Nick De Leeuw on Right Michigan posted, the Bash Back organization orchestrated a protest in front of Mount Hope Church to draw the church's security staff away from the sanctuary.

At the same time Bash Backers who were dressed up as normal church worshippers inside the churches service then took action on the inside.

According to De Leeuw, "Prayer had just finished when men and women stood up in pockets across the congregation, on the main floor and in the balcony.

The protestors shouted profanities and blashemies like 'Jesus was gay' as they were rushing to the pulpit area. De Leeuw also said some forced their way through rows of women and kids to get a profane banner hung from the balcony while others began tossing fliers into the air. While this was goign on two women made their way to the pulpit and began to make-out and kiss.

Also Bash Back members brought into the church, "a megaphone, noise makers, condoms, glitter by the bucket load, confetti, pink fabric. ...", according to De Leeuw.

The alternative Lansing City Pulse reported it was notified of the protest ahead of time and sent a reporter along instead of warning the church. 

Protesters also screamed at leaders in the church and pulled the church facility's fire alarm.

The printed material by the protesters that were distributed said, "We specialize in confronting homophobia, transphobia and every and all other forms of oppression."

The report from Lansing City Pulse said Bash Back issued a statement today confirming it targeted Mount Hope, which has about 5,000 church participants, because it participates in "the repression of queers."

When the Sheriff's officers came many demonstrators fled and the rest were quiet.

David Williams, a spokesman for the church said ina statement, "Mount Hope churchgoers were unclear as to what the purpose of the demonstration was."

"The leadership of Mount Hope Church does not attempt to identify the church as anti-homosexual, anti-choice, or right wing. The church does take the Bible at face value and believes what the Bible says to be the truth," Williams' statement continued.

"According to the Bible, Mount Hope Church believes homosexuality to be a sin, just as fornication, stealing, drunkenness, and lying are sins. No sin greater than the next. Mount Hope Church strives to follow Jesus' example of loving the sinner but not the sin while helping people change their lives for God's glory and their improved quality of life. Mount Hope Church also recognizes that to each person God grants freewill."

The church offered help for people "caught up in unwanted sexual sin, drug abuse, and many other areas."

De Leeuw wrote. "Amidst worshiping congregants and following unifying prayers that our president-elect be granted wisdom as he prepares to lead our nation through difficult global, social and economic challenges, the Michigan left declared open war on peaceful churchgoers.

"Mount Hope, for the record, is an evangelical, Bible believing church whose members provide free 24-hour counseling, prayer lines, catastrophic care for families dealing with medical emergencies, support groups for men, women and children dealing with a wide variety of life's troubles, crisis intervention, marriage ministries, regular, organized volunteer work in and around the city, missions in dozens of countries across the globe, a construction ministry that has built over 100 churches, schools, orphanages and other projects all over the world and an in-depth prison ministry that reaches out, touches and helps the men and women the rest of society fears the most. They also teach respect for all human life and the Biblical sanctity of marriage as an institution between one man and one woman," De Leeuw wrote.

"The church's response? After things settled down, the blasphemy ended, the lewd props removed and the families safe from fear of additional men and women running into and past them the pastor took the stage and led the congregation in one more prayer ... not for retribution, or divine justice or a celestial comeuppance (that's what I'd have prayed for) but instead that the troubled individuals who'd just defiled the Lord's house, so full of anger and hate, would know Jesus' love in their lives and God's peace that exceeds human understanding," De Leeuw wrote.

"It was well within the church members' rights to respond with non-lethal force to put an immediate end to this assault. It this happened in my house, I'd have every right to throw someone out a window or two."

In a statement posted on the Internet, Bash Back confirmed its "operatives" were in the service, "stood up, declared themselves fags, and began screaming loudly. … Another group threw over a thousand fliers to the entire … congregation. The fire alarm was pulled. Queers began making out in front of the pastor. And within a matter of minutes, everyone had evaded the guards and made their escapes."

Gary Glenn, president of the American Family Association of Michigan and co-author of the Marriage Protection Amendment approved by Michigan voters in 2004, condemned the homosexual activist group's intimidation tactics.

"We will alert churches statewide of this now close-to-home threat of disruption of their members' freedom to worship in peace and safety," Glenn said, "but this is not the first time in history Christians have faced persecution or threats of reprisal for standing for their faith and values."

He predicted Americans, "particularly people of strong religious faith, are not cowards" and would not "be bullied by emotional adolescents who disrespect private property, the rule of law, and anyone who dares hold opinions diverse from their own."

"We will pray for and offer help to those who have gender identity and same-sex attraction disorders, but Americans will continue to reject their attempts to overturn the will of the people and impose their disorders on our children and society at large," he said.

Glenn said AFA-Michigan will join the Catholic League in urging Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox to investigate the organized violation of the church's private property rights and the group's threat of future disruptions of worship services.

Catholic League president Bill Donohue today issued a statement condemning the group's actions and accusing the news media of failing to report it with the same intensity they routinely do complaints by homosexual activist groups.

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Posted by Nathan, on 17-11-2008 23:34, "In what reality to you imagine homosexuals will soon soon have their DNA realigned in order to offer them heterosexual preferences? And would you really want such a thing?"    Dude, homosexuality IS NOT genetic. There is not one, NOT ONE shred of evidence to prove it. A few idiot psychologists presented the idea a number of years ago and it was almost immediately rejected by the entire scientific community b/c it isn't possible. I mean think about it for a minute. Genetics are passed on through reproduction and practicing homosexuals DON'T reproduce. Yet homosexuals have latched on to this, saying they were born this way, and the mindless masses believe them.   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment... Posted by lovelylove, on 13-11-2008 08:28, or maybe your institutions are failing and you'll be just like us soon enough   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment... Posted by Valerie K. Brown, on 12-11-2008 18:06, Kudos to this Pastor & this congregation for the prayers sent up afterwords! This is, indeed, a time for Bible-believing American Christians to practice what we believe. All I can say to those members of that gross group of protesters is this: NEVER underestimate the power of prayer! Your days in your current lifestyle are dwindling down!!! You're gonna be just like us before long!!!!   » Report this comment to administrator » Reply to this comment... » See all 1 replie(s)