Focus on the Family tonight acknowledged its host church’s observations that the gay-affirming protesters at “Love Won Out” in St. Louis were friendly, well-behaved and gracious.
Focus does not offer a demographic breakdown of LWO attendees, nor does Focus quote any Exodus officials’ opinions of the protesters.
Ya know… I really can provide my own “doughnuts, port-a-johns and lunches”.What I cannot provide is equality or respect in an anti-gay environment.The triviality of offering lunch while also organising a campaign to deny those same people equality and respect is the better indication of how much these people care.The last time someone said “Let them eat cake” they weren’t representing a equal and respectful society either.
Re: the gracious notes sent to FOTF aferward from protesters, the article quoted Pastor Gene Moniz as saying, “those two women and many others were beginning to understand the message of Love Won Out.” It sounded to me that the two protestors were wisely trying to build bridges – I seriously doubt they changed their views on what ‘Love Won Out’ really is. The article also sounds like a lot of FOTF self-congratulatory posturing to show how loving and righteous they really are.
I was at the protest in question. I do appreciate the church being cordial and providing some stuff, like coffee, and the food was nice. I’m not sure how much of that was from the local church and how much was from focus on the family. I tend to thing it was more hospitality from the church. The article is of course self serving. I’d expect it to be though.
We were there to help some kids deal with all the rhetoric and that was inside. We even provided some informational cds. I think after having their parents drag them there they at least deserved a safe space to go. Some of them stayed outside most of the day at the protest in freezing wind without coats rather than outside(we did help with that as much as possible, a neighbor even donated some clothing). I find that says a lot in itself. I do think that fact that we were peaceful made us more approachable by all who wanted to come up to talk for whatever reason, which I feel was a good thing.
I think a the very least focus of the family needs to seriously evaluate their stance on preaching this stuff to minors.
I think that all involved were vying for respectable press. Pastor Moniz might be hoping that some of the protesters might later convert to his style of Christianity, just as we were hoping that the kids and adult gays at the conference (and parents) would see that we are reasonable people, and often people affirming faith.
The portapotty (one) was very helpful, since we had tried to bring our own, but couldn’t get a place to put it from the town. We do appreciate the gesture, whatever the motive (kindness, a desire to avoid emergency pissing behind trees, good press during an interview a few days before the conference).
Of course the protest organizing committee is trying to build bridges with the pastor of the host church, and the two letter writers haven’t converted. I’d imagine the local MCC pastors wouldn’t mind building a few bridges also, since the MCC congregation tends to attract people damaged by ex-gay ministries. And who else is as versed as MCC pastors in all the ways that people have interpreted scripture concerning same-sex sexual relations, cross-dressing, etc?
I think the “religious” who are against homosexuality do themselves a great disservice by not reading and studying the bible them selves.
In the story of the woman “caught in adultery” He says, is there no one to condem you? “No sir. there is not.” Then NEITHR DO I CONDEM YOU.
Don’t these people read?
What about the whole Romans Thing,,, those who eat meat and sin eat not, but those who eat without sin, eat.
there is a whole “internal measure” morality thing going on…
And the spec vs plank in ones own eye? clean up your own flaws, leave others to God.
How can they get so deep into other people’s business?
Do not unto others as you would not have them do unto you. Don’t deny someone else’s experience of reality. Observe it.