Mar 27 2006
More tolerance in the City by the Bay
Talk about embracing diversity and tolerance.
Evangelical teens rally in S.F.
More than 25,000 evangelical Christian youth landed Friday in San Francisco for a two-day rally at AT&T Park against "the virtue terrorism" of popular culture…..
Well good for them, right? They deserve a chance to meet and rally for their values, and I find the concept of a rally against the erosion of values and the advertising blitz that exists and targets our youth to be a good thing, for the most part.
But as the article continues, it seems San Francisco does not.
…and they were greeted by an official city condemnation and a clutch of protesters who said their event amounted to a "fascist mega-pep rally."
I can understand counter rallies or protests, but Official City Condemnation? Why? Is the City so steeped in bad values that they need to take a position against anyone believing otherwise?
Once again San Francisco cements its reputation as tolerating people only if you have values just like their’s, and of embracing only the diversity found in its own city limits.
Like it or not, and whether you agree or not, there is room for debate and common ground with evangelicals. Let’s examine their agenda and find out what is so wrong about them.
Battle Cry for a Generation" is led by a 44-year-old Concord native, Ron Luce, who wants "God’s instruction book" to guide young people away from the corrupting influence of popular culture.
Luce, whose Teen Mania organization is based in Texas, kicked off a three-city "reverse rebellion" tour Friday night intended to counter a popular culture that he says glamorizes violence and sex. The $55 advance tickets for two days of musical performances and speeches were sold out, but walk-up admission was available for $199.
…
Luce didn’t flinch in the face of the counterprotest. The author, host of the "Acquire the Fire TV" cable television program and a President Bush appointee to a federal anti-drug-abuse commission, wants teens to find Bible-based solutions for the spread of sexually transmitted disease, teen pregnancy, drug abuse and suicide.
The villains, Luce said, range from the promiscuity and "sexualization" of young people on MTV and the popular online meeting hub MySpace.com to a corporate culture that spends millions trying to woo the under-21 crowd.
…
Military metaphors abound in Luce’s descriptions of the struggle. He tells young people of how "an enemy has launched a brutal attack on them." At a pre-Battle Cry rally Friday afternoon on the steps of City Hall, Luce told his mostly teenage audience that "terrorists of a different kind" — advertisers — were targeting them and that they were "caught in the middle of the battle."
"Are you ready to go to battle for your generation?" he asked, and the young people roared "yes!" and some waved triangular red flags flown from long, medieval-looking poles.
Sorry, but so far I don’t see anything horrible in their agenda.
So who supports Luce?
Luce’s approach has been praised by conservative leaders from the Rev. Jerry Falwell to Fox News commentator Sean Hannity. Much of the statistical backing for the horrors Luce sees on TV is provided by the Parents Television Council, which is funded by conservative foundations such as the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation.
So what say the protesters against the rally?
Those alliances weren’t lost on the 50 protesters representing a rainbow of San Francisco’s left — from abortion-rights advocates to anti-war activists to atheists — who staged Friday’s counterprotest.
"There is a real intolerancy to homosexuality in a lot of these organizations," said Peter Cobb, an organizer with Not In Our Name.
No surprise there. I agree there are some fundamental differences in values and ideology between these groups where gay rights are concerned. But anti war rallies? Did Iraq suddenly become a Fundamentalist Crusade while I wasn’t looking? I understand the ideological divide with abortion rights and there groups, but at the same time, the fundamentalists also believe that too much teen sex is an issue there, and they are trying to stem the need for abortions by diminishing the teen pregnancies.
Unless the people who support gay rights unequivocally believe that their being gay requires them to accept all manners of immorality, there is plenty of room of common agreement without agreeing on gay rights. Since the gay rights believe in and preach monogamy in marriage for gays, why not allow a rally against promiscuity and in the over-sexualization of our youth? Whether they are gay or not that is a valid issue.
But the protesters and leaders in San Francisco would rather throw out the baby with the bath water.
Earlier this week, the Board of Supervisors passed a resolution condemning the "act of provocation" by what it termed an "anti-gay," "anti-choice" organization that aimed to "negatively influence the politics of America’s most tolerant and progressive city."
Luce said it was the first time one of his events has been officially condemned.
Tolerant of everyone….except the military, and fundamentalists…
Now, I grant that some of the more conservative fundamentalists *do* oppose homosexuality as a biblical dogma.
A Battle Cry invitation to teenagers made plain the symbolism of gathering in San Francisco for a pre-event rally at "the very City Hall steps where several months ago, gay marriages were celebrated for all the world to see."
Same-sex marriage "is another sign of the end of times," said Sherilyn David, referring to the apocalypse that some fundamentalist Christians believe is foretold in Scripture. The 22-year-old San Jose administrative assistant came to Battle Cry with 15 other young Christians on Friday and will be joined by 60 other friends Saturday.
But does that justify calling a bunch of kids fascist simply because they disagree with you? Tolerance anyone?
Christian Gallion, a 15-year-old in town with his Assembly of God youth group from Humboldt County, shrugged off being called "fascists" by counterdemonstrators.
"It doesn’t bother me," Gallion said. "It’s a beautiful city, and we don’t have anything against the protesters."
His youth pastor had no interest in engaging in political debates.
"I’m not here to hate anybody," Scott Thompson said. "This isn’t about Bush or gays or anything other than being here to worship together."
But….
That’s not how some liberal leaders saw it.
"Even if it is done by a Barnum & Bailey crowd with a tent and some snake oil, I think we need to pay attention to it," said Supervisor Tom Ammiano, who authored the condemnation resolution. "We should not fall asleep at the wheel."
Right. Nothing intolerant there.
Look, obviously these people are not going to be best buddies, buy each other espresso and sit around holding hands and singing kum ba ya anytime soon.
But they have a constitutional and legal right to believe what they believe and to assemble thus.
The city by its actions to officially condemn a religious organization having a peaceful rally shows who the intolerant ones really are.
2 Responses to “More tolerance in the City by the Bay”
I did see this Luce guy on O’Reilly last night. While I thought his opponant came off as a bit hysterical, he came off as a very artful dodger. O’Reilly asked him three or four times if he wanted public policy dictated on Christian morals. He never said no, he just avoided saying yes.
Well, anyone with a specific moral standard will want laws that reflect their values.
That’s a no brainer.
Now, if you want to discuss whether Fundamentalists represent christian values…..