03/27/06 11:34 - ID#36686

Ha!

This is hilarious, (e:Joshua,134). Since when does counter-protesting = intolerance? Ever heard of a debate? Not to mention, the San Francisco counter-protesters were accommodating enough to suggest "next time come back in summer" to avoid any chance of protesting / counter-protesting in the rain. Yeah, that sounds pretty intolerant.

I have a big problem with any organization that exploits people at vulnerable points in their lives. That includes some fraternities and most televangelists. Ron Luce of "Battle Cry for a Generation" may or may not be a televangelist, but he falls into the same category.

And you all know I have a problem with any organization that spends more time pointing fingers at an alleged "common enemy" than focusing on their own aspirations for the future.

If you think "same-sex marriage is another sign of the end of times" and you would rather see "Godly relationships than porn" then why the hell would you come to San Francisco? I mean, there are PLENTY of other places to get that. Is your life so shallow you have to pick a fight to make up for the fact that myspace.com is the Devil's playground so you're stuck with the "Christian alternative?"

All I can say is, I hope any of the protesters with some semblance of open-mindedness will be here next year holding signs saying "I moved here to get away from people like you."

p.s. - first day of work was fine. Thanks for asking.

joshua writes at 10:25:09 03/28/06 - Comment #5888: Oh, and what may be a surprising P.S. to add to all of this. Given my own track record, I'd probably love San Fran. Elmwood can't be much different, with the obvious exceptions of the great weather and better economics of the area.

joshua writes at 10:21:43 03/28/06 - Comment #5887: So you must be okay with grown men and women calling kids "fascists" then, right? I'd hope not. Counterprotesting is just fine as far as I'm concerned, as long as you do it in a rational and dignified way. The residents of San Fran did not. It can't be possible, just maybe, that those people were being sarcastic when they suggested coming back in the summer.... right? I don't buy it for a second, and I'd wager that neither do most people.

I love debates, but to suggest that counterprotesting = debate is a flawed statement. There is nothing dignified about the process, as shown by the residents in San Fran recently. When liberals think you are abjectly wrong, there is no stammering about perpetuating a debate. When in their estimation you are implicitly incorrect, it slips from debate to character assassination to outright mockery of the counterpart. Take a look at anything said about George W. Bush or the Republican Party over the past 5 years in the print media - as Ajay might say, "case closed!"

Battle Cry chose the location for a purpose, just like Cindy Sheehan and her gang of hooligans chose theirs last summer. Was it right to do so? I don't know. It doesn't make a whole ton of sense to protest something in your backyard when the epicenter of the action is somewhere else.

I don't necessarily have an issue with televangelists personally. The thing is, these kids aren't being taken advantage of - this is how they are being raised by their families. Its a segment of Christian life that I don't necessarily see as something I'd want for my kids, but if they want to rally in San Francisco so be it. If Cindy Sheehan thought she was going to make her point stronger by camping out in Crawford, so be it.

twisted writes at 12:37:10 03/28/06 - Comment #5884: p.s. - you should come out to San Francisco and see what your gut reaction is! ;-)

twisted writes at 12:35:23 03/28/06 - Comment #5883: Ok, I do see your point about not preaching to the choir. I guess I have a problem with evangelism in general-- it personally makes me uncomfortable, and makes me wonder why you wouldn't "pick another battle" more likely to be won. Wouldn't someone on the fringe be better served by being taken under your wing? But I guess I can see the sense in trying to stake a claim in your particular "den of iniquity." I grant you that!

I think my problem is more this obsession with picking a worthy adversary rather than trying to convert those who may be close to your way of thinking. I don't know. I really don't want to think about it any more. I trust my gut reaction, even if I can't always justify it.

leetee writes at 12:18:01 03/28/06 - Comment #5882: Like you, i do not like any organization that exploits. And i think anyone that spends more time worrying about what others are doing, instead of self improvement is fooling themselves. But if that is the way they want to live life, so be it... just don't make me.

Having never been to San Francico, i can only say that i have heard of it's reputation... all full of hippie lefties. So, if i am looking for converts, i am not going to go preach to the choir. I am going to go where i will find the most amount of peeps that think different from me. If i am a conservative Christian, then it would make sense for me to go where all the leftie hippies are if i want some new converts.

Of course, i don't have a problem with people disagreeing with the people trying to find new converts...

That made my point crystal clear... lol.