising.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s perplexing to think that the same voices who champion \u2018equal rights for all\u2019 seem so intent on limiting our opportunities to help children in need through wonderful programs like TOMS,\u201d he said. \u201cHow distressing that Christians seem to be the only ones not tolerated in our culture of tolerance.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Daly agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an unfortunate statement about the culture we live in, when an organization like ours is deemed unfit to help children in need simply because we hold to biblical beliefs about marriage and family,\u201d Daly added. \u201cIt\u2019s also a chilling statement about the future of the culture we live in. We have to wonder: What will someone decide we\u2019re unfit to do next?\u201d<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE to read more<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Catherine Snow Gay activists didn\u2019t like that a popular shoe company was sharing the work it does with a Christian ministry that affirms biblical marriage. So, they set off an online firestorm \u2014 and ultimately pressured the founder of TOMS Shoes to issue an apology on Saturday for ever having appeared at an event…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":270,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[976,1021,8],"tags":[1068,1067,1066],"class_list":["post-4127","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-free-speech","category-homosexual-rights","category-news","tag-blake-mycoskie","tag-focus-on-the-family","tag-toms-shoes"],"yoast_head":"\nHomosexual internet campaign pressures TOMS shoes founder to denounce Christian ministry<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/news\/2011\/07\/homosexual-internet-campaign-pressures-toms-shoes-founder-to-denounce-christian-ministry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Homosexual internet campaign pressures TOMS shoes founder to denounce Christian ministry\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"by Catherine Snow Gay activists didn\u2019t like that a popular shoe company was sharing the work it does with a Christian ministry that affirms biblical marriage. 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