A creepy new Jehovah's Witness cartoon aimed at children encourages homophobic behavior. The animated video is titled "One Man, One Woman" and appears in the children's section of the religious organization's website. The lesson marks the 22nd in a series that teaches children different facets of Jehovah's Witness belief system and answers the question, "Why did God create man and woman?"
In the video, a little girl spies a drawing her school friend did of her same-sex parents. When she arrives home, she tells her mom about the picture, which prompts a life lesson that is sure to raise eyebrows.
"Carrie drew two mommies; she told me they're married to each other," the little girl tells her mother. "My teacher says that all that matters is that people love each other and that they're happy."
Her mother shuts down the liberal teacher, explaining instead how people in the world have their own beliefs. As Jehovah's Witnesses, the family must honor what Jehovah wants for them and how he wants them to behave. "He wants us to be happy, and he knows how we can be happiest," she teaches her daughter. "That's why he invented marriage the way he did."
"You mean one man and one woman?" the little girls asks.
"Exactly," she responds.
What follows is an interesting use of logic. The mother uses an analogy to help her daughter better understand the concept of paradise Jehovah has promised his followers. "What would happen if someone wanted to bring something on the plane that wasn't allowed?" she asks her daughter. When the little girl answers that that person wouldn't be able to board the plane and go on their trip, the mom agrees.
Essentially, in order to get to paradise, you have to "leave some things behind."
When the little girl asks what she'll say to her friend Carrie about her two moms, her own mother encourages her to find a way to talk about their faith. The little girl imagines all the things she could teach Carrie, and although it's not overtly stated, it's implied that she'll talk about how having two moms is a bad thing that keeps one from entering paradise.
Other videos posted in that section contain moralizing lessons about obeying parents or lying, but this one takes a huge leap forward and encourages children to be judgmental and bigoted when dealing with friends who have same-sex parents.
