A Marxist, militant, pro-LGBT antifa group is trying to shut down a Christian megachurch in Austin, Texas, apparently because of its biblical views on sexuality. Members of the Stonewall Militant Front (SMF) were joined by a dozen or so other gay rights activists who chanted, waved pride flags, and held signs over the weekend to protest Celebration Church because of its opposition to gay marriage.
The gay rights activists also protested the church’s Sunday morning services at the Austin school district performing arts center in order to criticize the district for renting the facility to Christian “homophobes.”
Happening right now outside of homophobic Celebration Church in #Austin . Masked protesters chanting “Defend our youth from these attacks! Pride means fight back!” #lgbt #aisd pic.twitter.com/SZwUiZwMsE
— Incendiary News (@incendiarynews) August 26, 2018
According to the far-left news site Incendiary News, “the church likened homosexuality and bisexuality to incest and bestiality on their website.”
But a visit to the non-denominational Celebration Church’s website shows no hostility toward gays. In fact, tolerance and inclusivity appear to be key components of their mission statement.
Celebration Church is about reaching all people with the life-changing message of Jesus Christ. We welcome all people regardless of age, race, sexual orientation, religion or political beliefs. We also believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with the doctrines of the church. Anyone seeking God and wanting to learn more of the teachings of Christ is welcome and will not be excluded from attending Celebration Church. We welcome all people.
Celebration Church Executive Pastor Jim Kuykendall told the Statesman that “the church believes in being welcoming and kind to all people regardless of sexual orientation, religion or political beliefs.”
He added that the church does, however, preach the word of the Bible. The church references Bible verses saying homosexuality, bisexuality and disagreeing with one’s biological sex is a sin.
“I think maybe the frustration may be that they feel like it’s our position when we say that the Bible says that certain things are the way they are and that it’s our statement,” Kuykendall said. “Its not our statement, it’s what’s in the Bible.”
Far-Left Watch reports that prior to the protest, SMF doxed the son of the church’s founder and pastor, sharing his name and picture on their Facebook page where other violent antifa groups could see it.
Read our coverage of the protest here – https://t.co/zFJRXWXEcf
— Incendiary News (@incendiarynews) August 27, 2018
At the protest, masked SMF agitators chanted, “Defend our youth from these attacks! Pride means fight back!” at worshipers as they walked into the auditorium. They also heckled the Christians as they were leaving: “Bigots out of Austin; don’t come back!”
Protesters chant “Bigots out of Austin Don’t come back!” As homophobic churchgoers leave https://t.co/FJXSF4lq1R
— Incendiary News (@incendiarynews) August 26, 2018
According to Incendiary News, another group of about 20 liberals were protesting the church nearby at the same time, but when SMF asked them to join forces, the other left-wing group demurred, saying “they had a different message” and were “more comfortable” where they were.
Digging deeper, Incendiary News discovered that the other group “had been brought out through a private Facebook event page which had dissuaded people from joining the main protest, claiming SMF ‘tended to be violent.'”
“Contrary to these claims, the only threats of violence at the protest came from the squads of AISD and Austin police as well as one upset churchgoer who charged angrily at the protesters until he was stopped by his friends and the police,” the left-wing site opined indignantly.
Yet as Far-Left Watch points out, SMF openly advocates using violence to achieve their goals: “We need that spirit and the righteous violence to be organized, disciplined, and with a protracted goal of winning power and destroying capitalism,” the group states on its website [emphasis added].
According to Incendiary News, once the protest started, a woman cautioned protesters to stay on the sidewalk because “the police are here to keep us safe.”
One of the masked SMF protesters “immediately contradicted her.” “They don’t give a damn about us,” the agitator reportedly sniveled. (Yeah, it’s tough to understand why the other protesters wanted to keep their distance.)
Stonewall Militant Front was formerly know as The Revolutionary Alliance of Trans People Against Capitalism.R.A.T.P.A.C. and was launched in 2015, according to its website.
After a few years, they decided to rebrand and adopt more violent and militant tactics: “The name Stonewall Militant Front was very deliberately chosen by our members as one that draws on historical roots and common ties while committing to a militant, revolutionary future,” the website says. “The Stonewall Riots saw LGBT people fight back against the foot soldiers of the capitalist state and the patriarchal oppression they were enforcing. The violently rebellious spirit is emphasized in the word ‘militant.'” [emphasis added].
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