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Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies (Seth and Sarah Ask...)

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"Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies?" by Sheila K. Butt, contrasts twins Seth and Sarah, secure and content in their normal, hetero, white Christian family, with Michael, the son of an unstable, interracial, gay couple. Seth and Sarah mindlessly wend their way through the story, trained as they are to view difference as confusing and wrong, and their own lives as a standard of normalcy. The title, "Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies?," is the linguistic hook on which the author hangs her religious condemnation of homosexuality, but it also illustrates that these two godly children really are not certain that their God does love someone different from them. Did Seth's and Sarah's Christian parents fail to teach them that God loves everybody, or have Seth and Sarah learned from their parents' behavior that God finds some more lovable than others?

How does the author reconcile the condemnation of homosexuality with the concept of a loving God? She makes three valiant, if vain, attempts. First, she depicts a heterosexual home as happy, secure, and God-approved, as opposed to the instability of a gay home. Second, she attempts to show that the issue of gay marriage negatively affects the children of both homosexual and heterosexual families. Christian children are affected negatively because gay marriage confuses them, in other words, it makes them question their parents' values. Third, she skirts the issue of what Christians actually believe will happen to Michael's parents when they don't end up in Heaven.

Poor little Michael, the unwitting friend of Christian clones Seth and Sarah. Michael is depicted three times by the illustrator, in all instances alienated from his Christ-loving friends, a fearful grimace of uncertainty plastered on his face. In the first illustration Michael's security is derailed when he learns that normal families have a mom and a dad, not two dads. In the second illustration an anxious Michael waves goodbye to Seth and Sarah who stand beside their loving mother. Michael waves from the back of a bus. Apparently children of gay, interracial couples are bussed to this school district, while hetero Christian moms pick up their children. In the third illustration Michael cowers behind the chair in which Black Dad sits, as Black Dad reads the Bible, presumably Leviticus, to White Dad. Indifferent White Dad turns his back on both of them to sip a latté out of a large purple mug. Perhaps it is dawning on Michael that the Bible is going to break up his home, and that his future in a God-ordained world is less than certain.

Across the ideological tracks, hetero Christian Dad explains to Seth and Sarah that God designed marriage to be between a man and a woman. Christian Dad continues, "But in this world there are some men who want to live together like they are married."

LIKE they are married. Like a fake marriage, fake parents, a fake home.

It's conceivable that Michael is the biological son of gay White Dad, or even gay Black Dad, but it's more likely, given Christian antipathy to gay adoption, that he's the adopted son of at least one of his fathers. What the author implies is that Michael's family is only LIKE a family, not actually a real family. Michael is not a real son, and his fathers aren't real fathers. This book reveals more than a prejudice against gays, it reveals a prejudice against foster and adopted children, at root a prejudice against children. What kind of Christian could find it in her heart to add to the uncertainty of a child that has lost his or her biological parents? What kind of Christian would suggest that that child would be better off in a group home than in a home of his or her own, with two loving parents of his or her own - no matter what color or sexual orientation? Michael is an older child and tens of thousands of older children languish in the foster care system in this country, with as many as 25% of them ending up homeless when they age out of the system. But at least they weren't raised by gays, right?

Hetero Christian Dad's explanation is accompanied by an illustration of a black man and woman getting married. It's a contemporary image, as Christians a mere one hundred and forty-four years ago did not allow black men and women to marry each other. It was only forty years ago that black people in this country were allowed to marry white people (Loving v. Virginia, 1967). We shouldn't be surprised that white Christians are still telling black people whom they may and may not marry. Michael's black dad may not marry Michael's white dad, because white Christians say the Bible says so, just like they used to say black people couldn't marry each other. If black families were only LIKE white Christian families, with pretend marriages, then it was easier to sell off the mothers and fathers and children.

It's hard to tell if the author objects more to Michael's dads being a gay couple, or an interracial couple. The book's idealized depiction of Christian marriage is of a man and a woman of the same race. Michael hides in fear behind the chair of adamant finger-pointing (angry?) Black Dad, while later Black Dad cowers in the shadow of a white Jesus tied to a cross. On the road to normalcy, Black Dad comes to accept his place. He's purchased by the blood of the lamb.

There is one more illustration that may be of Michael - he has the same face, and very similar clothes, but he's older - a teenager. Hetero Christian Dad has explained that Michael's dads are sinning. The concept of sin is illustrated with the boy who looks like Michael stealing a magazine from a store. Apparently Michael is so confused about sin and gay marriage that he no longer knows the difference between right and wrong. Gay marriage leads to stealing, and worse - maybe even dancing.

"Your Mother and I want both of you always to do what the Bible teaches," hetero Christian Dad opines. "We hope our whole family can teach others what the Bible says so they can be in heaven, too."

The book ends, ironically with Christian Mom asking her children, "Won't it be wonderful when you two can read the words of the Bible for yourselves[?]"

Won't it be wonderful, indeed? Not every Bible is clouded by the cataract of a white Tennessee education, and these confused, questioning children might end up reading the wonderful stories about Jonathan and David, Ruth and Naomi, and the disciple that Jesus loved, with an open mind and heart and decide that their parents' religious convictions are little more than antebellum resentments.

This is hate propaganda, in its rawest, most profane form - a book written by idiots, for idiots.

It's almost impossible to overemphasize how horrid this story is. Whatever you do, do not buy this book.

Seth and Sarah, white boy/girl twins, encounter a boy named Michael in their class who explains to them that he doesn't have a mommy and a daddy, but rather he has two daddies. He tells Seth and Sarah that his daddies have talked about getting married and they have asked Michael if he would like that, to which he had replied, with a worried look on his face "I don't know if I would or not". (an absolutely stupid premise; of course a child would want to see his parents married; how dreadful that a children's book would be used to frame a child's family as bad)

At dinner that night, Seth and Sarah report that they met a boy named Michael in class who has two daddies who want to get married. The twins' father explains to them that God made Adam and Eve to be the first husband and wife (illustrated by a sacharine picture of rabits lying next to lions, with a sultry-looking Eve with orchid corsage in her hair and arms wrapped suggestively around Adam's chest). On the next page is an illustration of an African-American man and woman being married by a minister with an all-black wedding party in attendance (apparently to illustrate that Black men and women can get married too, as long as they marry within their race and are married by a black minister.)

Then there is further explanation by Seth/Sarah's father that Michael's daddies should not get married because the bible teaches them that it is sin for two men to get married, but that "God loves them" and "sent his Son to die on the cross for them". That particular dialogue is illustrated by a picture of a crucified Jesus with one of Michael's daddies at the feet of Jesus looking up imploringly at Jesus. (apparently to illustrate that Michael's daddies know perfectly well that they are living in sin and are on their way to hell)

The book concludes with an illustration of a golden road leading to heaven. Sara and Seth both declare "I want to go to heaven", and the father wants them to teach others what the bible says so that "they can be in heaven too". Seth says kindly that he likes Michael, and "I am going to invite him to come to bible class with me this week". (presumably so that Michael can learn more about how his parents are living in sin and will suffer the eternal flames of torment).

That's just a "lovely" story to tell children. I am a Christian and a gay father of two. This story is dreadful, awful, anti-family, anti-children, homophobic, backwards drivel.

I am a straight, married woman with two daughters and a son of my own.

I grew up in a household with a mother and father who were both strong believers in the existence of God, but they did not force their beliefs on my siblings and I. I grew up believing and God, but at the same time, I am pro choice, and I believe in gay rights. Not everyone has the same beliefs, so why are certain groups in society trying to make it seem like we should all conform to their beliefs and opinions alone?

To be perfectly frank, this book sickens me, absolutely SICKENS me. My children are 14, 10, and 6, they are all aware of differences such as black and white, male and female, rich and poor, and...straight and gay. My husband and I taught our children to have faith and to believe in God, but to also accept EVERYONE for who they are. Being gay does not in any way make you a bad person. Parents should be raising their children to accept all people, and to realize that the existence of infinte beliefs and opinions is absolute. And especially now, in this day in age, we need to be teaching our children to embrace all of the differences there are in the world.

I teach art classes at our local elementary school, and when we have parent-teacher conferences every yearm I must see at LEAST four couples that are same sex, interracial, vast in age differences, etc. but I treat them all with the same amount of respect, same goes for their children. To me, the person who published this book and thought it was a good idea to try and spread closed-mindedness to CHILDREN, is nothing but white trash. I apologize if that comes out as being too rash, but it's true. This book is aimed at children anywhere from 3 and older, 3! How early are people like this trying to speak intolerance!?

Religious or not, books like this should NEVER be targeted to hypnotize our children into believing that discriminating against their fellow man is acceptable.

This book is a wonderful example of how religion is the main cause of bigotry and hatred in this world. A wonderful read if you are in the mood for a nice laugh.

Today, Sheila K. Butt is best-known for her bawdy sea shanties and a popular range of Old Testament, low-calorie shakes aimed at larger members of the congregation.

Few recall that she is also a self-published author with a large back catalogue of hilarious, Christian-based, parables written for feeble-minded simpletons.

For any Butt aficionado, her latest novel raises a number of interesting questions. Is Sheila K. a martyr to the Friends-of-Judy or is she as mad as a box of spanners? Does she have a borderline personality disorder or is she a troubled artist? Are the facets and dimensions of her writing mutually exclusive and do we care anyway?

These questions are important when comparing this work against her earlier output. Certainly 'Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies?' is a dense, stark example of Crypto-Modernism which encourages many layers of consideration - but where are her trademark laughs? Alas, they are buried beneath pages of bile-filled invective and overly-clever construction.

For example, Michael's bed-wetting at Uncle Ahmed's house and the resultant drowning of the pet newt, Gypo, is an allegorical parting of the Red Sea. When young Michael steals the suitcase containing the ashes of the transsexual Danish plumber we are being reminded of St. Michael's role as the Angel of Death carrying souls to heaven.

In the end, you cannot escape the conclusion that, despite its multiple meanings, the intense content of this book is less satisfying than her earlier work 'Does God Love the Stinky French?' a scratch 'n' sniff collection of letters to her estranged, Paris-based daughter prior to her fatal overdose. Even the excessively sanitised pop-up edition of the sunny 'Does God Love Darkies?' is, by comparison, wittier and more joyful for the average Christian reader.

I would heartily recommend either of these books as better starting points for those keen to explore Butt's bountiful oeuvre.

It seems like this is a response by paranoid homophobic holy rollers to indoctrinate their children as young as they can into a life of self-lothing and blind hatred against the gay community. Any parent who buys this book and reads it to their child should be reported to their local Child Protective Services and have their kids removed from their homes. The truth is, young people today are becoming more intelligent and more accepting of homosexuals and find their "lifestyle" (for lack of a better word) to be just as natural as heterosexuality. The next generation's acceptance of homosexuality scares the hell out of bigoted Christians and that's how you end up with a book of filth and hate like this one. Homophobic voices are diminishing and their time is ending, and while I don't advocate book burning, "Does God Love Michael's Two Daddies" would make a lovely edition to my fireplace if anyone ever happened to give it to me.

Michael's daddies are finding new ways to sin and make their way to hell! First they get to go because they are gay, then they get to go to a new level because we all know the races shouldn't ever "mix". Seriously though, I haven't bought this book, but if it is as well written as the editorial review, I think it wouldn't be worth digging it out of the trash to read. Ms. BUTT, you really should consider a pen name if you are going to write homophobic garbage. Just a thought.

Once again the hypocrisy of the religious rights rears its bigoted and fundamentally ignorant head. In this case, it is aimed at children and keeping them brainwashed and unable to think for themselves. In true fashion, the message here is "god is love and kind as long as you believe, say, and do exactly what we deem is acceptable".

When will this outdated archaic dogma finally be obliterated from the planet so that the rest of the rational world can make a better place for our children to inherit.

This book is a piece of garbage as well as the junk it is based on. Shame on those who give it a good review.

It's the responsibility of the oppressor to end the oppression. If some whites had not had the balls to say that blacks should vote, the process would have taken much longer. Those people who stood up for what is right are heroes just like the blacks who voted when it was risking their lives. The same is true with almost every case of oppression of the minority, when a few members of the majority have the balls to stand up and say "this is wrong" things start to change. Unfortunately you don't do that in church.

Organized religion is the one place where the oppression is unlikely to end any time soon, because to be a Christian, Jew, Muslim, etc. means you subjugate yourself and believe what you are told, even though there is tremendous physical evidence against it. Are Christians standing up and making their voices heard? Are they shouting down the pastors who p;reach hate? No.

And until they do, I can not respect them. Until they stand up for what they know is right, against the few fundamentalists who preach hatred and intolerance, I can not respect them. The next time you hear someone slam Christianity, don't feel persecuted, just stop and think about why that person dislikes your religion so much and think about things you might be able to do to help your religion join the rest of the world.

The "Christian Right" is neither.