Church says Pepsi promotes "homosexual lifestyle." Really? We thought it pushed sodas

Posted by Barbara Hijek on September 9, 2009 07:50 AM
So much for that battle between Coke and Pepsi.

That cola war is soooo yesterday.

Now a Brandon church has launched its own cola war -- against Pepsi.

"We would like to send them a message," said Terry Kemple, President of the Community Issues Council that is organizing a boycott of Pepsi products because he says it "advocates the acceptance of the homosexual lifestyle."

Kemple just got his mega-church, the Bell Shoals Baptist Church, to remove its 10 Pepsi machines and replace them with Coke machines, reports Tampa Bay's 10Connects.

He said that Pepsi donated more than a million dollars to organizations that fought California's gay marriage-banning Proposition 8. He also says the company has sponsored gay pride parades and commercials that accept cross-dressing and homosexuality.

"They (have) begun to utilize the money we've helped them build up to trample on what we consider family values," Kemple says.

Earlier this year the Bell Shoals Baptist Church's Christian Awareness Report said that "Pepsi also forces its employees to attend sexual orientation and gender identity diversity training, where they are taught to accept homosexuality."

Nadine Smith, executive director of Equality Florida, called the boycott offensive to her and embarrassing to those who participate.

"The irony is that - in moving from Pepsi products to Coke products - they actually switched from one company that supports full-equality to another company that supports full-equality," Smith said.

Pepsi is one of the largest corporations in the country, boasting subsidiaries like Gatorade, Tropicana, Frito-Lay and Quaker. Calls to the company's headquarters went unreturned on Tuesday.

Representatives from the Bell Shoals Baptist Church, which draws several thousand members every Sunday, declined comment as well.

"We're concerned about that diminishment of the ability of Christians to speak what the Bible says," Kemple says.

Really?

What about "Love thy neighbor?"


http://weblogs.sun-sentinel.com/news/specials/weirdflorida/blog/2009/09/church_says_pepsi_promotes_hom.html

Go Pepsi

oh my, more haters

They are not haters, just plain old ignorant people.

Shame they are considered leaders to some.

I think pepsi should put their money in helping people who are truly suffering, and if asked on the street.. id bet you even the gay people they are donating millions for would probably say that gay marriage is not the highest priority in trying times like these.


The luxury of a marriage for myself being hetro would come second if posed this question.


Its nice to believe we really have these choices, but ya know.. so many people going through the crap right now, and lost jobs, and garbage. I mean come on.

Church's action is in question, not Pepsi nor Coke's generosity to any cause?

Their book say nothing about being Homosexual.....

it only speaks to the act of homosexuality...


Shouldn't their vending machines be filled with wine???

it it's good enough for Jesus......good enough for Christians...


I am certain their Savior , Jesus Christ, would have felt the same......



???

I dont care.. thats my take on it, and now, bcause ive read how frivolous pepsi is.. i wont be using their products either.. and I support gay rights.

Nice response Boycott whom you like, was just keeping topic on track.

I read it my Floridian sister.. but all I had said was in response to its content.

About Coca Cola:
Our People
According to the 2006 Employee Insights survey, 96 percent of associates agreed that the Company has established diversity as an important component of its business strategy.

DiversityInc
The Coca-Cola Company came in at No. 4 on The 2007 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity® list and performed well in two DiversityInc specialty categories -- Top 10 Companies for Recruitment & Retention (No. 5) and Top 10 Companies for Asian-Americans (No. 6). A total of 317 companies competed for a spot, a 100 percent increase in corporate participation in the Top 50 competition over the last three years. Now in its seventh year, The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list is determined solely from a comprehensive survey of diversity management that measures CEO commitment, human capital, corporate communications and supplier diversity.

Human Rights Campaign
For the second straight year (2007), the nation's largest lesbian and gay rights organization, The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), has given The Coca-Cola Company a 100 percent rating for its workplace policies for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) associates. The HRC's Corporate Equality Index measures the extent to which employers promote workplace fairness for their GLBT employees, measuring factors like non-discrimination policies, diversity training and benefits.

my Floridian Sistah

I like Coke or Pepsi...I guess I go both ways!!!

Free publicity after the gutted frog in th' Pepsi commercial.

There was a gutted frog in Pepsi commercial???

You didn't hear about the gutted frog found in the Pepsi can?
That would make a great Coke commercial.

Sounds like an attempt to get more folks to support his Mega church. Create a controversy and appeal to peoples prejudices and fears. Used to work well, maybe it's not working as so well anymore. Maybe he needs to get Palin in to do a rally for him.

OH NOOOO dont get Palin

Who better? LOL

Would somebody pass me a Mt. Dew puhlease, I'm thirsty.