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badstarhttp://www.lansingstatejournal.com/article/20090515/NEWS01/905150322/1002/NEWS01
Mount Hope Church has filed a federal lawsuit against a group of protesters who disrupted a Sunday morning service Nov. 9 with shouts, same-sex kissing, fliers and a banner that proclaimed: "It's okay to be gay."
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The lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning and assigned to Judge Robert Holmes Bell in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
Church staff directed questions to the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based nonprofit that filed the suit on the Delta Township church's behalf.
"They don't have the right to come in and terrorize the congregation," said Kevin Theriot, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "This case would have never been filed if these folks had just stayed on the public sidewalk, held up their signs and didn't disrupt the service."
A militant gay rights group called Bash Back!, which has a Lansing chapter, claimed responsibility for the protest. Members of Bash Back! did not respond to phone calls and e-mails regarding the suit.
However, in a statement on its national news Web site, Bash Back! said the group would not be intimidated and that it will set up a defense fund to fight the lawsuit.
The Nov. 9 protest drew national media attention. and generated plenty of talk in the blogosphere.
Mount Hope Church, on Creyts Road, is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, and teaches that homosexuality is a sin.
The Nov. 9 protest took place during a Sunday morning service with about 700 people in attendance.
According to the lawsuit, about 10 protesters outside of the church were dressed in black with their faces covered by bandannas. They conducted a loud and "wildly offensive" demonstration and waved an upside-down cross and signs with satanic symbols and messages while shouting through a bullhorn.
When the church's security guards went to deal with the outside protesters, another set of protesters inside the church - dressed in their Sunday best to blend in with the crowd of about 700 worshippers - went into action. They threw about 1,000 fliers around the church, unfurled the banner, kissed, and pulled fire alarms on their way out of the building.
According to the suit, protesters blocked the driveway, prohibiting some church members access to the church and the service.
No criminal charges were filed against the protesters. Bash Back! has claimed responsibility for church protests in the Boston area and in the Seattle area as well.
Theriot said the Alliance Defense Fund, which offers training, funding and legal assistance in an effort to preserve religious freedom, got involved because its attorneys believe the protesters went a step too far by disrupting the service.
"There's a federal law that says you can't disrupt, by force or threat of force, a church service," he said. The lawsuit asks for an injunction to prevent future protests as well as nominal damages and costs related to bringing the suit.
Theriot said he expected it would be at least a year before the suit goes to court.
Fucking assholes. (Um, pun not intended.)
It's not right when Christians pull shit at GLBT functions, it;s not more right when the GLBTs do it to Christians.
I don't really feel sorry for the church, as it were. I don't blame them for suing, but I think it would have been a lot better if they had pressed charges for vandalism, trespassing and whatever else may have been applicable in their jurisdiction.
So glad that I don't associate with any of these groups. I think people tend to accept you- or at least leave you alone- when you're not out doing obnoxious things to disturb people.
Mount Hope Church has filed a federal lawsuit against a group of protesters who disrupted a Sunday morning service Nov. 9 with shouts, same-sex kissing, fliers and a banner that proclaimed: "It's okay to be gay."
Advertisement
The lawsuit was filed Wednesday morning and assigned to Judge Robert Holmes Bell in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids.
Church staff directed questions to the Alliance Defense Fund, an Arizona-based nonprofit that filed the suit on the Delta Township church's behalf.
"They don't have the right to come in and terrorize the congregation," said Kevin Theriot, senior counsel for the Alliance Defense Fund. "This case would have never been filed if these folks had just stayed on the public sidewalk, held up their signs and didn't disrupt the service."
A militant gay rights group called Bash Back!, which has a Lansing chapter, claimed responsibility for the protest. Members of Bash Back! did not respond to phone calls and e-mails regarding the suit.
However, in a statement on its national news Web site, Bash Back! said the group would not be intimidated and that it will set up a defense fund to fight the lawsuit.
The Nov. 9 protest drew national media attention. and generated plenty of talk in the blogosphere.
Mount Hope Church, on Creyts Road, is affiliated with the Assemblies of God, and teaches that homosexuality is a sin.
The Nov. 9 protest took place during a Sunday morning service with about 700 people in attendance.
According to the lawsuit, about 10 protesters outside of the church were dressed in black with their faces covered by bandannas. They conducted a loud and "wildly offensive" demonstration and waved an upside-down cross and signs with satanic symbols and messages while shouting through a bullhorn.
When the church's security guards went to deal with the outside protesters, another set of protesters inside the church - dressed in their Sunday best to blend in with the crowd of about 700 worshippers - went into action. They threw about 1,000 fliers around the church, unfurled the banner, kissed, and pulled fire alarms on their way out of the building.
According to the suit, protesters blocked the driveway, prohibiting some church members access to the church and the service.
No criminal charges were filed against the protesters. Bash Back! has claimed responsibility for church protests in the Boston area and in the Seattle area as well.
Theriot said the Alliance Defense Fund, which offers training, funding and legal assistance in an effort to preserve religious freedom, got involved because its attorneys believe the protesters went a step too far by disrupting the service.
"There's a federal law that says you can't disrupt, by force or threat of force, a church service," he said. The lawsuit asks for an injunction to prevent future protests as well as nominal damages and costs related to bringing the suit.
Theriot said he expected it would be at least a year before the suit goes to court.
Fucking assholes. (Um, pun not intended.)
It's not right when Christians pull shit at GLBT functions, it;s not more right when the GLBTs do it to Christians.
I don't really feel sorry for the church, as it were. I don't blame them for suing, but I think it would have been a lot better if they had pressed charges for vandalism, trespassing and whatever else may have been applicable in their jurisdiction.
So glad that I don't associate with any of these groups. I think people tend to accept you- or at least leave you alone- when you're not out doing obnoxious things to disturb people.
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no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 12:09 pm (UTC)Did those protestors ever consider that there are gay Christians who probably don't care to see religious services profaned with Satanic symbols?
no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 05:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 06:23 pm (UTC)Yes, there is a time and a place for disruption of the social order, but there is also good couse much of the time. Sometimes civility is an insult to the basic ideals of civilization.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 07:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 09:34 pm (UTC)I agree they went too far this time but I actually find myself in agreement with them about some of their issues.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-26 11:09 pm (UTC)This isn't about acceptance. This is about protesting the actions of people who have clearly decided NOT to leave us, as queer people, alone.
There is little evidence that by laying low and "acting nice" that ANY minority group has ever achieved equality in the eyes of the law. And that has certainly been true of the LGBT movement. The movement to remove homosexuality as a psychiatric disorder began with actually crashing a psychiatric conference and stealing the mic from a man discussing the benefits of electroshock therapy on "curing" homosexuality.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-27 01:26 am (UTC)That's my hope.
no subject
Date: 2009-05-27 07:00 am (UTC)This incident reminds me of Kirk Cameron's call for christian groups to harass ADF events. I hope the church wins their lawsuit.