Religious Right Protests Minneapolis Churches

[greblc]

I talked with a Neighbor of mine at a block party yesterday. She and other members of her church were greeted Sunday morning by Protesters outside of their Church. She said a group of 30 "Christians" had driven from Missouri to protest South West Minneapolis Churches who had Gay and Lesbian Ministers.

What the F**K is wrong with these people? I think I know but , could some southern Christians throw some light on this for me?

[theivoryqueen]

1. they are obviously crazy.

religion does that to people.

[liberalhistorian]

3. No, no, not religion itself,

but people who take it to the extreme and get others to follow along with them. THAT is the problem, not religion itself. I'm a Christian and I can guarantee you that we're not all like that!!!

[theivoryqueen]

5. good to know. Altho I already knew YOU were special.

A lot of religious folk take the most extreme positions that tends toward violence and intolerance. I guess you can tell I am a rationalist and an atheist. And very opinionated.

[Charlie Brown]

2. They drove all the way from MO?

Don't fundies have anything better to do with their time than to push their own limited views of Christianity (which has thousands of different denominations) on other churches. Charity programs? food drives? anything?

[baldguy]

4. They couldn't find any insane people in Minnesota.

[liberalhistorian]

6. Yeah, they tend to forget that Christ

wasn't nearly as concerned with homosexuality as he was with helping those who were needy. Feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and cold, giving shelter to the homeless, comforting the sick, visiting the imprisoned, caring for those without the means to pay for it, etc. You know, little things ike that.

[rucky]

7. I think I just solved the gas crisis!

Busses that run on HATE.

[classof56]

8. No, their travels in the pursuit of spreading their hatred know no limits

Awhile back, the Phelps "God Hates Fags" group from Kansas came out to Oregon to rave against Multnomah County officials sanctioning gay marriage. That crowd picketed in front of at least one church in the capital city, a fundamental church that had not been "strongly enough" anti-gay to suit the GHF crowd. They also picketed the Oregon Supreme Court building (since the justices will be considering the issue at some point, plus one of the justices is gay), where I happened to be at the time. I strolled around watching the nuttiness, then went to onlookers and said, "As a fundamental Christian, I'd like to apologize for these people" (the GHF picketers were carrying signs with pretty ugly stuff on them).

Would be nice if these particular fundies could do a food drive or some other "compassionately conservative" venture that would truly help those in need. But alas, their agenda is one of hate and vitriol. And it will probably never change.

BTW--welcome to DU!

Bush Must Go!

[Joy Anne]

9. They've been here, too,

in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and they were great for the community, which rallied to support the people and churches that were attacked and to counterpicket the nuts.

[classof56]

15. Good for Harrisburg!

So glad to know there are those who stand up to these wackos. It is certain that the God Hates Fags' tiny little closed minds will never be penetrated, but it's still important to try.

[Joy Anne]

16. and securlarly

Nearby small cities periodically get KKK or Nazi parades, and they, too, improve us by generating opposition community festivals that draw huge crowds by standing for oneness, intergroup tolerance, and the like. So nice of the nasty folk to present themselves as Other for us to rally against.

[greblc]

10. I'd like to sweep the street with them all the way back to the Bible belt.

[shockingelk]

11. it was Phreddie Phelps of godhatesfags.com fame

They were here yesterday: http://www.godhatesfags.com/fliers/Picket_Information.html

They were protesting an ELCA church who was defying their synod by defying the ELCA by ordaining an openly gay minister.

So Phelps decided to protest that church - and get this - every other ELCA church, even though the ELCA was ostensibly on his side of the issue of ordainmentr. Go figure. Here's a snip for an email from a minister at that church:

It has come to our attention that members from the Westboro Baptist
Church, of Topeka, Kansas, are coming to Minneapolis, and planning to
picket Bethlehem, Central, Bethany and Mt. Olivet Lutheran churches
this Sunday morning, July 25. They are coming to protest the
irregular "ordination" of Jay Wiesner, a gay man whom Bethany has
called to serve as a pastor. Bethany is acting in defiance of ELCA
policy when it comes to ordination (congregations may not simply
ordain; candidates for the ministry must be approved by the
appropriate synod on behalf of the whole church), and in spite of
Bishop Johnson's request that they not proceed. Apparently, this
Westboro group is targeting us, along with Central and Mt. Olivet,
simply because we are large ELCA churches, and they are likely to
gain the largest audience and publicity through us.

[greblc]

12. I do believe in God/Jesus...

but this type of hypocrisy drove me away from church.

Do these people on the religious right
ever stop to think they drive as many away from Religion as they rally to their
cause?

How is their hate and disdain for gay different from an Islamic fundamentalist
hate and disdain for western culture?

How is frightening old ladies at church not terrorism on some scale.

[Joy Anne]

17. don't let yourself be driven away

Come back to the church! It's worthwhile--I get to personally involve myself in homeless shelters and Habitat for Humanity, for one thing--and we need you so we can outnumber the misanthropes who are in the pews for unworthy reasons.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. It's the Fred Phelps gang again

Fortunately, I didn't see any coverage of them in the local paper.

[greblc]

14. Church goers are great but...

How can they let the hate and the intollerance of the Religious Right
go unchecked? They are stealing the Christian Faith.

God "speaks" to them. I'm just trying to figure out wich one so I can avoid worshiping that God. I'd hate to spend enternity in hell next to a right wing nut job!