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Last Saturday, Valentine's Day of all ironies, the Chicago Anti-Bashing Network, a radical homosexual group, sponsored a rally outside of the residence of Cardinal Francis George to protest their so-called denial of their civil rights. Whether it accomplished anything remains to be seen, however, I tend to believe that it was nothing more than a bunch of noise that is now long forgotten.

There were, in my estimation, at least 200-250 protestors outside of the residence of the leader of the Chicago Archdiocese, though media reports claim less. However, what was disturbing was the lack of a Christian witness among the homosexual "community". Aside from one black woman, a Pentecostal Christian like myself, there were no other visible Christians among the homosexuals, although several news sources reported an elderly Catholic woman with her rosary. So from all best reports, there were 3 people of faith on site. Of course, you might think there were more, given the scriptural quotations from Isaiah as quoted by Rick Garcia, Equality Illinois political director, during his "sermon but suffice it to say that there was a 1% Christian presence among the radical militants.

This certainly speaks volumes about the apathy of the Christian Church, both Catholic & Protestant, in its failure to be salt and light (St. Matthew 5:13-16) in a world of darkness. While many folks were probably unaware that there was going to be such a protest, I daresay many Internet savvy individuals and various denominational church leaders knew that such a protest would occur last weekend and for whatever reason, chose to ignore it.

It was amusing to watch the homosexuals claiming their civil rights were being denied by the Catholic Church and Cardinal George. Signs like "Marriage is a Human Right", "Marriage is not just for Heterosexuals" and "Equality for All" were quite prevalent among the crowd, along with signs claiming Cardinal George was a bigot. There were also supporters of the fringe group, the National Organization for Women, onsite as well as a lesbian couple celebrating their so-called marriage in Toronto last summer. The activists sang songs like the Sunday School chorus "This Little Light of Mine" as well as totally nonsensical songs like "We are a Gay & Lesbian People" and "We're Going to Get Married", songs that were likely made up as they went along. I've heard children's Sunday School groups sing with more harmony and gusto than these folks did.

However, in all seriousness, the church in general forfeits its moral authority to speak when there is no Christian presence among such evil. And again, this is not confined to one denomination. This is one issue that should span across denominations, regardless of what label we may personally wear.

Like the radical abortion movement which tries to disguise the issue by claiming the killing of unborn children is a "choice" or "is just a blob of tissue", it is no different with radical homosexual militants. Their vocabulary consists of "discrimination", "denial of civil rights" and "equality". But let's get to the crux of it. Like abortion which is murder, homosexuality is all about sex and the promotion of perversion in it. It is about foisting the unnatural and dangerously unhealthy lifestyle among others and seducing them to experiencing it. And the most gullible are our children.

Unlike abortion, which affects the woman involved and her family and friends (and I am certainly not minimizing it by any stretch of the imagination), homosexuality has the potential to affect most everyone. Gay/Straight Alliances (GSAs) and groups like the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network are infiltrating public schools and endangering our children by seducing them to participate in this dangerous behavior. Employees who do not wish to have this behavior flaunted around them are often sent to "sensitivity training" and told to accept it or be fired. Employers not wanting to see this behavior in the workplace risk lawsuits from the likes of the ACLU if employees are not accomodated accordingly. And building owners and landlords who do not want to see this behavior going on in the offices and apartments they rent out are sure bets for litigation if they refuse to accomodate sodomitic behavior. Stores and restaurants that have customers flaunting this activity in public risk litigation if their managers and owners confront their patrons on it.

Not too many years ago, a couple of females were taken to the woodshed by the city of Madison, Wisconsin and its Human Rights division. Two women seeking a roommate for their apartment refused to allow an avowed lesbian room with them. The lesbian took these ladies to court. The women were fined, forced to perform community service and undergo sensitivity training and write a letter of apology to this woman. If it can happen in Wisconsin, it can happen anywhere. And that is just one known example.

And lest the church feel comfortable in that homosexuals purportedly say that they are not asking for membership among congregations nor the compelling of ministers to perform same sex marriages nor hire them for church jobs, this is logically the next sequence of events once public officials and activist judges have sanctioned this lifestyle in the workplace and in housing and leasing. And in case you don't think this is coming here, it already is. It's already working its way in Canada and it's here in certain parts of the country. Look at the turn of events in San Francisco.

The church must be diligent in standing up for Biblical truth, no matter what the cost. It's a no-brainer that most Christians know that homosexual sex is the largest cause of AIDS. If not alone for the sanctity of the Holy Scriptures, it behooves the church to discourage this lifestyle because of the unhealthy consequences of it, particularly for men. A church that tolerates this lifestyle is essentially a partaker in this lifestyle, according to St. Paul's letter to the Romans, chapter 1, vs. 32. The church of Jesus Christ must never lose its moral authority and clarity to speak out on one of the most defining issues in American history. And with the lack of a Christian presence last weekend, the signs of the church abandoning its Christian influence in our culture are sadly visually evident.

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STATEMENT OF FRANCIS CARDINAL GEORGE, O.M.I. Regarding the protests of those supporting gay marriage, February 14, 2004

Today's demonstration attempts to take the Catholic Church's support for marriage as a lifelong union between a man and woman for the sake of family and falsely characterize it as an attack on gay people. That is inflammatory and untrue.

Marriage is a natural institution. It is the invention of neither the Church nor of the State, and neither has the authority to change its nature. In pointing out this rather obvious truth, the Church concludes that there is no legal parity between marriage and homosexual unions, because there is no biological or moral parity between them.

The Church's resolute opposition to State institution of a completely new sense of marriage unfortunately causes tension between the Church and some of the gay community. Some actually find opposition to so-called "gay marriage" as a species of attack against homosexuals themselves.

The Catholic Church opposes anyone who would punish, demean or attack any person because of his or her homosexual orientation. However, it is a very great leap to move from respect for and acceptance of homosexual individuals to a demand that sexual relations between persons of the same sex be treated as the equivalent of marriage, morally and legally. The nature of life itself, of marriage and of faith cannot be simply subsumed into the language of individual rights.

What the Church sees at issue here and in other legal matters is her own right to exist as a community of faith, free to teach and live as she believes Christ demands, and do so without harassment and hostility. As the gay community demands the same, I would hope that the Church's stance on marriage is no longer misrepresented as a hostile attack on gays and that the Church and the gay community could find a language other than that of individual rights to address adequately their differences.

Finally, since the Catholic Church is only one of many groups and communities that stand in defense of marriage, the protest seems as motivated by anti-Catholic bigotry as by any concern for rights.