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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
20 protesters in a metro area of over 2 million; yeah, that’s a real important story.
Being a member of an Acts 29 network church (of which Mars Hill is a member church) I can say that Mark Driscoll doesn't specifically "preach against homosexuality". He preaches against all sexual immorality and sees no distinct difference between two men, two women, or a man and a woman "shacking up"--outside of marriage it's all sin.
Basically they want to shut down free speech. You can’t say anything that might disagree with their view of things.
They’re exercising their 1st Amendment rights, but don’t want others to exercise theirs.
The church should keep on hand several buckets of ice water with ice floating in it. When a protester accosts you and starts shouting obscenities, treat it as simple assault and have a parishioner hit them full in the face with a bucket of ice water.
Then dare them to have the police arrest someone for throwing water.
I realize this is liberal Portland and the faggies & illegals own everybody else. I also realize that here in South Carolina shouting obscenities at a churchgoer will result in several fists to the face delivered by angry men of the congregation.
‘No, Here is what Jesus said
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
Considering this is part of the same crowd who thinks they are somehow participating in an imitation of the so-called “Arab Spring”, I thought their treatment of Christians in a neighborhood church to be ironic as well as noteworthy.
Its also a bookmark to refer back to when one of these dirt merchants ups the ante over the coming weeks.
Jesus was not nonviolent. Money changers in the Temple, anyone?
He dared the Pharisees and Scribes to come after Him more than once. In the garden of Gesthemane He asked if any of His disciples possessed swords; they produced two and He replied, “That is enough”. The servant Malchus was slashed unprovoked by Peter which was unnecessary and Jesus said so.
A few missing teeth might convince the faggies that “It is also written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Ann Frank was a tragic noble soul, but David Ben-Gurion kicked Muslim @ss and saved millions of Jewish lives.
We don’t have to take it from these people, we don’t.
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Yes, the homosexual agenda wants to destroy our freedoms of religion, speech, association - and more - thought, private property, and so on. These protesters and their ilk are worse than rabid dogs.
Nothing new from these people....
The homosexual movement cannot achieve their goals without eventually resorting to brutal tactics of intimidation and even terror. After lying and personal demonization, this is always the next logical step. And it will continue — and escalate — as long as the population is unwilling to fight back.
http://www.massresistance.com/docs/info/kbase/facist_tactics.html
Nothing but the truth!
I have been listening to the Mars Hill Audio Journal (http://www.marshillaudio.org) for years.
It’s really great!
There is no connection, though, between that and the mars Hill Church (excerpt the name).
The “Tpyo King” strikes again.
Make that:
There is no connection, though, between that and the Mars Hill Church (except the name).
Thank you.
It would be so awesome if the people of the Church demonstrated this true concept from The LORD Jesus Christ. Can you imagine if the congregation started to clap, shout with glee, do cartwheels and generally express tremendous gladness in front of these protesters. The more they were nasty, the greater the demonstrated joy would be. The protesters would be so confounded and would have to want to know why are we making them so happy. I am sure that The LORD would use it mightily. The Church goers, believing what The LORD Jesus said, should have no problem being really joyful.
Mars Hill ping
Anarchists trying to stir up trouble.
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