not in San Francisco?

I have to pause from talking about sound bites. You may have missed this because of all the news about immigration, but, yes, it happened.

There is a Christian youth rally meeting this week in San Francisco called, “Battle Cry for a Generation.” 25,000 kids and youth pastors arriving in San Francisco for worship, prayer, and workshops. Jack Hayford, from our own local Church on the Way is one of the keynote speakers. Christian rockers including one of my all time favorites, Delirious, are performing. In other words, normal moderate evangelicals.

Well, before the event even started, the San Francisco supervisors passed a resolution warning that a Christian youth gathering could "negatively influence the politics of America's most tolerant and progressive city."

Again, before the youth even arrived, listen to what this politician had to say.
Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, told counterprotesters at City Hall on Friday that while such fundamentalists may be small in number, "they're loud, they're obnoxious, they're disgusting, and they should get out of San Francisco."

Here is a post from the website of a protesting group.

ALERT!!! Right wing Christian fundamentalist bigots are coming to San Francisco this Friday and Saturday to hold a fascist mega-pep rally called "BATTLECRY FOR A GENERATION." They are recruiting youth and their rallying cry is "Reclaim the values that made this nation great."

Kudos to the San Francisco Chronicle editorial board (not mistaken for a right wing newspaper) who posted this response. Speaking of the organization, they write:

Its goal is to spread Christianity and to help young people recognize and resist the cultural influences of a "stealthy enemy" that includes "corporations, media conglomerates and purveyors of popular culture." Its Web site (www.battlecry.com) speaks of "casualties of war" that include drinking, drug use, teen sex, pornography, abortion, suicide and violence.
We may disagree with certain aspects of the Battle Cry agenda -- on issues such as abortion rights, religion in schools or acceptance of an individual's sexual orientation -- but the attempt by counterprotesters and some of the city's elected officials to call them "fascist" and "hateful" was totally at odds with the tone of the ballpark event and the approach of the Web site.
The gathering was not an "act of provocation," as the supervisors claimed. It was a get-together of young evangelicals whose lifestyles and religious views just happen to be in the minority here -- apparently making them open season for politicians to chastise.
The young people who came to San Francisco to affirm their faith and enjoy a day of rock music deserved better. They deserved to be welcomed by a city that was as tolerant and progressive as its sanctimonious supervisors like to profess.

One final word from one of the youth attending.

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."

Ahh, maturity.