According to the Agape Press (hat tip: townhall.com), a few social conservatives fear
the city of Jerusalem will be subjected to “a moral outrage” if a planned 10-day event known as WorldPride 2005 goes forward as planned. If it does take place, the event will bring some 250,000 homosexuals to the holy city in a celebration of their lifestyle.
Mike Evans, founder of Jerusalem Prayer Team, believes that that event organizers are staging the event in Jerusaelm to make a “provocative statment.” In an attempt to prevent the holy city from “being desecrated by homosexuals,” his group is trying to gather one million signatures to convince Israel to stop the event.
Mr. Evans fears that “holding WorldPride 2005 in Jerusalem would lead to the worst debauchery the Middle East has seen since the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.” If Mr. Evans read his Bible, he’d realize that the crime of the people of Sodom was the way they treated strangers. Instead of welcoming Lot’s guests (the two angels) into their community, the Sodomites demanded to have their way with them (Genesis 19:5-9). They were not a hospitable people. And in an age and culture which valued hospitality.
It seems, however, that the City of Jerusalem has chosen to be hospitable to WorldPride 2005.
If Mr. Evans checked his history, he might worry less about this feared “desecration.” Jerusalem has survived far worse than an international gay pride celebration. Listening to a cassette recording of Karen Armstrong’s history, Jerusalem: One City, Three Faiths, I have learned that almost from the day it was first built, Jerusalem has suffered many woes. The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple. The Seleucid Greeks under Antiochus desecrated the Second which the Romans later destroyed. In the meanwhile, the town was pillaged, treasuries were looted, buildings levelled, captives sold into slavery and thousands upon thousands of Jerusalemites massacred, pagans, Jews, Christians and later Muslims. And despite all this, Jerusalem still stands, a holy city to three great monotheistic faiths.
If Mr. Evans truly believes gay people would desecrate Jerusalem, he shouldn’t get too upset. Jerusalem has survived the Babylonians, the Seleucid Greeks, the Romans, the Persians, the Ottomans and many others. Surely, it will survive a few thousand gay men and lesbians gathering there to have a good time.
-Dan (AKA GayPatriotWest): GayPatriotWest@aol.com.