OneNewsNow.com. Militant and Marxist protesters from LGBT and Antifa groups gathered to shut down a Christian megachurch in Austin, Texas, last Sunday – reportedly demanding that its members renounce their biblical views on sexuality while condemning the church’s support of biblical marriage between one man and one woman.
“Members of the Stonewall Militant Front (SMF) were joined by a dozen or so other gay rights activists who chanted, waved pride flags and held signs… to protest Celebration Church because of its opposition to gay marriage,” PJ Media reported. “The gay rights activists also protested the church’s Sunday morning services at the Austin school district performing arts center in order to criticize the district for renting the facility to Christian ‘homophobes.’”
Attacking the church for its biblical stance.
An ultra-left news site heralded the protest as a new civil rights movement as it took to social media to show masked Antifa and LGBT activist demonstrators waving rainbow flags while yelling out virulent chants at worshipers walking into the church’s auditorium….
Intolerant protesters were quick to denounce the church’s stance on homosexuality rooted in the Bible….
“These kids that are gay, lesbian or trans – they end up hating themselves because of the beliefs y’all are spreading!” a masked protester exclaimed, according to Incendiary News.
“These are the kind of people your beliefs attract!” the angry anti-Christian protester shouted, according to Incendiary News. “They are anti-immigrant and anti-LGBT! They should be run out of this city!”
“We are not going to give up!” a masked protester screamed through a megaphone, according to Incendiary News. “We won’t stop until this bigoted church leaves Austin!”
Celebration Church Executive Pastor Jim Kuykendall defended his church’s views regarding sexual purity, emphasizing that it is Scripture – not his church – that has declared the official stance in the issue.
“That’s in the Bible, which is several thousand years old,” Kuykendall told Incendiary News before noting that he did not see either group budging from their beliefs on sexuality. “They believe what they believe, and we believe what we believe.”
Embracing the sinner, rejecting the sin.
The far-left news site made false claims that Celebration Church harbored animosity toward the LGBT community….
However, the claim of hatred harbored by congregants against the LGBT community contradicts the church’s declaration about its beliefs. “But a visit to the non-denominational Celebration Church’s website shows no hostility toward gays,” PJ Media’s Debra Heine noted. “In fact, tolerance and inclusivity appear to be key components of their mission statement.”
In its statement, the church makes it clear that it welcomes all people to enter its doors, indicating that even though sinful behavior is not encouraged or embraced in the church, sinners are.
“Celebration Church is about reaching all people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ,” the Celebration Church mission statement reads. “We welcome all people – regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, religion or political beliefs. We also believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the doctrines of the church. Anyone seeking God and wanting to learn more of the teachings of Christ is welcome and will not be excluded from attending Celebration Church. We welcome all people…”
“[T]he church believes in being welcoming and kind to all people – regardless of sexual orientation, religion or political beliefs,” Kuykendall told the Statesman. “I think maybe the frustration may be that they feel like it’s our position when we say that the Bible says that certain things are the way they are, and that it’s our statement. It’s not our statement – it’s what’s in the Bible…”
In an effort to scare off and deter the church from continuing its use of the facility, LGBT and Antifa activists resorted to scare tactics that threatened a family member of the church’s leadership.
“In the lead-up to the protest Sunday, SMF doxed the son of the church’s founder and pastor – sharing his name and photo on their Facebook page,” CP’s Brandon Showalter informed. “His photo was subsequently shared with other far-left groups that advocate for violence against people they consider ‘bigots’ or ‘fascists…’”
Our comment:
Could this be the way God’s true Sabbath-keeping people will be treated, or worse, when they are demonized for their commandment keeping similar to the way the Celebration Church was demonized by Antifa and the gay rights activists?
Prophetic Link
“Though a general decree has fixed the time when commandment keepers may be put to death, their enemies will in some cases anticipate the decree, and before the time specified, will endeavor to take their lives. But none can pass the mighty guardians stationed about every faithful soul. Some are assailed in their flight from the cities and villages; but the swords raised against them break and fall powerless as a straw. Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war.” The Great Controversy, page 631.