There is a letter circulating the web from the Family Research Council to their members and prospective donors that is being condemned by many for its hateful rhetoric indirectly targeted at children and young adults. The letter, posted in its entirety below, uses the It Gets Better Campaign and White House support for troubled gay youth to rile up potential donors into giving money and time to support the FRC’s mission, described on their website:

Family Research Council (FRC) champions marriage and family as the foundation of civilization, the seedbed of virtue, and the wellspring of society. FRC shapes public debate and formulates public policy that values human life and upholds the institutions of marriage and the family. Believing that God is the author of life, liberty, and the family, FRC promotes the Judeo-Christian worldview as the basis for a just, free, and stable society.

FRC Letter

The It Gets Better project was established in response to a string of young adults who committed suicide because of bullying due to their actual or perceived sexual orientation. As the letter notes, prominent politicians created and uploaded videos, as well as actors, clergy, musicians, and sports teams, but the overwhelming number of videos are posted by ordinary people trying to give some hope to teens.

Regardless of where you find yourself on questions of gay rights, does this sort of language help advance the dialogue? For an organization that claims “Judeo-Christian” values as their own, how do letters like this reflect on people of faith? Does this sort of incendiary language jive with the Gospel message?

Michael J. O’Loughlin is national correspondent at America and author of Hidden Mercy: AIDS, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear.