We now continue our, sadly, ongoing series on what was termed in our initial report as Christophobia: the only social acceptable prejudice.
This week we review an old story which bears keeping in mind which harkens back to when:
More than 25,000 evangelical Christian youth landed Friday [this was in March 2006 AD] in San Francisco for a two-day rally at AT&T Park against “the virtue terrorism” of popular culture, and they were greeted by an official city condemnation and a clutch of protesters who said their event amounted to a “fascist mega-pep rally.”
“Battle Cry for a Generation” is led by a 44-year-old Concord native, Ron Luce, who wants “God’s instruction book” to guide young people away from the corrupting influence of popular culture…intended to counter a popular culture that he says glamorizes violence and sex…*
The gathered for “two days of musical performances and speeches”
…wants teens to find Bible-based solutions for the spread of sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy, drug abuse and suicide. The villains, Luce said, range from the promiscuity and “sexualization” of young people on MTV and the popular online meeting hub MySpace.com to a corporate culture that spends millions trying to woo the under-21 crowd.*
The event came to a head as exampled in the following report:
…girl carrying a sign that said, “Instead of porn, show us Godly relationships.” On the other, a woman held one that said, “I moved here to get away from people like you.”*
Note that the supposedly open minded tolerant liberal celebrators of diversity are foisting an us versus them mentality as they refer to “people like you.”
But this went well beyond an anonymous individual in a crowd:
Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who told counterprotesters at City Hall on Friday that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, “they’re loud, they’re obnoxious, they’re disgusting, and they should get out of San Francisco.”*
And it went beyond an Assemblyman’s statements all the way to the passage of a resolution:
With its well-known gay community and liberal social laws, San Francisco has long considered itself a beacon of tolerance. But this spring, local politicians condemned 25,000 Christian teens…
San Francisco supervisors passed a resolution warning against the negative effect such Christians could have on the community.**
The 50 person counter-protest probably got more coverage in the “news.” And yes, you read it correctly: San Francisco is a “liberal…beacon of tolerance” and public-servant-political-employees of the people and the government “condemned” Christian via a resolution so as to warning.
Well, it is true that when a city literally prides itself as not only tolerating but demanding approval of those who have chosen a homosexual lifestyle, pro-abortion, etc. could be effected by Christians as they preach repentance. And this is negative for the prejudiced in San Francisco because sinners love company just as much as misery.
The San Francisco Chronicle was lucid enough to call a spade a spade in noting that:
…the supervisors’ reaction was so boorishly over the top that only one word could describe it: Intolerant.**
So, Christians gathering for an event are loud, obnoxious and disgusting enough to be told to “get out of San Francisco” but, pray tell, what does the Assemblyman say when San Francisco has its infamous pro-the-chosen-homosexual-lifestyle parades wherein things unmentionable in polite company are not only done but celebrated?
But whilst the San Francisco Chronicle get it, some do not:
“There is a real intolerancy to homosexuality in a lot of these organizations,” said Peter Cobb, an organizer with Not In Our Name. Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the “act of provocation” by what it termed an “anti-gay,” “anti-choice” organization that aimed to “negatively influence the politics of America’s most tolerant and progressive city.”*
And there is a real intolerancy to Christianity in a lot of San Francisco based these organizations, individuals and politicians. And Christophobic intolerance is nothing new in “America’s most tolerant and progressive city”:
This came only a week after the same supervisors blasted their former Catholic archbishop, now the Vatican’s chief of doctrine, for saying that Catholic agencies should not place adoptive children in gay households. The conservative Catholic League and two local Catholics responded by suing the city for breaching the First Amendment.
“If you single out a religious group and publicly criticize them, it at least leads to the danger of an establishment-clause violation, that the government, through its policies, is denigrating religion,” said David Hudson, an attorney with the First Amendment Center.**
But that was back in 2006 AD, what is America‘s most tolerant and progressive city up to today? Well, they are busy calling in engineers to service their escalators which are ceasing to function due to being clogged up with human fecal excreta—maybe a little Christians would not exactly hurt that city:
Bay Area Rapid Transit [BART]users have all experienced it; escalators that are down at their station…
Officials said one of the main issues is the copious amounts of human excrement found in the escalator’s works, gumming up the wheels and gears…
Last month, work crews opened up the broken BART escalator at San Francisco’s Civic Center Station and found so much human waste that they had to call in a hazardous-materials team.***
Well done San Fran!
While we are at it, here is an update from the previous segment on Christophobia. You may recall that with regards to the recent Chick-fil-A fracas Chicago Mayor Rahm—dead fish and the naked accoster—Emanuel had stated that “Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago’s values” which, by the way, is a statement with which no one seems to disagree—just not in the way he meant it. Here is the update:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Monday he has no regrets about saying that “Chick-fil-A’s values are not Chicago’s values” because the company president opposes gay marriage.
“No. I don’t” regret it, the mayor said…“And the simple reason is, when it comes to values, there’s a policy as it relates to gay marriage. The values of our city are ones that welcome and recognize that, and I will continue to fight for that.”
Last week, Emanuel hinted strongly that he was prepared to join Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) in blocking Chick-fil-A from opening its first free-standing Chicago store in Logan Square.
Both men cited Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s public opposition to gay marriage.****
Not that not only was Emanuel speaking as an individual, as a citizen, but as the Mayor and that he, et al., are specifically citing Dan Cathy’s personal views but may seek to block a privately owned corporation from doing business.
We have corporations funding terrorism, polluting the environment, greasing politicians (these are Chicago values), etc. but the demonization de jour is anyone who dares to not approve of and support the chosen homosexual lifestyle and, moreover, the fundamental change in society’s cornerstone: marriage between one man and one woman.
Now whilst Emanuel hinted strongly that he was prepared block Chick-fil-A due to its President’s personal opinions, Emanuel’s propaganda minister Tarrah Cooper, the mayoral press secretary, stated:
“The Mayor simply said that Chick-fil-a’s CEO does not share Chicago’s values. He did not say that he would block or play any role in the company opening a new restaurant here,” mayoral press secretary Tarrah Cooper said the following day. “If they meet all the usual requirements, then they can open their restaurant, but he does not believe the CEO’s values are reflective of our city.”****
Compare and contrast:
Emanuel hinted strongly that he was prepared to join Ald. Joe Moreno (1st) in blocking Chick-fil-A from opening its first free-standing Chicago store…cited Chick-fil-A President Dan Cathy’s public opposition to gay marriage.
“He did not say that he would block or play any role in the company opening a new restaurant here”****
Worse is the fact that the propagandist stated what she did made the statement the day after Emanuel hinted strongly. She must not have gotten the memo—actually, she did get is and the memo must have said to turn on the spin machine.
But would Chicago politicians in general and Mayor Rahm Emanuel himself actually do such a thing?
Earlier this year, the mayor cut off negotiations on a $300 million plan to renovate Wrigley Field in anger over the conservative politics of Joe Ricketts, the billionaire patriarch of the family that owns the Cubs.****
Keep your eyes and ears opened as Christophobia is alive well, encouraged and un-condemned.
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Notes:
* Joe Garofoli, “Evangelical teens rally in S.F.,” San Francisco Chronicle, March 25, 2006 AD
** Brad A. Greenberg, “‘Get Out of San Francisco’,” Christianity Today, June 1, 2006 AD
*** Phil Matier, “Human Waste Plagues BART Escalators,” San Francisco CBS Local, July 26, 2012 AD
**** Fran Spielman, City Hall Reporter, “Rahm Emanuel: No regrets on my Chick fil-A comments,” Suntimes, July 30, 2012 AD