These cushy Christians haven't the faintest idea what "a brutal attack" is. What a disgusting use of metaphor.

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Argh! Why didn't I hear about this until it was all over? It's right across the bridge from me.

Damn, this was a perfect set-up for a spoofing counter-protest, which works SO much better than a motley crew of counter-protesters ranting back at them.

Here's an example that was done in the Bay Area some ten years ago. A group of "Operation Rescue" types decided to go right into the belly of the beast and try their anti-abortion "blockade" tactic in the Bay Aera (in Oakland, as I recall.) So they were met by a small group of counter-protesters, but not just carrying signs. They had decked themselves out in brown monks robes and carried big Bibles. Altoghter on cue, they marched right down the line of Christopaths, who were kneeling with their eyes all scrunched up "praying" for the widdle baby fetuses, and started singing the "Monk's Chant" from "Monty Python and the Holy Grail", and hitting themselves in the head with the Bibles.

"Pies jesu domine... [whack] Donna eis requiem... [whack]..."

The Christers went ballistic.

One moment they were hunkered down in their weepy photo-op display of righteous matyrdom, the next moment they were screaming in rage, clutching at the monk's Bibles to save them from the horrible sacrelige, their faces controrted in a rictus of seething hate. There were photos in the local media as I recall, and boy did they look BAD.

THAT is what I call an effective counter-protest. It completely threw them off their game. That's why it was so effective: if you just "counter-protest" you're really only giving them what they want, feeding their illusion of "persecution" by the big, bad liberals. Better to pull the rug out from under them, to tear up their script and drop them into an improv scene they're not ready to handle.

So with that in mind, the next time these mouth-breathers drag their brainwashed teenagers into my town, I'm planning this:

Get a group to all dress up in khaki outfits (available at any work clothing store), wearing red armbands in the manner of Nazis, but with crosses instead of swastikas on them (or use those idiots' own "red flag" logo). We goosestep march back and forth in front of their rallying place, singing "Tomorrow Belongs To Me", the Nazi Youth anthem from the musical "Cabaret". We could even hand out some Landover Baptist Church-style "tracts" to passers-by, calling for the righteous public execution of homosexuals, feminists and assorted liberals.

I'm sure General J.C. Christian would approve.

Who's with me?!?

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about their partnership practices. There is obviously far too
much inter-marriage going on with them as seen by their
lack of mental attributes and tendency toward insanity.

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Lots more details in the pipeline. Watch for updates: http://www.acquiretheevidence.com/

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but not for the same reasons.

I am one of those born-again Christers, as Joe Max put it. I am neither inbred or insane, as cmaukonen jokingly implied (at least I hope it was jokingly), and I happen to know several Christians who know exactly what a brutal attack is, thank you bettsoff. One of my friends literally had the bruises years ago to show for it.

What I see happening here, on the AquireTheFire side, is a sad hi-jacking of Christ's principals to in order to, as Melissa put it, market a product - Teen Mania.

Don't misunderstand - I believe very much in the pro-life, pro-heterosexual-marriage, etc etc, that Teen Mania seems to support and promote. I think it would be dishonest and disingenuous (sp?) of born-again Christians to be otherwise, because the Bible so clearly advocates those positions.

But the Bible also advocates love and gentleness and kindness to our fellow humans. Far be it from me to judge anyone who believes or lives differently from me, or to attack them. I'll happily tell you about the Jesus I believe it if you want to know, and hopefully I demonstrate by MY lifestyle the principals I believe in. But you have the right to live your lives as you see fit, without fear. I know what I believe in, and my faith isn't threatened by different ideas.

What dissapoints me about the Teen Mania event is, as you pointed out, a decided intolerance toward, well, alternative-lifestyles folks. Melissa is right to feel like one of those who have had war declared on them. And Melissa is right to feel outraged that the purported followers of Jesus would "declare war" on her. I am outraged that any follower of Christ has "declared war" or is doing battle with any human being.

The Bible says "we (Christians) are not fighting against human beings but against the wicked spiritual forces in the heavenly world, the rulers, authorities, and cosmic powers of this dark age..." meaning, spiritual battle. Ephesians 6:12

Christian believe in God, we also believe in Satan, and it's Satan we are to do battle with, in our spiritual lives, not fellow humans! I'll be honest, I want to win people to my side, to my way of thinking and my faith!

But I'm not gonna win anyone to my side by attacking them, and driving them away, and closing off any chance of discussion or discourse.

Jesus told us to love our enemies and pray for them. I just don't see "love" in Teen Mania, and again, that's sad, because it's what a whole generation of young Christians are being taught.

Jesus didn't lead rallies and decry the enemy. He did have VERY strong principals and ideas he taught, and he did not waver or detour from them one bit. He told people the truth (as he saw it, which I happen to believe) and people either accepted it or didn't. He didn't call them names if they rejected him (and boy, did he get rejected a lot - wait, he got killed because of his ideas, that's a big rejection), or get bitter and shout at people. He was gracious to the end.

No, he fed people. He healed people, talked to them, ate with them and drank with them. He loved people. You may not believe the miralces or whatever, but the principal is constant: he was kind and loving. That's what Christians should be, and that's not what we're seeing in Sf this past weekend, in my opinion.

Any time someone feels attacked by "christians" representing the the Church and religion that I love and have faith in, and they feel picked on and "warred" upon, it is utterly saddening to me, and makes me ill.

It's not, in my opinion, the way to win people for Jesus. And that, after all, is the point of Christianity.

God Bless - and please, dont' judge us all by the few, as I'm certain you would ask of me, and I try my best to do.

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Jesus didn't die for an "idea"; He died for a belief. He did get loud (John 2:15). He did call people names (Matthew 25:32).

As Christians we are told not to judge based on our own sence of right and wrong. However, we are called to be a light in the midsts of a dark world and salt to a decaying culture.

Out of love we pick up our crosses and march into the public square. Not to condemn others, God's law already shows us the condemnation we are under; but to share with others the only name by which we are saved (John 3:18).

If we offend you with the message of Christ's offer of forgiveness; we can't apologize. For the message of the cross He died on is offensive; it cuts like a double-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12).

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Matthew 12:18-21. The prohpet Isaih spoke of Jesus this way, "Here is my servant, whom I have chosen, the one I love, and with whom I am pleased. I will send my Spirit upon him, and he will announce my judgment to the nations. He will not argue or shout, or make loud speeches in the streets. He will not break off a bent reed, nor put out a flickering lamp. He will persist until he causes justice to triumph, and on him all peoples will put their hope."

Romans 12:17 & 18, "If someone has done you wrong, do not repay him with a wrong. Try to do what everyone considers to be good. Do everything possible on your part to live in peace with everybody."

Phillipians 4:5-6, "Phi 4:5 Show a gentle attitude toward everyone. The Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart."

I serve a God of gentleness and love, the almighty creator of the universe who needs nothing from me or anyone else. I try to do what I think Jesus would do in the way I lead my life. That, and accepting the gift of salvation, is all I can do.

I just don't think Jesus would have been at the rally in SF. Sorry. He might have been feeding some homeless on the docks, or talking to a woman in need on the streets, but not using a megaphone on the steps of City Hall. The crowds came to HIM, not the other way around.

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