Apostate Church Here: letters from vigil members
Apostate Church Here: letters from vigil members
Charles E. Carlson
The big school bus black on yellow signs closest to the door of Cornerstone Church read: APOSTATE CHUCH, Christ Followers Must Not Kill.
John Hagee’s staff seemed to be irritated if not insulted, but here are the Pastor Hagee’s own anti-Christian words, which clearly prove our sign is 100% on target:
“Jesus did not come to earth to be the Messiah”
“Jesus refused to be the Messiah”
“The Jew as a people did not reject Jesus as Messiah”
Source: Promotional film for In Defense of Israel, a new book by John Hagee.
http://www.apprising.org/archives/2007/10/john_hagee_says.html
Other Judeo-Christians would, and have rejected John Hagee’s attempt to reconstruction the person of Jesus Christ in Hagee’s image. However, our issue is not with John Hagee, but with the plunge away from basic Christianity in every Judeo-Christianity church across the land. The influence of this huge block of similar thinking individuals, that may exceed 25% of all US voters, is frightening in its insane lack of concern for human life. It is the only factions of any size and organizational strength favoring more world war against Islam, and the mad scheme to bomb Iran. It is defined by those who believe political Israel is the fulfillment of Biblical prophesy.
Interest in vigils at churches is beginning to catch on after we have done it for five years. We share letters, both positive and negative. Three of these are from men who have started Vigils of their own efforts; in Minnesota, Los Angeles, and Oregon, all by themselves.
Matthew once participated in a vigil with us, at Scottsdale Bible Church; he now lives in Oregon, and you can contact him here, akhalife@gmail.com.
Dear Charles:
When I hold a picket it very quickly splits the crowd into three groups, those who oppose, those who join and the fence sitters. I am after the fence sitters because they haven t decided yet, and I am also creating doubt in a lot more people s minds to question what they believe, that is good.
There isn t a picket I go on that I don t feel I am winning. I am moving around with the picket. I will be picketing a school next. Picketing makes life very tough on people who need a house call.
People know something must have gotten you out of bed to go and picket. They notice, they think. When I picketed First Baptist not one person missed it as they drove by.
There is a Muslim girl in the Univ. of Oregon Senate, she was very nice to my wife and I and I asked her, I told her about the Palestinian thing, she was very interested about it.
I am going to ride picket on horseback across the US. Lincoln city Oregon to Manhattan at the UN via New Orleans. We are getting a large bus that we will sign up to go the whole way with wife and kids. Wife and kids will be riding some on a second horse. We leave soon as we can put it together. (Matthew McDaniel)
From: Dr. E.A.-, P.E.
Subject: Re: Project Strait Gate: A Lively Day at Hagee’s Gates of Hell
Pure guts! Keep it up!
Dr. E.A.
From Peter, from Minneapolis, who came to Washington DC at a Night To Honor Israel, and who needs a little help.
Hello Chuck:
I think Hagee s the ringleader of Christian-Zionism. I guess I just feel for the simple churchgoer, even at Mac Hammond s church for example, because it doesn t even register with them what I m talking or protesting about. They think I m just some crazy person disturbing their Sunday worship. I did protest a couple of times in late July for several hours and felt like
I didn t make any headway at all. Anyway, maybe you should lead a group at Hagee s church
every month or so. I think I would be interested in coming down for another protest there.
Peter
ANSWER: Dear Peter,
I am glad to hear you did it, but it takes too much courage to go alone; you simply need a little help to make it fun. Having been to Mac Hammond’s church, I know about the tactics employed to make it tough on you, but we know how to deal with “men of God” who try to squeeze us off public property, and I will find some help for you so next time you go so you will have your own turf to stand on, police protection, and a few people to back you up. It will make all the difference in the world, next time it will be this apostate church that is uncomfortable. – Chuck http://cp.whtt.org/straitgate/index.php?news=2&id=230
From Dave, our host in San Antonio”
Dear Chuck,
We really enjoyed very much having you. It s the least I could do considering the valiant effort you lead with whtt.org. Now that we know what to expect at the Hagee complex, it should be easier next time. I listened to you on that Robbi Noel piece you sent. I m not sure I approve of Robbie using that Amway label on that Hagee group of “Christians”.
Dave Groepler
http://cp.whtt.org/straitgate/index.php?news=2&id=251
FROM TOM IN LOS ANGELES
Dear Charles,
Thanks for this excellent report. I did this myself in LA handing out literature. Was escorted out from parking lots. ETC. Yes, we are now in great urgency to warn God s people. The End is coming very fast.
Blessings,
Tom
FOR THOSE IN LA who want to be involved, contact WHTT and we will pass it along to Tom
FROM JAMES IN AUSTON
Hi Chuck
I was one of the picketers on the public sidewalk round Hagee s Church the morning we did this. Around 8:00 am, when we began our picket, we had a lengthy conversation with the police who were there.
The senior police officer in charge recognized that we were a peaceful group, and we established clear guidelines together what we could and could not do. We were not to set foot on Cornerstone Church property, but the public sidewalk around the church and the median in the street were fair game for us. But we were not to block the sidewalks or roadways.
We abided by the officer s orders. This went on without incident for about 3 hours. There were two of us picketing the sidewalk, nowhere near each other—we must have been at least 100 feet apart. There were no passersby–we were the only two people on the sidewalk the whole time.
Around 11:30 (about the time we disbanded and called it a day), finally one person approached me from behind. He was a much older man, definitely over 65. He wore a black police-like uniform, had a nametag on, but no badge, and glasses. I could not tell whether he was police or security with the church. His uniform was very different from the state troopers also there, directing traffic. He approached me–alone (we were both alone)–and told me I was blocking the sidewalk.
If you saw the pictures we took, it s pretty obvious there is no way I could have blocked the sidewalk by myself. There was a big patch of grass next to it, anyway. But nevertheless, since he was an old man, I took one step to the side and let him pass. He then said I was blocking the roadway. I was standing right there, on the sidewalk. If I took one step to the right, he would say I was blocking the roadway. If I took one step to the left, he would say I was on church property. The police stated very clearly that we were allowed on the sidewalks.
The man then got in my face. Which didn t bother me–I could have taken the guy out very easily, even if he did have a weapon–and then said I was continuing the block the sidewalk. I said nothing. He then proceeded to walk right past me, further down the sidewalk, and to the next guy. He then looked back and yelled at me, “If you continue to block the sidewalk, I will arrest you.” Again, I said nothing. The man continued along the sidewalk, and said the same thing to the next guy who was with us. He then proceeded to walk past him, as well, on the sidewalk–without incident on our end–and brought his allegations to a State Trooper. The man then returned along with the trooper (who I think was more sympathetic with us than him), but–purely by chance–it was 11:30, which was about the time we were going to call it a day anyway.
After further discussion, we found out that this guy was probably a security guard for the church; at least, he was NOT a police officer. And there is no way we could have blocked the sidewalk, even if we tried to. It was pretty obvious–there was a grass field right next to the sidewalk. That would be like me blocking you from walking through a cornfield. Nevertheless, even if true, blocking the sidewalk is only a misdemeanor.
If a security guard makes an arrest, that is citizen s arrest; and by Texas law, citizen s arrest is only legal if you witness someone in the act of committing a felony. This is not limited to security guards: ANYONE can make a citizen s arrest. The catch is, citizens do not have the immunity police officers do, i.e. if you make a citizen s arrest, you expose yourself to criminal and civil liability for false arrest and any number of other statutes. If the man was a security guard, that would expose Cornerstone Church to lawsuit, as not only was there clearly no law broken (let alone a felony), but the sidewalk was not in his jurisdiction. In fact: legally speaking, *I* could have arrested*HIM*–impersonating a law enforcement officer *IS* a felony.
This was a very eye-opening experience. I had never done a picket before. And now I understand how instigators truly are harassing & threatening peace protesters, trumping up blatantly false charges. This is real.
God bless,
James
ANSWER: THANKS JAMES, official police presence is always a help to us, not only does is assure our safety, but it call attention to our activities like nothing else we can do. But we need to be aware that off-duty officers hired by the church as bodyguards or traffic directors take instructions form the church, not from the law. In San Antonio we had to call the real police to secure our rights in front of the church from them.-CEC
Dear Charles
I truly admire your work and your struggle for humanity and true Christianity and for the path of Jesus that you have chosen to walk upon. The battle against Zionism is central to the survival of the human race and all of God s creation and only in our common victory is our salvation.
In Solidarity
Feroze M
Mumbai – India
Edited Charles Carlson
