Posted on 10/16/2011 4:09:23 PM PDT by Bean Counter
Portland, OR - Black-clad demonstrators gathered in front of the Mars Hill Church in Southeast Portland this morning to protest the church's stance on homosexuality.
About 20 protesters lined Southeast Taylor Street carrying flags and shouting obscenities as church-goers left when the service ended.
"Shame on you bigots," one woman yelled at worshippers as they left. "Shame on you homophobes. You're not welcome here. You're going to burn in hell."
She declined to comment for this story.
Brad Salyers came to Mars Hill from Wilsonville Sunday with his wife and two young children. . It was his first visit to the church.
The Bible teaches that homosexuality is a sin, Salyers said after he walked past the demonstration.
But everyone is a sinner, he added, and Christians love sinners.
"We love homosexuals," Salyers said. "We love pot-smokers. We love liars and thieves."
Sunday was the first service at the church's new building at 3210 S.E. Taylor St. Mars Hill bought the vacant building in August for $1.25 million.
Mars Hill had scheduled its first service for Sept. 10, then cancelled the gathering because church leaders said they didn't want to conflict with that day's Belmont Street Fair.
Mars Hill Church was founded 15 years ago by Pastor Mark Driscoll. The church operates multiple campuses, mostly in Seattle. Driscoll preaches against homosexuality and once told his followers that yoga is "demonic."
News that Mars Hill was opening a church in Portland drew protests from some who opposed the church's philosophy. A kiss-in was scheduled on Sept. 10, but was called off after the service was cancelled.
Tim Smith, the lead pastor at Mars Hill, said Sunday that he had expected some sort of demonstration for the first service.
"We thought something would probably happen," Smith said. "But we didn't know what."
The service started at 10 a.m. and protesters showed up about 15 minutes later, according to a member of the church's security team. At first, protesters gathered on the sidewalk in front of the church, briefly blocking the entrance as church-goers arrived.
They moved to the street as the congregation began leaving. Later, after a request by a police officer, they set up on a sidewalk across the street from the church.
The protesters, some of whom wore kerchiefs to cover their faces, shouted profanities at adults and children.
"That's not how we would go about it," Smith said afterward. "But they have the right to say what they want to say."
Don Wallace, who lives across from the church, said he was "embarrassed and angry" about the demonstration.
"I don't agree philosophically with what's going on in the church," Wallace said. "But I certainly agree with their right to believe what they want to believe."
--Stephen Beaven
Oregon and Washington *ping*, Please!
FAGS will be FAGS.
WA Ping
My priest bought me a subscription to the Mars hill audio series for my birthday. I’ve enjoyed it very much.
Does that poster depict a set of brass knucklkes???
or even knuckles
That’s what it looks like to me, the banner is really sick.
Yup.
I gather they are interested in dialogue with the non-Christian (or pagan) world to illuminate evidences for the Christian God? That’s a very interesting pursuit of itself, but has to be undertaken with caution. The occult can overwhelm an incautious Christian.
I went to the link, the Oregonian site, and read the comments. Almost 100% critical of the demonstrators.
“Driscoll preaches against homosexuality”
No, the Lord does through His Word. Driscoll is just the messenger.
Love the flags on the fag banner black and red,
is that for gay communist anarchists unite?
“that yoga is “demonic.”??????????
Yoga exercises have helped me so much with my trashed back. I don’t get that statement at all.
They are still killing homosexuals in muslim controlled societies.
The answer is - NEVER.
Cause muslims don't play the “turn the other cheek” game...
Would loved to have had a chat with the woman following us down the street yelling at us, “Shame on you, shame on you.” But she wasn’t interested in a two way conversation, and as soon as she saw us start to speak she would just yell over us. My wife was almost in tears feeling sorry for her. Would like these folks to know Jesus took our shame and paid for it all, and that’s available to them also.
Mayor Sam Adams, on the other hand, did show up at a previous meeting to let local churches know what was needed in praying for Portland. I’d bet these protestors would be ashamed of him for talking to the church.
I’d practice a little - “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition.”
yep. Brass knuckles overlaid with some kind of strap on sex toy.
Its sickening to watch this kind of thing go on and know there are these kind of extreme, morally depraved people on the loose. I expect multiple arson attempts at this church in the coming months because this crew thinks that is an acceptable tool for something like this. Many of them support ALF and ELF and every anarchist group there is.
Big trouble brewing....
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