This is getting out of control...

Read the description below (caution it's graphic) before watching the video (which is also graphic, so turn your speakers down):



THIS VIDEO WAS NOT POSTED BY ANY MEMBER OF THE GROUP JHOP. HOWEVER, BELOW IS AN ACCOUNT OF ONE OF JHOPSF'S TEAM MEMBERS WHO WAS THERE.
November 14, 2008
I went to the Castro (the homosexual district of San Francisco) with JHOPSF (I have been with the Justice House of Prayer San Francisco since April 2008.) like we usually do on Friday nights.
Normally, we sit on 18th and Castro, and someone plays the guitar, and we all worship God.
Sometimes a person will yell at us, or maybe a few. Sometimes people will ignore us. Sometimes people will let us pray with them.

This time was not a normal night. It was the first time we'd been back in the Castro to do our normal outreach since California Proposition 8, which defined marriage as "one man with one woman" was passed. We played the guitar and sang together and worshiped the Lord. After just singing and worshiping God for a while, Roger decided that we should all hold hands in a circle and continue singing. So we did.

Someone (Actually a person who came up and hugged and kissed some of us who he knew from the past) convinced some people that we were there to protest against the no on 8 campaign.

Then some guy who was dressed up like one of the sisters (The sisters of perpetual indulgence is a group of men who dress up like nuns and call themselves the spiritual authority of the Castro.) took a curtain-type thing (Which I think they use to curse people) and wrapped it around us.

Then a crowd started gathering. We began to sing "Amazing Grace", and basically sang that song the whole night. (At some points we also sang "Nothing but the Blood of Jesus" and "Oh the Blood of Jesus".) At first, they just shouted at us, using crude, rude, and foul language and calling us names like "haters" and "bigots". Since it was a long night, I can't even begin to remember all of the things that were shouted and/or chanted at us. Then, they started throwing hot coffee, soda and alcohol on us and spitting (and maybe even peeing) on us. Then, a group of guys surrounded us with whistles, and blasted them inches away from our ears continually. Then, they started getting violent and started shoving us.

At one point a man tried to steal one of our Bibles. Chrisdene noticed, so she walked up to him and said "Hey, that's not yours, can you please give it back?". He responded by hitting her on the head with the Bible, shoving her to the ground, and kicking her. I called the cops, and when they got there, they pulled her out of the circle and asked her if she wanted to press charges. She said "No, tell him I forgive him." Afterwards, she didn't rejoin us in the circle, but she made friends with one of the people in the crowd, and really connected heart to heart. Roger got death threats. As the leader of our group, people looked him in the eyes and said "I am going to kill you.", and they were serious. A cop heard one of them, and confronted him. (This part is kinda graphic, so you should skip the paragraph if you don't want to be offended.)

It wasn't long before the violence turned to perversion. They were touching and grabbing me, and trying to shove things in my butt, and even trying to take off my pants - basically trying to molest me. I used one hand to hold my pants up, while I used the other arm to hold one of the girls. The guys huddled around all the girls, and protected them. Soon after, the cops came and stood between us and the mob. When it was getting more heated, the cops were like "You guys should leave." and Roger said "We want to stay." Someone tried to steal my backpack, but I tapped a cop on the shoulder, and said "Hey, that's my bag." and he got it from him and gave it to me. Others weren't so lucky. Probably half our team got their jackets stolen.

Eventually, as the crowd was getting more and more uncontrollable, the cops were afraid for our lives, so they escorted us to our van. (The cops were very nice to us from start to finish.) Our van was parked pretty far because it was hard to find parking that day. As the cops escorted us, the mob followed us, until the cops formed a line, and held off the people so we could drive away. We took the long way home, just in case anyone tried to follow us.

When we got home, we prayed and sang more, and then prayed over each-other. Please know my heart. All of what we do is for the Love of Jesus Christ, and the love for those in the Castro. The Bible says to love God, and then love people. We can only love because He loved us first. We can't hate the people because they are just broken and blinded by the spirit of this age. Our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against Principalities and Powers. It's not a political thing, we just love the people.

Kevin Hamilton's Letter on Proposition 8 and the Mormon Church

Kevin Hamilton's Letter on Proposition 8 and the Mormon Church

Dear Friends,

In the aftermath of the recent election, we may find ourselves oddly on the defensive regarding our support for the Yes on Proposition 8 cause. Our young people have been especially subject to mean-spirited comments by high school friends and teachers. We have nothing to be ashamed of. We did nothing wrong. In fact, we did everything that a civic-minded American can and should do. I have put together a few facts that help me to appreciate our position better. For example:

1. Mormons make up less than 2 percent of the population of California. There are approximately 800,000 LDS out of a total population of approximately 34 million.Mormon voters were less than 5 percent of the yes vote.

2. If one estimates that 250,000 LDS are registered voters (the rest being children), then LDS voters made up 4.6 percent of the yes vote and 2.4 percent of the total Proposition 8 vote.

3. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) donated no money to the Yes on 8 campaign. Individual members of the church were encouraged to support the Yes on 8 efforts and, exercising their constitutional right to free speech, donated whatever they felt like donating.

4. The No on 8 campaign raised more money than the Yes on 8 campaign. Unofficial estimates put No on 8 at $38 million and Yes on 8 at $32 million, making it the most expensive non-presidential election in the country.

5. Advertising messages for the Yes on 8 campaign are based on case law and real-life situations. The No on 8 supporters have insisted that the Yes on 8 messaging is based on lies. Every Yes on 8 claim is supported.

6. The majority of our friends and neighbors voted Yes on 8. Los Angeles County voted in favor of Yes on 8. Ventura County voted in favor of Yes on 8.

7. African-Americans overwhelmingly supported Yes on 8. Exit polls show that 70 percent of black voters chose Yes on 8. This was interesting because the majority of these voters voted for President-elect Obama. No on 8 supporters had assumed that Obama voters would vote No on 8.

8. The majority of Latino voters voted Yes on 8. Exit polls show that the majority of Latinos supported Yes on 8 and cited religious beliefs (assumed to be primarily Catholic).

9. The Yes on 8 coalition was a broad spectrum of religious organizations. Catholics, evangelicals, Protestants, Orthodox Jews, Muslims -- all supported Yes on 8. It is estimated that there are 10 million Catholics and 10 million Protestants in California. Mormons were a tiny fraction of the population represented by Yes on 8 coalition members.

10. Not all Mormons voted in favor of Proposition 8. Our faith accords that each person be allowed to choose for him or herself. Church leaders have asked members to treat other members with "civility, respect and love," despite their differing views.

11. The church did not violate the principal of separation of church and state. This principle is derived from the First Amendment to the United States' Constitution, which reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof?" The phrase "separation of church and state", which does not appear in the Constitution itself, is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson, although it has since been quoted in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court in recent years. The LDS Church is under no obligation to refrain from participating in the political process to the extent permitted by law. U.S. election law is very clear that churches may not endorse candidates, but may support issues. The church as always been very careful on this matter and occasionally (not often) chooses to support causes that it feels to be of a moral nature.

12. Supporters of Proposition 8 did exactly what the Constitution provides for all citizens: they exercised their First Amendment rights to speak out on an issue that concerned them, make contributions to a cause that they support and then vote in the regular electoral process. For the most part, this seems to have been done in an open, fair and civil way. Opponents of 8 have accused supporters of being bigots, liars and worse. The fact is, we simply did what Americans do -- we spoke up, we campaigned and we voted.

Hold your heads up high -- you did a great job on this most important cause. We will have more opportunities in the future to participate in our democratic process. Let's remember the lessons learned and do an even better job next time.

These are my personal opinions and thoughts; any errors are mine and in no way reflect official church policy or doctrine.

Thanks,
Kevin Hamilton

Feds investigate vandalism at Mormon sites

Federal officials have launched a preliminary inquiry into whether recent acts of vandalism against Mormon temples and meeting houses are hate crimes, a department spokesman said Friday.

"We are looking into whether these acts are intimidating people into not going into houses of worship," said Juan Becerra, of the Salt Lake City FBI. "The right to worship is a basic civil right."

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints actively supported the passage of Proposition 8, the ballot initiative that banned same-sex marriage in California.

Since the Nov. 4 election, seven houses of worship in Utah have been vandalized, according to Becerra.
Thursday, envelopes filled with an unidentified white powdery substance were delivered to two Mormon temples, one in the Los Angeles area and one in Salt Lake City.

Preliminary results showed that the white substance tested negative for known hazardous biological agents and toxins. The final report should be available next week.

Becerra said federal agents are working with Salt Lake City church officials and local law enforcement.
Sacramento church officials have stepped up security at the Rancho Cordova temple.

Ten church buildings in the region have been vandalized since the election, said Lisa West, spokesperson for the church in the Sacramento area. "That's more than we usually get in an entire year."

http://www.sacbee.com/crime/story/1399018.html

Another protest at an LDS Church on Sunday

Demonstrators gathered in front of a Mormon temple in Newport Beach on Sunday to protest passage of Proposition 8. They were targeting the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, many members of which poured money into the campaign for passage of the proposition.

"We're not asking churches to sanctify marriages," said Ron Fichter of Laguna Beach. "To me it's just basic human rights."

Fichter, 64, said he came out as gay in 1965, was in the Navy for six years, and took part in one of the first gay marches in Washington, D.C., more than two decades ago.

"We've come a long ways, but we have a long ways to go," said Fichter.

Read more here: http://www.ocregister.com/articles/church-beach-passage-2230532-clayton-fichter

Gay rights activists picket in front of Mormon church

Gay rights activists demonstrated in front of the Vallejo Church of Latter-day Saints on Sunday morning.The group, numbering about a dozen, continued Saturday's rallies across the country, during which thousands gathered to protest the passage of Proposition 8.

Prop. 8 banned gay marriage -- legal since June -- through an amendment to the state constitution indicating that marriage is only between a man and a woman.

The group began their protest as members of the church began to enter shortly after 8 a.m. There was a brief confrontation with church officials, who asked the protesters to leave a church-owned sidewalk on Los Santos Court and move to a Tuolomne Street sidewalk.

"These protesters are welcome to do whatever they want in terms of a peaceful protest, but we will not tolerate them on our personal property," said Thomas S. Mortensen, the church's bishop.

read the rest here: http://www.timesheraldonline.com/news/ci_11003849

The Battle Continues...

Here's a great article from Meridian Magazine:

http://www.ldsmag.com/lineuponline/081117battle.html

Excerpt:

Even if Proposition 8 is overturned in the courts and same sex marriages receive legal secular recognition, the gospel of the Church will not change. Let me repeat, secular arguments do not trump spiritual imperatives.


The gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints , and of many other Christian and other faith based churches, do not and will not recognize marriage other than between a man and a woman. This will never change.


Does this mean there may be hard times ahead for for the Church, for individual Latter-day Saints, and for churches and members of other faiths? Without question. Everything we believe will be challenged and attacked.


Our defense, however, is impenetrable.


Our defense is Christ.

The Homosexual Inquisition has begun

So the members of the GLBT community have begun scouring the supporter lists for Prop 8 and have begun protesting anyone who has supported the measure. Their first target. An employee of a restaurant who had the audacity to donate $100 to supprt Prop 8. Read about it here:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-derrick/el-coyote-anger-tearsand_b_143981.html

Video of Protest of LA Temple

Here's a great video of the "tolerant" GLBT movement. Of interest is around minute 5:00, they rush the temple gates:

Intolerant GLBT Bigots Protest Local Businesses

This is getting ridiculous. The GLBT bigots are now protesting a business because an employee had the nerve to voice an opinion that differed from theirs. If anyone within the sound of my voice lives near El Coyote, I think it would be a good time to patronize their restaurant. http://www.elcoyotecafe.com/

Excerpt:

Hundreds of protesters converged on El Coyote on Beverly Boulevard on Wednesday night, and the picketing got so heated that LAPD officers in riot gear had to be called.

All because Marjorie Christoffersen, a manager there and a daughter of El Coyote's owner, had contributed $100 to the Yes on 8 campaign.

Christoffersen, who is Mormon, met with protesters Wednesday and at one point broke down in tears, said Arnoldo Archila, another El Coyote manager. But the activists were not satisfied with her explanation and continued to post protests about her on the Web.

Full Article Here

First Presidency Urges Respect, Civility in Public Discourse

First Presidency Urges Respect, Civility in Public Discourse

Since the people of California voted to reaffirm the sanctity of traditional marriage between a man and a woman on November 4, 2008, places of worship have been targeted by opponents of Proposition 8 with demonstrations and, in some cases, vandalism.  People of faith have been intimidated for simply exercising their democratic rights. These are not actions that are worthy of the democratic ideals of our nation.  The end of a free and fair election should not be the beginning of a hostile response in America.

The Church is keenly aware of the differences of opinion on this difficult and sensitive matter. The reasons for this principled stand in defense of marriage have already been articulated elsewhere. However, some of what we have seen since Californians voted to pass Proposition 8 has been deeply disappointing.

Attacks on churches and intimidation of people of faith have no place in civil discourse over controversial issues.  People of faith have a democratic right to express their views in the public square without fear of reprisal.  Efforts to force citizens out of public discussion should be deplored by people of goodwill everywhere.  

We call upon those who have honest disagreements on this issue to urge restraint upon the extreme actions of a few that are further polarizing our communities and urge them to act in a spirit of mutual respect and civility towards each other.

Slander and lies from the GLBT Movement

The only group that is coming to people's homes and places of worship and terrorizing them is the GLBT movement. Yet here is their highly controversial video that is full of lies and scare tactics. MSNBC, and Comedy Central should be ashamed for showing such filth.

Gay Movement Protesters Attack Elderly Woman

This video speaks for itself. The "Tolerance" movement, tries to silence an elderly woman who has the audacity to have a differing opinion than the GLBT's. Watch the whole thing as the attack happens towards the end of the video.

Update: White Powder in envelope also found in LA Temple

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4787495

Suspicious envelope with powder found in SLC Temple

(KSL News) A suspicious envelope containing an unknown white powder was found this afternoon at Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City.

It was found inside an office in the entrance area to the Salt Lake Temple. That is in an area open to the public.

They have since placed the letter into a black bag.

Both Salt Lake City police and fire departments are on the scene and have closed off the area, including eastbound lanes of North Temple between State Street and Main Street.

They are not evacuating the temple but are not allowing anybody inside.

Scott Freitag of the Salt Lake City Fire Department says someone in the office opened the envelope, saw the powder and called the fire department.

"We don't have any indication there's any sort of threat with it," Freitag says. "So we're just going to go in now. Our Hazmat team will go in and take a look at it, see if they can make any determination of what it is by looking at it. Most likely it will have to be tested."

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=4787495

Lessons in Tolerance - A Prop 8 Video Photo Essay

Here's a youtube video I created to show the intolerance and lack of civility by the hypocritical GLBT movement.