They are moving in/gay hating church/Portland (MERGED)

[Angri-la]

A gay hating (I guess this is oxymoronic, however, it is one of their main tenets) "evangelical" "church", whose doctrine teaches that yoga is demonic, is moving into a neighborhood in my very liberal town. The church itself is gorgeous. Pity these teaching will be defiling its walls. This is a neighborhood in which many gay families and yoga studios reside, oh yes, and nearer to Angri-la's little family than she would like.. The LGBTQ association here will try and be welcoming, inviting them over for a potluck.

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/inde ... rch_i.html

(don't worry, the fundies won't follow back from our newspaper)

I expect to be on the corner in the not so distant future with my giant Leviticus 19:19 placard, screetching about cotton poly blends being an abomination. I believe I am kidding.

I guess this gives those of us in the Rose City some serious fundie watching, but it does disturb me; we've had an uptick of hate crimes here this year, and this can't be good for that.

[QueenNocturne]

Oh Lord, it's Mars Hill. I've heard quite a bit about this wonderful Eden of Christian love and tolerance through Stephanie Drury's Stuff Christian Culture Likes blog and Facebook page.

Good luck. *hugs*

[Austin]

Oh Lord, it's Mars Hill. I've heard quite a bit about this wonderful Eden of Christian love and tolerance through Stephanie Drury's Stuff Christian Culture Likes blog and Facebook page.

Good luck. *hugs*

Angri-la, see Mark Driscoll thread. . .

[doggie]

Evangelical Mars Hill Church is scheduled to open its doors in Southeast Portland on Sept. 10

Steve Beaven, The Oregonian

Published: Sep 1, 2011 8:17 PM

Photo 1 of 1

Southeast Portland’s Sunnyside neighborhood, one of the city’s most liberal districts, is bracing for a culture clash next week with the arrival of a conservative, evangelical church whose founder preaches against homosexuality and once said yoga is "demonic."

Last week, the Seattle-based Mars Hill Church bought a vacant, 106-year-old church building at 3210 S.E. Taylor St. for $1.25 million.

On Sept. 10, the congregation will meet its new neighbors, some of whom were trying to understand Thursday why an evangelical congregation would move into a neighborhood known more for its leftist politics than its devotion to church.

The man who sold the ornate stone building to Mars Hill doesn’t believe neighbors will warmly accept the new church. David Rinella, who previously lived in the basement of the church with his family, said Thursday that area residents never made him feel welcome.

“They do not want that to be a church,†said Rinella, who is the owner of Rinella Produce and hosted religious services at the church for years. “They would have been happy if that was a McMenamins (pub). I think there are a lot of hypocrites in that neighborhood.â€

But Reuben Deumling, president of theSunnyside Neighborhood Association, said he’d like to have an amicable relationship with the church and develop a good neighbor agreement.

“This seems an odd fit,†Deumling said. “But I don’t know the people, and I would like to meet them.â€

A spokesman for Portland’s Q Center, which serves the LGBTQ community, said the organization would “extend an olive branch†to the Mars Hill congregation and invite them to the Q Center’s headquarters in North Portland.

“We’ll be respectful of them and try to make friends,†said the Q Center’s Logan Lynn.

Mars Hill Church was founded in 1996 byPastor Mark Driscoll and operates nine campuses, mostly in Seattle, with three more on the way, including the one in Portland. Driscoll is a tech-savvy minister who preaches — often in jeans and baseball caps — against homosexuality and urges gays to turn from sin.

“A gay couple walks into your group, you’re supposed to tell them to repent,†Driscoll said in a sermon posted on the church website. “And if at any point you don’t tell them to repent, you’re not faithful to Biblical Christianity.â€

He also believes that the sexual abuse of children is a “trigger†for same-sex attraction as adults. In a video sermon posted on YouTube, he calls yoga “absolute paganism.â€

Driscoll and Portland Pastor Tim Smith could not be reached for comment Thursday. But Smith posted a video on the Mars Hill website in which he described his childhood in Beaverton and outlined his fall from grace as an adult.

“Like Portland,†he said, “I resisted all spiritual authority.â€

But 11 years ago, Smith said, he got involved in the Mars Hill Church and became a pastor.

Portland, with a gay mayor and an active gay and lesbian community, seems an unlikely destination for a church that opposes homosexuality. And the Sunnyside neighborhood is particularly liberal.

In last fall’s gubernatorial race, 92 percent of voters in the precinct that includes the church cast their ballots for Democrat John Kitzhaber, compared with 6.7 percent who voted for Republican Chris Dudley.

So it’s not surprising that news of the new church met with some disappointment.

“If they’re going on a campaign to discriminate against homosexuals and they’re actively promoting an unhealthy atmosphere in the neighborhood, I don’t like that at all,†said Sam Weston, who lives nearby and walked past the church Thursday afternoon.

Stephen Baboi, who lives across from the church on 32nd Avenue, said some of his friends think the arrival of an evangelical church is “weird.â€

Baboi is opposed to the Mars Hill philosophy. But he’s not worried about the arrival of the church.

“I’m not really down with them,†Baboi said. “But as long as they don’t spill it out in the street and put it in my face, it’s not going to bother me too much.â€

--Stephen Beaven

[Witsec1]

Well, there goes the neighborhood.

[Witsec1]

My sympathies... they are wolves in hipster clothing.

[doggie]

I don't think the church will end up doing much. like fighting fire with a squirt gun.

[Guest Anonymous]

I'm hoping and trusting that Ecumenical Ministries of Oregon have these folks on the radar.

[Guest Anonymous]

They will have some hefty overhead, even without stealing power. With the economic crunch on the middle and lower classes tithes may be down. One can only they fall to the economic pressure. But, I prefer them out where I know what their doing rather than behind closed doors in house churches.

[treemom]

Can I just interupt this thread to say I love both Austin and Angri-La's custom title. I am too lame to have come up with one on my own.

[Austin]

I wish I could claim it as a custom title, but I think it actually came from you, treemom (IIRC). Alecto set it as the level above "Purity Baller". :D

I can't think of a good tagline for myself (at least that I'd want to share :o )

[clibbyjo]

I wish I could claim it as a custom title, but I think it actually came from you, treemom (IIRC). Alecto set it as the level above "Purity Baller". :D

I can't think of a good tagline for myself (at least that I'd want to share :o )

I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Wal Martha!! Only 1000 or so posts and I am a wal martha!!!

[treemom]

Someone called me Walmartha I think :) It was the homeschooling community should be more involved in ferreting out abuse and should welcome regulation thread.

It was pretty WTF. I guess because I am mainstream, even if I don't shop at Walmart.

[Austin]

Someone called me Walmartha I think :) It was the homeschooling community should be more involved in ferreting out abuse and should welcome regulation thread.

It was pretty WTF. I guess because I am mainstream, even if I don't shop at Walmart.

lol - because I never shop at Wal-Mart, either. The main reason is that the last two times anyone in our family did, their credit card numbers were stolen and the bank shut off their cards b/c the bank's fraud department suspected fraud. Plus I hate the layout - too big for me.

But I'm happy to have achieved WalMartha-ness!

[Austin]

This topic double-posted, and both had responses, so I merged the two and deleted the duplicate article posted by doggie.

[Angri-la]

Angri-la, see Mark Driscoll thread. . .

Oh Austin.....Why did you have to enlighten me further?

And I love "wolves in hipster clothing". This. Is. Scary!

[longskirtlotsakids]

That was me, Treemom, because I reacted strongly to your ridiculous assertion that homeschoolers were more responsible for denouncing child abuse than the average citizen. I don't even homeschool, but I want to reserve the right to do so.

I picked up "WalMartha" from my gay-metro friends. It is a generic term used for the overweight, bitchy, judgemental Midwestern church women that we seem to have a plethora of.

IIRC correctly, you responded by throwing out an insufferably pedantic rant about boycotting Walmart, therefor, you were not a WalMartha.

I am tickled that my little term got picked up as such a high ranking status!!

[doggie]

This topic double-posted, and both had responses, so I merged the two and deleted the duplicate article posted by doggie.

thanks I goofed. hey it's friday. actually there is another post about this maybe merge all three.

[Austin]

No problem, doggie. Not a big deal at all.

ETA: Okay, I think I got them all together this time :)

[Shina]

Ugh, keep these fools out of my city. I moved to Portland to get away from homophobic douchenozzles.

[Angri-la]

mea cupla. I thought I checked for a thread well enough; I didn't know this was a Mars Hill Production. He surely won't like all the girlie men in his new neighborhood.

I know we already have fundie mega churches here, but they are out in the 'burbs. Perhaps I will attend, just to see what it is all about, and report back to FJ. Any local ladies want to join me? I promise to behave!

[Guest Anonymous]

Ugh, keep these fools out of my city. I moved to Portland to get away from homophobic douchenozzles.

Alas there are many pockets of homophobic douchenozzles, I live in the valley in a town that they populate...sigh. Thirty more daze of it before I get back to the liberal college town that is a destination for those denizens of Little Beruit that enjoy Beaver football :dance:

[Shina]

Angri-la, I'd totally go with you if I was planning on sticking around Ptown long enough.

And I'd have no intention of behaving :D

[Antigone]

Angri, I'd join ya! but we don't go up to the rose city all too often even if we do live fairly close by, and only for the sinful goodness of Voodoo Donuts and the Saturday market. Now that is a thought, if they will boycott Voodoo Donuts? ;)

yes, I'm craving those donuts right now! Next time I will go get a C & B and put Dougie's name on it. If I have enough guts that would be my avatar photo. :)

ETA: modified so I don't sound too crazy, lol. :)

[Angri-la]

Angri, I'd join ya! but we don't go up to the rose city all too often even if we do live fairly close by, and only for the sinful goodness of Voodoo Donuts and the Saturday market. Now that is a thought, if they will boycott Voodoo Donuts? ;)

yes, I'm craving those donuts right now! Next time I will go get a C & B and put Dougie's name on it. If I have enough guts that would be my avatar photo. :)

ETA: modified so I don't sound too crazy, lol. :)

I may have been lying about behaving; we'll see. As far as VooDoo Donuts, I will see if I can make your avatar dreams come true, Antigone.

Seems to be many PDX FJrs- not that I am surprised, I just wonder if we have ever crossed paths!