Wednesday, August 09, 2006

ROLE REVERSAL - Christian Slavic Community Persecuted !

Sacramento’s Slavic Christians fled persecution back home, but some are befuddled by their new country’s tolerance of gays

By Rachel Gregg

Over the last few months, the loudest voice against gay rights in Sacramento has been that of Sacramento’s Slavic Christian community. Outside of area high schools and on the steps of the Capitol, hundreds of Slavic families, many recent immigrants, have been gathering to protest what is considered a shameful secret in their home countries.

The irony is that they fled those countries after being persecuted for their own religious beliefs.

Eighteen-year-old Nadia Chorney is a Ukrainian native and evangelical Christian. She’s already a veteran activist, fighting against “promoting homosexuality in our schools.”

As a youth leader in her Marysville church, she participated in a number of political actions this spring. She stood in front of the Capitol to protest the passage of Senate Bill 1437, the bill that would have required California textbooks to acknowledge the historical contributions of gay people.

But most of her political activity has been centered around protesting the “Day of Silence” instituted by the Sacramento City Unified School District Board to combat harassment of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender students in public schools.

Chorney, who believes that “homosexuality is a sin,” was among the many area high-school students who wore anti-gay T-shirts to school on April 26, the Day of Silence. According to Chorney, school administrators demanded that she and other students turn their “homosexuality is a sin, Jesus will set you free” T-shirts inside out. School officials also confiscated anti-gay leaflets from Chorney and other students.

Frustrated by what she felt was an infringement of her First Amendment rights, Chorney gathered with other students and parents for three days in front of Mira Loma High School to protest. READ FULL STORY - warning - link is for mature readers only!

ALSO read Pacific Justice Institutes defense: CLICK HERE ***
"Slavic Christians Demeaned for Free Speech Activities, Urged to Leave U.S."

~ CCNews ... please pray for the Slavic community - protection, diection and favor. Pray the whole Church of the Sacramento community will stand with them and encourage them. This is not a time run and hide, but to stand and having done all to stand in the LORD and His strength.

Affiliated with City Reaching of America !


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