Stories of Courage in the Face of Hatred

By Kenneth Murphy

Many radical homosexuals and their misguided advocates exalt love, tolerance and diversity but they certainly do not practice what they preach.

For example, in Argentina on October 2008, 70 young people bravely defended their Catholic cathedral while a pro-homosexual, feminist march of 15,000 came toward them. In the hour and forty minutes that followed, the youth said countless Hail Marys while the “tolerant” marchers threw bottles, cans and rocks. Several feminists screamed or spat into the defendants’ faces.

One such marcher, wearing the words “I am a lesbian and a teacher” on her T-shirt, joined a “loving” chant accusing Catholics of being “violent sons of a b——s” followed by “killers, killers, killers!”

Meanwhile, in the United States, TFP members were attacked ten times in Arizona and California during the thirty-day tour called the Saint Joseph Caravan to promote traditional marriage.

Its project organizer, John Ritchie, explained how on several occasions, volunteers “were hit by blows, a hot Starbucks coffee, spit, and glass bottles.”

He added that many pro-homosexual activists cursed insistently and threateningly. One homosexual activist even extolled his sense of “diversity” by screaming, “If I had a gun, I would not hesitate to shoot you all down!”

“Freedom of speech has long been a medium for Christian outreach but might disappear if it fails to be protected,” said Thomas Schneider. He was one of the TFP members to be assaulted on the thirty-day tour. He was holding a “Honk for Traditional Marriage” sign when two men sprayed pesticide at him from their car window, shouting, “Drink this!” as they drove by.

While most of the volunteers jumped clear of the car successfully, Mr. Schneider only had time to protect his face with his sign. He suffered burns on his hands where he received the highest concentration of the pesticide. Nearby, a cameraman, while taking photos of the assailants, was also hit with the pesticide.

American River College, Sacramento, Calif., became an occasion of sin for Catholics when homosexuals began posting homosexual pornography throughout the campus. The elected student government, in a routine vote on all state propositions, voted to endorse a marriage protection amendment because of the implications homosexual “marriage” recognition would have on education. Despite the board’s favorable 8 to 3 vote, people in the audience began cursing at the board, forcing a ten-minute recess so security could escort the board out. A homosexual campus group then began a campaign to recall the student board and accused them of being “fundamentalist hate mongers.”

In Mt. San Antonio College, TFP student action members were welcomed by staff to bring fliers addressing homosexual “marriage.” Most of the students favored the TFP, but after an hour, a large group of pro-homosexual advocates formed a ring around the members. Campus police called for extra help and one told TFP member, “We’re not afraid that you are going to be starting anything. We’re here to defend you from anything those people try to start.” The counterdemonstrators burnt a TFP flier and shouted for the TFP to leave the free-speech zone.

TFP members were treated similarly at Berkeley University, where more fliers were burnt and a box of over 1200 fliers was stolen and later found burning by firemen and police in a trash can.

In other parts of California, marriage-protection haters gained access to a churchyard in San Bernardino, Calif., and stole 300 “Protect Marriage” signs. At another Catholic church, José Nuñez volunteered to hand out similar signs in San Modesto. A man approached him and asked, “What do you have against gays?” Before Mr. Nuñez could answer, the man punched Mr. Nuñez’ left eye and ran off with seventy signs.

With his eye dripping with blood, Mr. Nuñez walked into a building on the church grounds where a fellow parishioner called 911. Mr. Nuñez suffered a bloody eye, serious facial wounds, a scratched knee, and was rushed by ambulance to a local hospital where he received sixteen stitches. After the attack, Bishop Cordileone wrote, “Those of us who favor preserving marriage as the union of a man and a woman in California are wondering what ever happened to our democracy.”

The Victims Respond

Backfiring on the assaulting “tolerance preachers,” the victims of pro-homosexual advocates are responding with more enthusiasm to defending Catholic teachings. Twenty-one-year-old Pablo, one of the 70 men defending the Argentinean Catholic cathedral, says that now the Argentinean Catholic youth are more committed to “living life as it truly is: a battle, a war.” He says, “it is time to wake up, we must be aware that if we don’t do it, nobody will. Nobody will bear witness to hope if we Catholics do not do it. The world is waiting, the world expects that we go out to it and conquer it.”

John Ritchie, the project organizer for Saint Joseph Caravan, says the volunteers were attacked every three days but he sees in the faces of the young men that “with every assault, their resolve to defend traditional marriage is only strengthened. With every insult, their desire to promote God’s marriage grows ever stronger.”

Thomas Schneider, who has since recovered from having pesticide thrown at him, says he “was brutally attacked but it strengthened my resolve to continue. From now on, no form of harassment will be able to prevent me from peacefully voicing my faith in public.”

Mr. Schneider is continuing to volunteer for more pro-marriage activities. His friend the cameraman is taking legal action against the assailants because “if anyone has the mission to stand up for the rights of Catholics to voice their concerns, I do.”

The student board members at American River College did not back down, and braved the abuse of media and students. The recall vote held against them failed by 300 votes despite the wishful thinking of a homosexual news site that announced their removal before the vote was fully counted.

At San Antonio College, Berkeley and other universities where TFP Student Action members brought the homosexual issue, members like Elias Bartel said, “Conservative students gathered to our side. At San Antonio College, amid the risk of violence, we said a Rosary aloud and people joined us. At Berkeley we sang We Want God by Saint Louis de Montfort. Wherever we went we knew we were being hated simply because of the good we were doing and that encouraged us all.”

Mr. Nuñez, with sixteen stitches under his eye, medical bills and behind in his work, confidently said, “The other side wants to intimidate us, but we can’t stop standing up for traditional marriage. I may be bloody and bruised, but I’m not giving up. Protecting traditional marriage is just too important for our kids.”

When asked why Catholics are showing such perseverance and joy at defending the truth, America Needs Fatima Director Robert Ritchie answered, “Catholics know that Our Lady of Fatima promised victory when she said, ‘Finally my Immaculate Heart will triumph.’ The teachings of the Church are going to win and we know it.

On the opposite side, the homosexual movement is in trouble. They know that they are losing the battle. That’s why several of them are trying to force their position on others, undemocratically pushing pro-homosexual legislation and turning to violence. It is a sign that they are running out of options and God is going to win.”