Posted on 12/18/2004 3:32:52 PM PST by 4lifeandliberty
There is something very rotten in 'Denmark'.
SOunds like they want ot find out what HATE really is!
We cannot let this stand, This is CRAP!!!
I detest "hate crime" legislation. Something is either a crime or it isn't.
I didn't see in the article what the 4 still charged are alleged to have done and that makes it impossible to offer an opinion about the charge against them. Making people feel uncomfortable - not a crime. Assault - a crime, no matter who does it or why. What exactly were these folks doing?
Since I don't know what the protestors were doing, the following observations may or may not apply. In general, I'm not in favor of "in-your-face" counter demonstrations simply meant to disrupt somebody else's event. They produce a lot of heat and not much light. I hate it when the other side does it to me, so the Golden Rule says I don't do it to them.
As a Christian, simply expressing my anger or rage at homosexual political posturing doesn't say everything I want to say. I doubt that too many converts are made in shouting matches, and Jesus did say, "Love your enemies." Hate the sin - love the sinner. I think there are better ways to fight for what's right.
Love your enemies, and drive'em nuts"
Please ping me to any future articles you find about this case. Thanks.
bin2baghdad, you said:
"I didn't see in the article what the 4 still charged are alleged to have done and that makes it impossible to offer an opinion about the charge against them. Making people feel uncomfortable - not a crime. Assault - a crime, no matter who does it or why. What exactly were these folks doing?"
My response:
There were absolutley no laws violated. Repeatedly, the police were asked, "What law have we violated." They would not respond. I was one of the arrested individuals so I can tell you first hand what happened. We went to the event with one goal in mind, and it wasn't to "protest". We went there to share messiah with the crowds at the event. Several of us had scripture banners. Only two of our number were going to preach and the rest of the evelen were going to pass out literature and talk one-on-one with the people. The term "protestor" puts a negative spin on what we were doing. There were approximately 12 blocks in which we were going to conduct our outreach. We didn't go there to cause trouble and if it hadn't been for the "Pink Angels" assualting us, we would have had a good day with no trouble. The police had met on four occasions with the homosexuals leading up to the event to discuss what they would do if Christians showed up. This was revealed by Chief Tiano in our preliminary hearing. In past years Christians had done just what we wee planning to do without incident. We stayed within the law. No one was screamed at, assaulted, spit at, pushed, etc. etc.
Our goal was to share messiah with the crowds and we behaved properly.
You said:
Since I don't know what the protestors were doing, the following observations may or may not apply. In general, I'm not in favor of "in-your-face" counter demonstrations simply meant to disrupt somebody else's event. They produce a lot of heat and not much light. I hate it when the other side does it to me, so the Golden Rule says I don't do it to them.
My response:
This was not a "in-your-face" counter demonstrations simply meant to disrupt somebody else's event" The event was going to go on with or without us. 30,000 homosexuals were expected to attend and our presence wasn't going to interupt the event. This area was huge and we were just a small group of Christians seeking to speak to those who would listen.
You said:
As a Christian, simply expressing my anger or rage at homosexual political posturing doesn't say everything I want to say. I doubt that too many converts are made in shouting matches, and Jesus did say, "Love your enemies." Hate the sin - love the sinner. I think there are better ways to fight for what's right.
My response:
I agree with the above statement and so would the rest of the group that was arrested. We did not go in anger and had no other motive than simply obeying the scriptures that command us to "go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature." When there is a group of 30,000 lost people in one location, it is a prime location to take the Good News. The only reason we didn't have many great conversations and opportunities to share the gospel in depth, was because we were immediately assualted by a small mob of militants and hauled away within fifteen minutes.
Free the Philadelphia 4
Posted: December 20, 2004
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2004 WorldNetDaily.com
I'm amazed when seemingly intelligent people tell me they still think the American Civil Liberties Union is a group that fights for First Amendment freedoms no matter whose ox is being gored.
If that's the case, why is the ACLU not filing amicus briefs in Philadelphia where four Christians are facing 47 years in jail for expressing their free-speech rights?
That's right. Four Christians are facing 47 years in prison for peacefully quoting the Bible, an action an unglued local prosecutor determined to be "fighting words" when cited among homosexual activists.
It all started Oct. 10, when a total of 11 members of Repent America attended a homosexual street festival called "Outfest."
The group, ranging in age from 17 to 72, was surrounded at times by the organizers' security force, known as the "Pink Angels."
Videotapes and still photos taken at the event show the Pink Angels blocking the path of the Repent America members, shouting at them, blowing whistles and so forth. The Christians remain peaceful and calm at all times, despite what appears to be extraordinary provocation, intimidation and harassment.
Guess who was arrested?
That's right. The Christians.
And they've been charged with a long list of felonies and hate crimes that would make the Founding Fathers spin in their graves.
Repent America director Michael Marcavage is charged with three felonies – criminal conspiracy, ethnic intimidation and riot. (If you're wondering what "ethnic intimidation" means at a homosexual event, you have to understand the city of Philadelphia has extended hate crime laws to protect the sexually aberrant as well as racial minorities.) He was also hit with five misdemeanors for walking on the city sidewalks and quoting Holy Scriptures.
Mark Diener and James Cruse are charged with criminal conspiracy, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways. Dennis Green is charged with criminal conspiracy, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways. The criminal conspiracy charge links all the defendants together so that Marcavage's "ethnic intimidation" hate-crime charge will apply to all of them.
This is one of the most brazen, frontal attacks on religious freedom and free speech I have seen in my lifetime. If these charges stand, Christians across America will soon be hunted down like dogs as they are in many parts of the world today as the most persecuted religious group on the planet.
It's ironic that this persecution would take place in Philadelphia, the so-called "City of Brotherly Love."
Of course, Philadelphia wasn't always so inhospitable to Christians.
It's worth remembering the very first legislative act in Pennsylvania, April 25, 1682. It was called the Great Law of Pennsylvania – and great it was.
"Whereas the glory of Almighty God and the good of mankind is the reason and the end of government, and, therefore government itself is a venerable ordinance of God ... [there shall be established] laws as shall best preserve true Christian and civil liberty, in opposition to all unchristian, licentious, and unjust practices, whereby God may have his due, and Caesar his due, and the people their due, from tyranny and oppression."
If indeed the Philadelphia 4 are convicted and sentenced to hard time, Christians need to march on the Philadelphia courthouse, encircle it, blow the trumpets and prepare to watch God work a miracle like He did at Jericho.
We should do this not just for the injustice to the four Philadelphia Christians, but because no one in America – not Christians or non-Christians, not black or white, not homosexual or heterosexual – will truly be free. We will be living in a country where people can be imprisoned arbitrarily for breaking no law other than the law of "political correctness."
If we're going to save freedom in America, it's going to take a miracle.
Will you come to Philadelphia?
Homosexual Agenda Ping - One of the Philedelphia 11 is on this thread. Read what he has to say.
And let me know if anyone wants on/off this pinglist.
(I haven't read it yet, gotta right now!)
Ping. To #9
See post #9 on this thread. FReeper 4lifeandliberty is one of the "Philly Eleven" who were put down by homosexual activists, and subsquently arrested for "ethnic intimidation," among other charges.
SO now we have a PERSONAL INTEREST in this, as if we needed it! Get on the Phone and the e-mails!
There is a Republican Majority Majority in the PA Congress and there will be a Strong Republican Congress at the Federal Level, DEMAND a REPEAL of the HATE CRIMES legislation the Supress our Freedom of Speech guranteed by the Constitution. This Hate Crime BS is a Socialsit trick to undermine the Constitution!! Demand these Laws be reversed!!!
We're with you!!!
BumpTTT.
Coming soon to your neighborhood if it is not already there. I just wrote about this.
Multiculturalism and Diversity the Bane of Democracy and Freedom
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