FR Compiliation: Background on Michael Marcavage (Leader of Christian Group Arrested in Philly)

various Internet sources | 12/19/2004 | Pyro7480

[Pyro7480]

Michael Marcavage is the leader of Repent America, a Christian group based in the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) area. Repent America is known for its activism on the behalf of traditional morality, especially with the pro-life and pro-traditional marriage causes.

Mr. Marcavage has been in the news recently, ever since he and 10 other Christian activists were arrested on October 10, 2004, after protesting at a homosexual street fest in Philadelphia. They were charged with three (3) felonies and five (5) misdemeanors. Among the felony charges were Criminal Conspiracy, Ethnic Intimidation and Riot. 7 of the protesters had the charges against them dropped in December, but the attorney representing all of those originally charged says the charges were dropped against the remaining seven because they were not seen quoting scripture on the videotape. An emergency appeal to the Third Circuit Court of Appeals was rejected on December 13, 2004, leaving the 4 Christians who are still charged with only an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

(For those who want to read more about this case, please go to the following FR threads:
Christians Face 47 Years in Prison Because Philly Judge Calls Bible Verses
Christianity now "hate crime": the bible is "hate speech" subject to seizure
Christians Face long Jail Time In Philadelphia
Throwing Christians to the Philadelphians
Christian Protestors Face 47 Years in Jail for Encounter at 'Gay Pride' Event
‘The People vs. Michael M.’ [Christians jailed in Philadelphia])

What many who are familiar with the recent case do not know is that Mr. Marcavage has longed been involed in the fight for traditional morals, and has been in the middle of many incidents where "progressives" have been using tactics of questionable legality against those who would dare to stand against them.

The first documented incident was when Mr. Marcavage was a student at Temple University, which is also in Philadelphia. A more complete account of this incident is available in an article by Accuracy in Academia, but the key details are excerpted below.

Eighty years ago the Soviet Union developed a novel method of dealing with dissenters: it labeled them insane and committed them to mental institutions. A Temple University student contends that his school resorted to these very tactics in response to his objections to a school-sponsored performance of a play that depicts Jesus as a promiscuous homosexual.

Michael Marcavage filed suit against Temple University in December 2000 for a an incident in which he alleges that University officials censored an event he had organized, roughed him up, and involuntarily committed him to the psychiatric ward of the school's hospital. His only offense, he claims, was to organize an event to counter a play that mocks Christianity.

The civil rights suit was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and contends that the plaintiff's First, Fourth, and Fourteenth Amendment rights were violated. The defendants in the suit are Temple University, its vice president for operations, William Bergman, and its managing director of campus safety services, Carl Bittenbender. Attorneys for the plaintiff include lawyers for the American Family Association's Center for Law and Policy....

During a contentious meeting on November 2, 1999-less than a week before the planned event was to take place-Temple vice president William Bergman called Marcavage into his office to inform him that the university was not permitting him to hold his program. Following a discussion, a disgusted Marcavage retreated to the restroom, threw water on his face, and asked God for direction about what to do next. God, however, had little to do with what then happened....

Marcavage's suit states that Temple Vice President "[William] Bergman pounded on the [bathroom] door and demanded that [Marcavage] come out." Marcavage then opened the door and was physically forced by Bergman to return to his office. "Once back in Bergman's office," the suit details, "Bergman, suddenly and without warning, pushed [Marcavage] down into a chair…. alarmed and afraid by Bergman's use of force, [Marcavage] told Bergman he wanted to leave. Bergman said no." Marcavage then asked to use the phone, a request that was also rebuffed. Realizing that these officials had no right to keep him against his will, Marcavage attempted to leave. The legal brief reports that the "Plaintiff then arose from the chair and was tripped to the floor by Bergman. As Plaintiff raised himself off the floor, he was forced onto a couch and held down by Bergman and Bittenbender. Plaintiff's repeated pleas to be released were refused."

Uniformed Temple Police then arrived and were ordered to handcuff Marcavage, who "was then carried out of the building and placed into a police car." The police refused to divulge to the student why he was being arrested or where he was going. "Shortly thereafter, Plaintiff was taken to the Emergency Crisis Center at Temple University Hospital against his will." The Christian student was then held in the psychiatric ward for more than three hours. Doctors examining him concluded that nothing was wrong with him and finally released him at 3:15 p.m....

Though the civil suit was filed at the end of the year 2000, the case has been slowly progressing, and in May 2004 a federal judge ruled that the suit can proceed to trial.

More recently, Mr. Marcavage and another pro-lifer, who were on their way back from the Democratic National Convention, were pulled-over in Connectict on July 29, 2004, for carrying pro-life signs on the side of their truck (a federal lawsuit was filed after this incident). On August 9, 2004, Marcavage and 4 other Christian activists were ejected from the 2nd annual Philadelphia Philles' Gay Day after unfurling a banner that said "Homosexuality is a Sin, Christ Can Set You Free." Less than a month later, at the Republican National Convention, Marcavage and Steve Lefemine, director of Columbia Christians for Life, spent over 30 hours in jail after being arrested across the street from Madison Square Garden on a public sidewalk for bringing a pro-life message to the convention. The charges against the two in connection with this arrest were later dropped by a New York City Municipal Court judge.

[Chode]

thankx... now if they would just list them so we know what they are.

[Chode]

thankx... i can usually laugh at almost anything said to me because i can consider the source, BUT, you better treat my wife and children like you were in front of a judge because believe you me... you are, it's me, and i WILL prosecute you right on the spot!!!

[Delphinium]

Can you imagine what our founding fathers would have said, and done?

They would have arrested John Hancock March, Philidelphia ,March 1770:

“ as though they thought it not enough to violate our civil rights, they endeavored to deprive us of the enjoyment of our religious privileges; to vitiate our morals, and thereby render us deserving of destruction. Hence the rude din of arms, which broke in upon your solemn devotions in your temples, on that day hallowed by heaven, and set apart by God himself for his peculiar worship. Hence, impious oaths and blasphemies, so often tortured your unaccustomed ear. Hence, all the arts which idleness and luxury could invent, were used to betray our youth of one sex into extravagance and effeminacy, and of the other to infamy and ruin; and have they not succeeded but too well? Has not a reverence for religion sensibly decayed? Have not our infants almost learned to lisp curses, before they knew their horrid import?”

"Dark and designing knaves, murderers, parricides! How dare you tread upon the earth, which has drunk the blood or slaughtered innocence shed by your hands? How dare you breathe that air, which wafted to the ear of heaven the groans of those who fell a sacrifice to your accursed ambition? -- But if the labouring earth doth not expand her jaws; if the air you breathe is not commissioned to be the minister of death; yet, hear it, and tremble! The eye of heaven penetrates the darkest chambers of the soul; and you, though screened from human observation, must be arraigned, must lift your hands, red with the blood of those whose death you have procured, at the tremendous bar of God."

[DirtyHarryY2K]

Thanks for posting that. #63

Merry Christmas.

[L,TOWM]

Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) may be a more appropriate citation in this matter.

http://www.oyez.org/oyez/resource/case/47/

The conclusion on this page is what sounded germane this situation. I fail to see where this guy was inciting immediate violence on the part of either Repent America or the "Pink Angels".

CBBob, your thoughts on this would be appreciated...

[Manic_Episode]

I like this guy.
I just wish he would take a few boxing lessons and perhaps hit the weights some. Gotta be ready for jackasses especially if you're out there provoking them.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

Something foul is afoot in Philadelphia...

[Ciexyz]

ping

[srweaver]

Could you elaborate why the name Don Wildmon raises a red flag for you? I am a member of the American Family Association and subscribe to American Family Online, an Internet filtering service provided through them. I have appreciated their boycotts over the years, trying to put economic pressure on companies promoting immorality. Currently they are sponsoring a boycott of Proctor and Gamble because of their documented policies and advertising campaigns promoting the homosexual lifestyle. Their web sites contain more information for those interested.

[Askel5]

thanks guy.

[Askel5]

Nice work.

If you're keeping a ping list for this story, I'd like to be on it.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

You're welcome.

[Gondring]

Thanks for the link!

Regardless of what wrong is being done to someone, I think it's important to know the background, so as not to be caught blindsided by any rebuttals, and to focus on the crime against these protestors, not on the individuals themselves.

Also, many on FR don't seem to be able to separate the victim of a crime from his past. To wit, how many FReepers were justifying abuse and execution of prisoners in Iraq, by the basic idea of "our evil is okay since they are dangerous and have done worse." If Marcavage has a history of defending a molester of boys, many people would find that as relevant as the links you provide about his history of provoking people by use of means that are distasteful and likely not legal (e.g., truck with graphic photographs).*

BTW, when his arrest occurred at the Lansdowne meeting, I wrote letters to the editor of several papers, since it came out at the time one Republican campaign handout implied the Bible might be banned if they don't win. I used the Lansdowne example to correct newspapers that claimed it was preposterous--with ADA Alyssa Kusturiss' words at the time.

* How many of us would like activists to show up at our churches with graphic photographs of homosexuals and bullhorns to shout things we find offensive?

[Pyro7480]

* How many of us would like activists to show up at our churches with graphic photographs of homosexuals and bullhorns to shout things we find offensive?

Something like that has already been done on a number of occasions. One infamous example of this was ACT-UP's desecration of St. Patrick's Cathedral.

[Gondring]

Right! And maybe you can help me. I can't seem to find the threads of FReepers pointing out that it's their expression of free speech. I can't find Marcavage or WorldNetDaily speaking out in favor of their First Amendment rights to do so.

Frankly, I think both displays are vulgar, repulsive, degrading, and disrespectful. But I am in the minority on this debate, I guess. Most here seem to love such things.

[Pyro7480]

Frankly, I think both displays are vulgar, repulsive, degrading, and disrespectful

Please describe to me what was "vulgar, repulsive, degrading, and disrespectful" about what you saw on the video of that protest.

[who knows what evil?]

Philadelphia has chosen Barabbas.

[richmwill]

Sure. While quite a few of the boycotts are for reasons I agree with, some of the boycotts he's organized through the years have been beyond ridiculous. Protesting "Cheers" and "Taxi" as being overly sexual? Protesting "Mighty Mouse" cartoons for encouraging cocaine use? I've checked his website and his alerts- it seems to me that any show beyond "Rugrats" on Nickelodeon gets Wildmon's "red alert". If you scream "wolf" every time a bull mastiff approaches you, the words start to lose meaning and you start looking like a fool, leading people to question your motives. That's all I'm saying.

[Keme]

I remember the incident from 2000 at Temple, never gave the school another penny after that. How I never became a marxist from studying there is a great credit to my parents :-)

But, I've never heard of Repent America.

I'm with you Owl_Eagle, following things in Iraq (& some recent, not very good, events in Egypt) more closely than my own backyard.

[srweaver]

You are certainly entitled to your opinion. To tell you the truth, I have not noticed the "frivolous" examples you mentioned, but feel that Wildmon has been judicious in his use of the influence and monies entrusted to him as a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and a proponent of social preservation (society reflecting, to some reasonable extent, a Judeo-Christian ethic).

On the issue of preaching the gospel on the streets, I have a friend who was denied a permit (required to use certain public venues) to preach in San Francisco, though these permits are routinely given to a plethora of "immorality promoting" groups. They went to court, represented by the Rutherford Institute, and were still denied the permit. This ministry has had an ongoing presence in San Francisco for over 20 years, and is well known and respected in the Christian community.

There is a hostility toward Christianity that is increasingly evidenced by our public institutions and government officials, and the fact that the church has largely abandoned the streets and public square has led to an increasing willingness on the part of public officials to try and confine the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the church building.

If we don't use it, we will lose it!

The video portions I saw of Marcavage and his fellow DEFENDANTS were no different from some of the ministries I have personally engaged in. I do not see how they in any way violated their Constitutional right to free speech.