(OPINION) Churches are under attack. The Biden Administration has enabled the rise in unprecedented challenges and threats facing churches across the country.
Glenn recently covered how the Biden Administration has been targeting Catholics and other conservative Christians, and who could forget how the draconian lockdowns especially hurt churches? Now churches are facing a different threat: radical LGBTQ+ activists who view the church as the antithesis of everything they believe.
Activists have launched a multitude of attacks that have taken on several forms: some through deceit and manipulation, others through outright violence and destruction.
While these activists often face minimal—if any—repercussions, the Biden administration’s double standard is clear as it continues to go after American citizens who don’t conform to their political ideology.
Earlier this year, a funeral unlike any other took place in New York’s famous St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The funeral was for transgender atheist sex worker and activist Cecilia Gentili and included a series of events that were intentionally blasphemous. At one point, someone referred to Gentili as “St. Cecelia, mother of all whores.”
One of Gentili’s friends led a prayer for “gender-affirming health care.” Another shocking moment saw a friend of Gentili sing “Ave Maria,” but with the lyrics changed to “Ave Cecilia,” while dancing in the aisles and twirling red scarves. Many of the guests were clad in wholly inappropriate clothes for the location.
Leaders at St. Patrick’s claim they had no idea of the identity of Gentili nor the scandalous itinerary in store. In fact, the current rector of the cathedral, Rev. Enrique Salvo, expressed his outrage at the situation in a statement on the diocese’s website:
Thanks to so many who have let us know they share our outrage over the scandalous behavior at a funeral here at St. Patrick’s Cathedral earlier this week.
Another church official admitted that they didn’t look into Gentili’s background before the service. They simply received a call asking if a funeral could be held there, and he said, “Come on in, you’re more than welcome.” The officials of the church later held a “Mass of Reparation” to cleanse the historic cathedral.
Other trans activists have taken a more destructive route. For example, Cameron David Storer, a man identifying as a transgender woman, set fire to a 117-year-old church in Portland, Oregon in January of last year.
The historic Korean Church was built in 1905 and had sat empty for several years before the fire. The fire caused irreversible damage to the building, and it was eventually torn down.
Storer confessed to starting the fire and turned himself in because he wanted to “take credit.” He had previously been arrested in Massachusetts and California but never convicted of any felonies or misdemeanors.
