Posted on 02/10/2005 10:38:58 AM PST by tang-soo
Prophecy - Signs
Wednesday, February 09, 2005
Jack Kinsella - Omega Letter Editor
Last October, a group of eleven Christians attended a pro-homosexual rally called the 'Outfest' where they displayed banners with biblical messages, sang hymns and preached from the Bible.
Not long after the group began their activity, members of the Pink Angels, which the statement describes as "a militant mob of homosexuals," confronted the protesters and attempted to drown out their message with whistles, while hiding the signs with large sheets of pink Styrofoam.
After the confrontation, the Christians were arrested and taken to jail. None of the homosexuals at the 'Outfest' were charged or arrested.
In all, eight charges were filed against the Christians: criminal conspiracy, possession of instruments of crime, reckless endangerment of another person, ethnic intimidation, riot, failure to disperse, disorderly conduct and obstructing highways.
The “ethnic intimidation” charge was made possible by Pennsylvania’s Ethnic Intimidation and Institutional Vandalism Act – that state's “hate crimes" law – to which the newest "victim" category of "sexual orientation" was recently appended.
The Christian group issued a statement in which they complained, "Despite the fact that our behavior was above reproach and we were attacked by a mob of whistle-blowing, obscenity-screaming God haters, the Christians, and only the Christians, were charged."
The entire incident was videotaped. It clearly showed the defendants cooperating with police as well as documenting the harassment activities of the Pink Angels.
Philadelphia's prosecutor argued before the court that the defendants were "hateful" and referred to preaching the Bible as "fighting words." The judge in the case agreed and ordered them bound for trial.
Four of the Christians arrested were ordered to stand trial on three felony and five misdemeanor charges. If convicted, they could each get a maximum of 47 years in prison. One female teenage protester faces charges in the juvenile justice system.
Charges were dropped against six of the 11 Christians, apparently because they were not seen quoting Scripture on the videotape, since, in this case, quoting the Bible is what constitutes the 'corpus delecti' (body of the crime).
It has since been revealed that homosexual attorneys from the U.S. Justice Department Civil Rights Division were among the 'celebrants' at 'Outfest'. They allegedly 'advised' the police to arrest the Christians and helped them formulate the charges.
Consequently, appeals from the Christian group to the Department of Justice, claiming that their civil rights were violated fell on deaf ears.
What makes this even more egregious is the fact that an article printed in the Philadelphia Gay News, published BEFORE the 'Outfest' festival, announced -- in advance -- that the organizers intended to block Christians from access to the event.
Chuck Volz, senior adviser to Philly Pride Presents, told the publication the Pink Angels security force would carry large signs alongside the Christians to surround them and block their access to OutFest participants.
But Volz also admitted the Christians had a 1st Amendment right to attend, just as they did.
"Given the parameters of the First Amendment, there's no way to keep them out," he said. "I think the gay community should understand that the gay-rights movement has succeeded because people are permitted free speech under the First Amendment. We can't be in a position of denying people the right to compete with us in the marketplace of ideas." Unless, of course, they are Christians.
It is hard to argue against the evidence. I'm not referring to the evidence provided by the videotape that proves the Christians were cooperative with police and non-violent in their demonstration. Evidently, THAT evidence is extremely easy to argue against.
The evidence I am referring to is the evidence that being a Christian in America is ALREADY a crime. We are talking about the United States -- not Russia, Vietnam or Saudi Arabia, here.
What I find fascinating is that, in the days of the Apostles, it was also a crime to accept Jesus, and the charges then were the same as the charges now.
In the days of the Roman Emperors, Christians were charged with what were the equivalent to 'hate crimes' for preaching Jesus as the only way to heaven.
That is the same argument the Bible says will find wide acceptance during the Tribulation Period when the antichrist launches a world-wide effort aimed at exterminating Christians and Jews.
Here's the fascinating part.
Those who claim Christians practice hate speech by claiming Jesus as the only way to heaven don't believe in Jesus anyway.
They don't believe they are accountable to Jesus, and don't believe that accepting Jesus will win them entry into a heaven that they don't believe in either.
So, the Philadelphia Christians are charged with preaching the 'alleged' words of a Person their opponents dispute ever existed, because He said (without ever existing, remember) that, without accepting the 'mythical' Jesus they won't get to go to a place that they say is a myth in the first place!
And THAT activity is so damaging a 'crime' (in America -- and on THIS side of the Tribulation Period), that it merits a potential of 47 years in prison.
It is a vivid foreshadowing of the time that Jesus described as "great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be." (Matthew 24:21)
"So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation SHALL NOT PASS, till ALL these things be fulfilled." (Matthew 24:33-34)
Excerpted from the Omega Letter Christian Intelligence
Digest, Volume 41, Issue 4
Neither one of us can read minds. Neither of us knows exactly how ideological bias plays into the prosecution, but judging just from what I see on the video, your group needed to be arrested in order to avoid violence after it was evading an order to go to it’s own counter protest area..
I suspect that’s what you all felt you had to do though in order to get arrested and challenge the Ethnic Intimidation law’s new revision. You knew no one was going to arrest you under that law just for planning your own demonstration and just for speaking your mind in a civilized way, so you had to push the boundaries on other laws, creating a dangerous or at least disruptive situation in your opponents’ demonstration for a chance to have that charge include.
After that it looks like your group went over the line that separates activism from fraud and is now betraying the faith it claims to promote. You initiated a media campaign that misrepresents yourselves as victims in an attack on Christianity with press releases and website headlines like
- The Criminalization of Christianity,
- Christians Face 47 Years In Prison. Because Philly Judge Calls Bible Verses 'Fighting Words',
- Eleven Christians Arrested, Jailed, and Charged Under Hate Crimes Legislation,
- Hateful Christianity?, and
- 47 Years in Prison for Preaching? In America?
All are exaggerations or misrepresentations by omission. Truth requires “the whole truth, and nothing but the truth”. Anything less that intentionally leaves a false impression is a lie, just like Clinton’s “technically accurate” denial of sex. Your group is using tactics abhorrent to the faith for which you claim to work. Marcavage is hitting the media circuit and promoting letter writing campaigns that get good people worked up over lies.
You joined FR so that you could “bear false witness”, misleading good Freepers like almcbean and others into posting absurdities like “Those who were citing scripture were held for trial” without any reference to crashing an opposition protest or disobeying orders to return to the couterprotest area. You’ve got Sportutegrl and others claming ” these Christians may serve up to 47 years in prison” without any mention that 47 years was apparently arrived at by adding all the time of all the maximums of all the charges of all the people, probably including those that have had their charges dismissed. Something that would never be done anyway. And you in your last post to me repeat the same lie!
Only God and those much closer to you know your heart, but I can judge what you’ve put out publicly. It don’t think it measures up to what’s honorable or Christian. From all I read, I think you’re using the means to justify the ends and bearing false witness. And if you share the opinions expressed on your group leader and “good friend” Michael Marcavage’s web site, you’re using Free Republic despite having fringe politics that are no more ours than are those of the Clintons.
" This website serves as notice to Christians across this nation that President George Bush over the past few years has compromised his "Christian faith" by promoting evil and openly supporting wickedness. It is our hope and prayer that he would Repent and turn from such blatant sin. He is not our friend and cannot be trusted. "I don’t like seeing my friends jerked around with lies and led into parroting absurdities to come across as kooks by people that don’t share our goals. Your group may get the charges dismissed, but employing these dishonest tactics is building a ceiling over your growth. Michael Marcavage reminds me of flash in the pan pop stars who compromise their talents with get noticed quick sex shows that poison their future. This will backfire on you.
It’s both.
I watched the entire video of what transpired. The Christians were peaceful and in the right expressing their 1st Ammendment right to free speech.... whether you gays agree with them or not!
It should!
Intellectually and morally bankrupt accusations like that say more about you than me.
"without any mention that 47 years was apparently arrived at by adding all the time of all the maximums of all the charges of all the people, probably including those that have had their charges dismissed"
Here's the truth -without any "apparently" or "probably". It is not including all of them or those whose charges are dismissed. I went and looked at the PA Crimes Code. Each individual faces this risk- of up to 47 years- no one is saying they will get the 47. But it's clear that they are looking at serious jail time.
Facts are stubborn things my friend. I'm curious, what is the reason for your anti-Christian bigotry?
When they make it their headline, “Christians Face 47 Years In Prison. Because Philly Judge Calls Bible Verses 'Fighting Words'”, and “47 Years in Prison for Preaching? In America?”, yes, they are saying that it’s real. And that’s enough of an exaggeration to be a lie.
I’d like you to act like a Christian and either post some specific anti-Christian thing I said or apologize for your arrogant attack on my integrity.
What about your statement that it included not only adding up all 5 persons charged but also those whose charges have been dismissed. Look at the news reports and press releases by their lawyer. They all say "up to 47" which is true. Even the Gay media reports acknowledge this fact. why can't you?
What accusations were made?
Makes no sense....explain if you will.
Perhaps rhetoric like- gross misrepresntation, raided stage, professional protesters, hoping to be arrested, absurd, tinfoil conspiracy, lies, jerked around, parroting absurdities, kooks,- all from your posts, caused me to draw an incorrect inference.
You also implied that the protesters good behavior on tape proves how devious they really are because they were only acting this way because the camera was on. You've also impugned my intelligence and credibility in your posts, but there's no need to apologize.
Where did "elfman2" go?
Zing! I agree!!
As you noted, but now ignore out of convenience, I qualified that statement to the best of my knowledge with “probably” and “apparently” in my last post. 4lifeandliberty made no such qualification when he said that "Five of the Christians arrested at the Outfest event are stilling facing 47 years in prison and fines up to $90,000 each." in his last post. I could google up a dozen Freepers going nuts because they actually think these guys realistically face 47 years for preaching to gays. Spreading that falsehood makes it a lie.
I have other responsibilities and don’t have time for this. Either only make accusations like the one in #43 that you have evidence to support or get lost.
#43: "I watched the entire video of what transpired. The Christians were peaceful and in the right expressing their 1st Ammendment right to free speech.... whether you gays agree with them or not!"
What accusations?
I don’t have time for this.
Is that a typo?
How is that an accusation?
It is simply statemnt based on what was said.
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