“A Full Quiver of Children”
Jason Kuznicki on Mar 30th 2006
In Utah, small businesses beg to differ with a bigoted local government:
Signs began popping up in store windows this week in Kanab, Utah proclaiming ”Everyone welcome here!” in a desperate move to avoid a threatened gay boycott. Some businesses went so far as putting small rainbow flag stickers on their front doors.
Dozens of business owners in the small southern Utah community are trying all they can to distance themselves from a proclamation by the city council that Kanab supports the “natural family” consisting of a working husband, a stay-at-home wife and a “full quiver of children.”
The measure was passed by the council in January angering gays in the state and prompting LGBT groups to consider calling a boycott.
Good for them.
Oh, and I’m still grinning about that “full quiver of children” thing. Yes, I know it’s in the Bible — but see, atheist children come in broods.
Filed in The Belfry, The Boardroom, The Boudoir, The Bureau
It is all well and good that there are businesses in this Utah town that are scrambling for their rainbow stickers now that they fear loosing business. I am not impressed by that. Where were these businesses when the town was passing its “naturel family” proclaimation? The town should be abandoned until there is pessure brought to bear on its officials to overturn its anti-American theocratic proclamation. To support any business there now would be to be duped by them into having it both ways. They don’t oppose the town council and they still want gay dollars. I would urge locals to say no to that.
jeerp,
I think you are being a bit harsh on these businesses and the locals… because after the proclamation there has been quite a backlash _by the locals_, even editorials in the local paper by 17-year-olds, petitions and protest. i write about it here: http://www.lathefamily.org/warren3/blogs/001949.shtml
This isn’t local businesses or locals trying to have it both ways, this is about an out-of-touch mayor and council (who, unless they reverse themselves soon face major election challenges for this act) wanting it one way and a lot of locals in complete disagreement.
lets support those that support us.
Full Quiver theology is a movement that seeks to end all forms of birth control including natural family planning. So basically, the resolution is suggesting that married heterosexual couples that practice birth control in any form to limit family size are undesireable as well.
The use of the term “full quiver” is probably no accident. The theology claims that the only descision maker when it comes to family size should be God. Just one of those code terms that many seem to have missed in regards to this story.
On March 31, 2006 I sent the following message to the Office of Tourism for Kane County, Utah located in Kanab, Utah:
“I had been considering using an outfitter from your city for a Grand Canyon raft trip this summer (2006). However, your cities bigoted resolution has lead me to consider other options. I am a male, hetersexual, father of 2 boys who believes no government in America should encourage or practice discrimination based on sexual preference or any other non-destructive life choice of an American citizen.”
On April 10, 2006 I recieved the following response from —
Cowboy Ted Hallisey
Executive Director
Kane County Office of Tourism
PO Box 209
Kanab, Utah 84741
http://www.kaneutah.com
Dear Dave,
“Thanks for your note. I fully understand your frustration with the City of Kanab’s decision to endorse the “Natural Family Resolution.”
Please know that many of the business owners and residents DO NOT support the resolution and we want everyone to feel welcome in our friendly section of Utah. You can also express your thoughts directly to the City of Kanab by E-mail at kanabc@kanab.net
I hope you will reconsider your decision to cancel your plans for a visit to our beautiful part of America. We stand ready to welcome everyone to Southern Utah’s Kane County. We want people from all walks of life and lifestyles to enjoy Kanab and Kane County.
A boycott of Kanab will have a direct effect on the business owners and tourism related organizations that make it their job to welcome EVERYONE to Kanab.
To show their support for all visitors to Kanab - local business owners have affixed large stickers to their business doors and window to showcase their desire to “Welcome Everyone to Kanab.”
If you are still opposed to supporting the Kanab community - please consider a trip to Mt Carmel, which has easy access to all of the Natural Wonders associated with Southern Utah and the East Zion area has NOT ENDORSED a “Natural Family Resolution” and HAVE NO PLANS to ever adopt such a resolution.
Go online to http://www.eastziontourismcouncil.org for more information about this destination that welcomes ALL visitors.”
Hounshell, Kanab, Natural Family. One year later.
And the writing finger having writ, moves on. Here in March of 2007, Kanab’s outrageous natural family resolution is still on the books as the thousands upon thousands of formerly outraged pundits and bloggers have “moved on” to the next big outrage which they can summarily analyze and dismiss from the anonymous comfort of their home computers.
Meanwhile, Baptist Pastor Doug Hounshell of Kanab is predicting Muslims will come to dominate the Earth should the women in this Mormon village fail to “heed the vision” of Kanab’s outrageous Natural Family Resolution.
“Only Muslims have high birth rates,” says Hounshell. One day they will inherit the Earth due to Western society’s “sins of homosexuality and abortion.”
Reverend Hounshell further says the Muslim world in many ways is “headed backwards into its barbaric phase… So ladies, if you think the Natural Family Resolution was bad for you, just wait till you all are wearing hijabs.”
Pastor Hounshell finally says “if you don’t want the world to turn into Saudi Arabia, then it might be wise to dust off your copy of the Natural Family and heed its vision.”
To view Pastor Doug Hounshell’s advertisement in its entirety, visit:
http://www.cliffviewchapel.org
click on the “Read Bible Answers Column” box.
click on “view PAST columns”
click on “Why The Natural Family’s Full Quiver Is Good?” ( Wednesday, February 14, 2007 )
Important Note: The Southern Utah News, the newspaper in which Pastor Douglas Hounshell’s weekly paid advertisements appear, took a strong stand AGAINST the Natural Family Resolution and has printed numerous editorials which run counter to Pastor Hounshell’s opinions.
[...] A reader takes me to task for abandoning the strange “natural family” resolution of Kanab, Utah, which was never actually repealed. Apparently things have gone from bad to worse over there: Hounshell, Kanab, Natural Family. One year later. [...]
Much of what has happened in Kanab is a direct result in a shifting of dynamics that have gradually taken place over the past few years. Historically speaking Kanab has been a homogeneous town, almost exclusively made up of caucasion, middle class, folks who could trace their ancestory back to Mormon pioneers that settled the town in the late 1800’s. The past few years Kanab has become increasingly more popular as a tourist destination and also a retirement center for folks migrating from out of the State. Best Friends Animal Society is also centered in Kanab and is the area’s largest employer. These changes have spawned a lot of conflicts between the competing demographics. On one hand you have the old time Kanab natives, that are mostly conservative in nature and most would like to see Kanab stay the way it was for so many years. For the most part they are against growth and development in the area and have chosen to live in Kanab because it is small and they enjoy the rural lifestyle. Many of these folks, have been dependent upon agriculture and ranching for the past 100 years. The outsiders that have moved into the area represent a more liberal demographic. Many are viewed as extreme enviromentalist by the locals. They do not belong to the predominent religion and they account for the majority of the population increase. Many of the old time natives resent what is becoming of this small town and do not agree with liberal agenda. The natural family proclamation adopted by the city cancel was not done out of discrimination in my opinion but was intended to be a message to this new population that the old time Kanab residents would like to see Kanab stay focused on traditional family values. The proclamation is poorly written and almost comical to read, but appears to send a message that most of the old time residents support. What the city council is really saying is “hey this is what we are about, and please don’t move into our small town and try to change everything, if your offended then leave, we would prefer to keep the town small anyway.” Do I support the proclamation, no, but do I agree with what I believe was it’s intent, absolutely. I was born and raised in Kanab, and it was a great place to grow up, my only wish is that my full quiver of children could have that same opportunity. The Kanab I knew is no longer, the new one is full of contention (read the local paper) and competing interests. The crime rate has skyrocketed as has the cost of living. My children are not sheltered from the “big city” problems the generation before them. True, it is impossible to stop change, but I sure wish we could slow it down some. It’s the rural lifestyle that is being attacked here, the intent of the NFP had nothing to do with attacking gays or lesbians. Gays and Lesbians are constantly asking for acceptance of their lifestyle, the NFP is just an attempt to get folks to accept our lifestyle, as a conservative family focused, group of folks who just want to preserve Kanab as good place to raise our children. Call us sheltered, call us simple, but that’s the way we like it.