Illinois Pro-Family Leader Condemns Intolerant Homosexual Protests
by Ed Thomas
February 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - Historic Moody Church in Chicago, Illinois, was the location for a scene uncommon to that site last Saturday -- a protest from a radical homosexual group that denounced the church as "a house of hate."
Homosexual activists nationwide proclaimed Saturday as "Freedom to Marry Day." And in Chicago, reportedly, about 30 members of the Gay Liberation Network gathered outside Moody Church to protest against one of two individuals they considered religious bigots, according to the group's signage.
The first of the two people being castigated by the GLN was Moody's pastor, Erwin Lutzer, author of The Truth About Same-Sex Marriage, which he published last year. Protest observer Peter LaBarbera of the Illinois Family Institute says the minister's book, in which he calls homosexual unions "the most damaging social experiment every to be attempted in this country," apparently gave the homosexual activists all the reason they required to stage the first protest.
"Yes, Dr. Luther had the foresight to warn Christians that they need to oppose the gay marriage movement," LaBarbera remarked. Noting GLN's intolerant response to the Lutzer's expression of his Christian views, the Illinois pro-family advocate adds, "Apparently you cannot criticize even homosexual marriage anymore without being called a hateful bigot."
On the steps of Moody church, the protestors held signs with such slogans as "Keep your religion off our rights," and recited chants such as "Hey hey, ho ho, homophobia's got to go," and "Moody is a house of hate." And after finishing up there, the demonstrators marched a block east to the second location they had targeted -- the home of Cardinal Francis George, another religious leader the homosexual activists had declared a bigot for opposing same-sex marriage.
At the Catholic cleric's residence, several protestors again chanted anti-church slogans and waved signs. But this time many of the slogans were anti-Catholic, and new signs came out reading, "Cardinal George is a homophobe. LaBarbara says George and Lutzer were both singled out for protest by the radical pro-homosexual groups simply because they spoke out against the homosexual agenda or urged other believers to stand against it.
The IFI spokesman points out that Lutzer, in all fairness, does not single out homosexuality among other sexual sins but makes it clear that all sin should be opposed and compassionately answered with an offer of the hope that exists for all sinners in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Meanwhile, he observes that the attack against Moody Church is particularly unreasonable on the homosexual activists' part, considering that the church does not heavily involve itself in public policy questions, but instead focuses on evangelism.
"For gay activists to be calling Moody Church, which is not even a super politically active church, a 'house of hate' shows that they are intolerant of all Christian expression on the homosexual issue," LaBarbera says. The pro-family leader warns that if homosexual activists will target a church that is not even particularly visible in culture war political debate, then all Christians who oppose same-sex marriage are subject to attack.
Ed Thomas, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
