2.03.2007
God Wants You To Be Intimidated
Some further information has arisen in the Grand Rapids "Freedom To Harass Us" case. To quickly recap, a group of preachers affiliated with The Street Preachers' Fellowship have filed suit against the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan, after a police officer ordered them to disperse and threatened arrest after they congregated at the Grand Rapids Pagan Pride Day celebration last year. While the preachers are claiming their free speech has been violated, others have put forward that the preachers were harassing and intimidating attendees (the organizers of the Grand Rapids Pagan Pride Day are withholding any public statements on the advice of their lawyer).
Now someone identifying themselves as one of the preachers involved in the incident has posted a comment on my original blog entry dealing with the case. "Curt" starts off by explaining that true Christians won't act meek or peaceful. They embody a vengeful "Jehovah" who "hates" the wicked when they go out to minister.
"I am one of the "intimidating" street preachers that was at Richmond park. Look, you all have gotten your views on Christianity from TV and from 95% of folks out there that don't know their Bibles "from a hole in the ground". The devils have made The Lord Jesus Christ into some limp-wristed, effeminate puke that just wants us to love the wicked that hates righteousness. No, Jesus never changed from being the Jehovah God of the old testiment. He still hates the wicked that rejects Him and is 'angry with the wicked every day'."
He then claims it wasn't his fault if people were intimidated.
"And as far as free speech goes in this nation, I wouldn't be in favor for taking away your freedoms as much as I wouldn't want you to take my freedom to serve God. If you want to take my freedom away, then you better not complain when your freedom goes away too. P.S. If any of you felt intimidated, etc. That was not our purpose or our desire but if God Himself wants you to be intimidated, it's probably because you all have rejected His only offer of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
We're merely the messengers..."
Of course what does his "freedom to serve God" mean in this context? Does it mean circling people and forcing them to cry, as one commenter claims happened? "Curt" seems to believe that if you felt intimidated, it wasn't them intimidating you, it was God doing the dirty work. They are, of course, simply instruments of the Lord's work. I'm surprised the lawyers handling this case would allow "Curt" to post something like this. It certainly falls outside the story presented to the court.
Labels: Christianity, free speech, Grand Rapids "Freedom To Harass Us" case, Paganism
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