Christian youth rally raises liberal activist ire
By Sarah Blazucki, PGN Staff Writer, © 2006 Philadelphia Gay News
A
Christian youth movement has declared war on society’s ‘virtue
terrorists,’ and in the fight it has deployed its own weapons of mass
destruction ( Navy SEALS, Hummers, machine guns, a belligerent-sounding
title ( against a popular culture it believes poisons young people’s
spirit.
Teen Mania Ministries staged ‘BattleCry’ May 12-13
at the Wachovia Spectrum to spread its message of faith and
anti-mainstream media protest. The rally, part Christian revival, part
rock concert, drew over 15,000 attendants, who were addressed by the
likes of Franklin Graham and Ron Luce, founder of Teen Mania
Ministries.
The group, which implores all teens to remain
abstinent until marriage, also held a May 12 rally on Independence
Mall. Both events drew protests.
World Can’t Wait, a liberal activist group dedicated to ‘driving out the Bush regime,’ presented the most vocal challenge.
The group specifically takes issue with BattleCry’s rhetoric and political associations. A Teen Mania watchdog group, AcquiretheEvidence.com,
lists Sen. Rick Santorum, Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson and Randy
Phillips, president of evangelical men’s group Promise Keepers, as
supporters.
Sunsara Taylor, World Can’t Wait spokesperson, said,
‘We agree with BattleCry that there is a moral crisis ( government
sanctioned torture, an unjust war in Iraq and this theocracy movement
to clamp down on gay people’s rights.’
Taylor also criticized the organization’s absolutist
stance: that the Bible is the ‘inspired Word of God’ and is to be
followed to the letter.
‘Teen Mania is a key part of building a social base
for theocracy in this country. They believe the Bible should be treated
as âGod’s instruction book’ and enforced through law.’
To demonstrate, she cited state ballot initiatives to ban gay marriage and adoption and abortion.
‘We feel like this needs to be very firmly opposed.
This is something that a lot of the youth who go to these events don’t
understand ( it’s a highly politicized movement,’ Taylor said.
Teen Mania’s Web site and publications do not
specifically condemn homosexuality, but its positions on sexuality and
abstinence allude to its beliefs. But the group encourages abstinence
until marriage. Same-sex couples cannot legally marry in 49 states,
thus their relationships by default are in opposition with Teen Mania’s
principles.
Following PGN’s inquiry on same-sex marriage, a
BattleCry spokesperson wrote in an e-mail: ‘Teen Mania encourages
sexual purity outside of marriage (marriage defined as a union before
God between man and woman), based on the Biblical teaching that any
pre-marital or extra-marital relationship is outside of God’s will.’
Other groups have also criticized Teen Mania,
including the local chapter of the Americans United for Separation of
Church and State.
‘BattleCry presents itself as just being a Christian
youth group’ Janice Rael, president of the Delaware Valley chapter,
said. ‘Their primary goal is fundraising for churches. Their other goal
is to train lobbyists.’
She added that Americans United is ‘pro-religion’
and ‘would not infringe on someone’s right to practice religion. But
when they go from their rally to City Hall to try to get our government
involved in their religion, that is when we get involved.’
Rael said her group originally dismissed BattleCry
as a ‘party’ for the Christian youth. After being alerted by others,
Rael reexamined the group and its statements and positions. ‘There is a
threat here,’ she determined.
Luce has appeared on James Dobson’s ‘Focus on the
Family’ radio broadcast and Pat Robertson’s ‘The 700 Club,’ as well as
Trinity Broadcasting Network.
He also has ties with the Bush administration: Luce
was appointed to the President’s Advisory Commission on Drug-free
Communities in 2002.
Speakers at the Philadelphia event included Graham,
son of evangelist Billy Graham, and abstinence advocate and former Miss
California Lakita Garth.
The event also featured Christian rock bands and an
appearance by Force Ministries, a San Francisco-based Christian
ministry of current and former Navy SEALS, dressed in camouflage and
accessorized with automatic weapons.
Philadelphia was BattleCry’s third stop. The group
has also rallied in Philadelphia was the third city BattleCry has been
held in San Francisco and Detroit. Gay and women’s rights advocates
protested the San Francisco event.
In addition to BattleCry, Texas-based Teen Mania
also sponsors local meetings, rallies, camps, international missionary
trips, a leadership academy and film and media training programs.
CUTLINE:
Rob Reed
HEARING THE âBATTLECRY’: Teen Mania spokesperson
Natasha Arias, flanked by protesters at a rally on Independence Mall
May 12 before a two-day Christian youth event at the Wachovia Spectrum,
spreads the Christian youth movement’s message of faith and
anti-mainstream media protest.